BOOMj Expert: Safe, Savvy Swimming
2008-06-25 11:29:44
Source: Armand Tecco
By: ATecco
Written By: Armand Tecco
Written By: Armand Tecco
Whether you’re swimming in a pool or an ocean, you need to know what you’re doing in order to reap the inherent fitness benefits. So before you plunge into water workouts, gain a basic understanding of how to swim with smarts.
OCEAN versus POOL SWIMMING
Ocean swimming is great for endurance and strength-building workouts. Factors that will affect the intensity of your open-water workout include waves, currents, water temperature, and the presence of marine life. There is also enhanced flotation due to the salt content in ocean water.
Swimming in a pool is ideal for workouts using sets and drills to build speed, endurance, and strength. Pools provide a controlled environment, i.e., the length is 25 meters and the water temperature is stable. Training aids for the pool, such as pool buoys, fins, and kick boards, add further variety to your workout. The pool swimmer may also have access to a swim coach or may be able to join a swim team.
SWIMMING FOR FITNESS
Lap swimming may be best for improving overall fitness, and being part of a swim team with others trying to achieve the same goal is even better. “If you cannot be part of a team, try to swim ‘against’ the clock. For a quick, intensity set, experienced swimmers may aim to swim two lengths of the pool in a minute and repeat that 10 times.
To make the most out of a workout, concentrate on different parts of your body. For example, use a kick board for a leg workout and a pull-buoy for working the arms. A pull-buoy is a styrofoam device held between the legs to keep them immobile.
In a swim workout, always start out with a warm-up before moving on to an intensity set and/or the main set before finishing with a cool-down. For an experienced swimmer, a warm-up may involve 300 meters of easy swimming while the main set may cover a distance of 750 meters at a faster, sustained pace. The cool-down may be 100 meters of easy swimming.
A good program depends on frequency, intensity, and duration or time of your workouts. Frequency is how often you exercise – three to five days per week is recommended. Intensity is how hard you exercise – by measuring heart rate or perceived exertion. Time is based on how long you exercise at the recommended level of intensity. Initially, aim for an aerobic workout of 15 minutes, building up to 20-30 minutes.
SAFE SWIMMING
Any workout must not only be effective but safe. This is especially critical with swimming where the risk of drowning is always present.
Ocean swimming is wrought with potential dangers – from rocks, sandbars, and encounters with marine life to simply being overpowered by rough water. To combat roughness, bring your elbows higher and roll your shoulders more to keep from catching them on the waves.”
If you’re caught in a current, don’t try to swim against it. Swim gradually out of the current by swimming across it.
Getting off course can be a problem in the ocean, too. Stay in a straight line by lifting your head after you breath to see where you’re headed. You can also alternate breathing on each side or have a friend paddle alongside in a boat to help you swim in a straight line.
Be sure not to wear a metallic colored suit or jewelry, which attract sharks.
Since fatigue is a common factor in drowning incidents, it is important to have the necessary strength no matter where you’re swimming. When you are tired, you are not thinking clearly. And that’s when errors of judgment occur. Never push yourself to do more than you are comfortable and capable of doing. In any body of water, never swim alone!
OTHER WATER SAFETY TIPS
· Learn to swim well. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. (Visit www.redcross.org for details.)
· Swim in supervised areas only.
· Obey all rules and posted signs.
· Watch out for the “dangerous too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.
· Don’t mix alcohol and swimming.
· Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts.
· Know how to prevent, recognize and respond to emergencies.
· Supervise all children while swimming. “A child can drown in less than one inch of water,” points out Gretchen Wendt, RN, coordinator of Children’s
Armand Tecco owns HealthEase, Inc., a fitness management company based in
Armand Tecco is a Program Director for Boomer-Living.com.
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