Academy Swim | Swim 4 LIfe

Winter Swimming & Colds

Academy Swim — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 19:46:22 +0000

Many parents limit swimming to the warm summer months believing that their child will get sick if they swim during the winter. The fact is children are no more likely to catch a cold from swimming during winter than during summer. Children are more susceptible to colds and the flu during winter, it’s true, because school is in session and they are in close contact with each other. Also, the viruses that cause infections thrive during the dry cooler months. And those viruses are sneaky little ninjas. Of course you wouldn’t send your child to school if he is sick, but he’s contagious even before the first symptoms of illness appear. Kids, being kids and not particularly concerned about hygiene, spread these germs across everything they touch or breathe on. With their brand new immune systems, children don’t have the anti-bodies to fight off most of the viruses they run into. Most children come down with 6 to 10 viral infections a year! It’s not the water making kids sick – a properly chlorinated pool is probably one of the cleanest places a child can be.

So here are a few points to consider regarding winter swimming:

* Swimming in winter poses no threat to children with functioning immune systems. Our pool is indoors and the water is heated to 90 – 92 degrees. As long as you quickly and thoroughly dry your child and change him into warm clothes he’s no more at risk from catching a cold after swimming than he is after his bath.

* Regular exercise helps keep the body, including the immune system, strong. Studies conducted in Germany indicated that swimming children are actually healthier than their non-swimming friends. go ask alice (Take that evil virus ninjas!)

* Year round swimming ensures that children do not forget skills learned between summers. Plus, it allows new skills to be taught at the most advantageous developmental age.
If you want more information on colds and flu’s, check out the links below.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/disease.htm

http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1719/mainpageS1719P0.html

http://coldflu.about.com/od/cold/f/coldandweather.htm

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Myths and Truths of Winter Swimming

Academy Swim — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 20:12:16 +0000

Myths and Truths of Winter Swimming

Date: Nov 07-2008

Over time, there have been wives tales about winter exposure that have left many parents confused and believing these myths. The following medical facts were given by Dr. Norm Payne, of Payne Pediatrics in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Myth #1: Swimming, cold and wind may cause ear infections.

Fact: Middle ear infections, common in small children, are caused by viruses or infectious colds. Typically, fluid from the Eustachian tubes in the ear, drain through the nose and throat. During illness, passages constrict, and the fluid builds up and becomes infected. Swimming causes swimmer’s ear, which is not a middle ear problem, and is more easily treated.

Myth #2: Parents think a clear, runny nose is not contagious.

Fact: A clear, runny nose does not necessarily indicate a lack of infection. On the other hand, a colored discharge does not necessarily mean infection. Other symptoms should be considered as well as the length of time the symptoms have been present. Allergies may last for a few days, while an upper-respiratory infection will usually last for ten days.

Myth #3: Sudden changes in temperature or getting caught in the rain will cause colds.

Fact: If one becomes ill after experiencing these weather conditions, Dr. Payne believes the illness and the weather are just coincidence. Viruses cause colds, not the weather. However, Payne does agree changes in weather conditions may cause allergies to flare up. Sneezing and runny noses lasting a few days are indications of an allergic reaction; colds last ten days.

The truth is, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under 5 in the state of California, and it is 100% preventable. There are more pools in Southern California than any other state. If you don’t have one, your neighbor does. Enrolling children in a year round water safety and swimming program, and educating yourself in CPR are two essential skills that have life saving potential. Don’t wait for summer…Learn to Swim Now…for LIFE!

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First Lesson Checklist

Academy Swim — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 19:42:16 +0000

This time of year we enroll a lot of new swimmers and many parents wonder what they need to bring to lessons. Here is a handy checklist to help you prepare.

Can’t Live Without:

A swimsuit and towel (you’d be surprised how often these are forgotten at home).

Hair bands to tie back long hair.

TWO health department approved swim diapers (children under 36 months). They are reuseable and cut like underpants with elastic around the waist and leg openings that fit your child snugly. They are available for purchase at our front desk. Children under three must wear TWO swim diapers. Little Swimmers can be worn as well, but they still must wear two reusable swim diapers.

Nice to Have:

Waterproof toy. Some children feel more secure if they can bring something from home into the pool.

Shampoo/body wash and lotion. All of our showers are equipped with liquid soap, and soap showers are required before entering the pool, but feel free to use your own soap from home if you prefer. Also, we recommend washing with soap after a lesson to decrease itchy, dry skin. website seo analysis If this is an issue for your child, lotion will help as well. Many parents shampoo their child’s hair at that time and dispense with the need for a bath later.

Blow Dryer. Electrical outlets are located in our bathrooms if you would like to dry your child’s hair before leaving the building.

Snack. Moving through water makes you tired and hungry so you might want to pack something for your child to eat when they get out of the pool.

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For Safety’s Sake, Teach Kids To Swim

Academy Swim — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:21:21 +0000

California remains near the top for summertime pool and spa drowning tragedies.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s national Pool Safely campaign reports that pool and spa drowning deaths among children ages 1 to 14 reached 202 during the 98 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Of those, 143 of the victims, or 71 percent, were younger than 5.

The 2013 report shows the highest summertime pool and spa drowning rates in Texas (28), Florida (24) and California (23), an increase from last year, when Texas had 17, California 10 and Ohio 9. Last year there were 137 pool and spa drowning deaths; 100 were children under 5.

The CPSC report does not include non-fatal drowning incidents or fatalities occurring in other bodies of water.

“It is tragic. Water safety education helps families understand that drowning is preventable,” said Nikki Miller, owner of Academy Swim Club and co-founder of the Aquatic Safety Awareness Program in Valencia. “Safer water with approved pool fencing and alarms, safer kids who learn to swim, and safer response, learning CPR – it’s the Safer 3 program, teaching water safety all year long.”

Pool safely officials also recommend fences for all pools, staying close to children in the water, being alert, and teaching children how to swim. Many pediatricians and physicians advise swimming lessons for families with small children.

“Both of my girls had swim lessons before 1 year (of age),” said Dr. Morris Yen of Santa Clarita Pediatrics. “If anything, it just prepared them in case of falling into swimming pool or being swept up by a wave.”

Some states have initiated pediatrician recommendations during baby well-checks as a drowning prevention measure to emphasize the importance of basic swim skills.

“It should be discussed at the visits,” said Dr. Kathleen Brockett of Valencia Pediatrics. “If a child does not have swimming lessons but everyone around him or her can swim, that child is still not safe. It is really important to teach your child how to roll over and float until help reaches that child.”

Many children and adults with autism are at greater risk.

“We are not sure why so many people with autism are attracted to water,” said Emily Iland, president of the Autism Society of Los Angeles and co-founder of the Santa Clarita Autism Asperger Network.

“Inside the house, people with autism can drown in the bathtub, the toilet, or even the washing machine because of the attraction to water. Outside of the house, they can be attracted to pools and other bodies of water,” she said.

“If we know that their attraction is to water throughout their lifespan, then the most important thing would be to have swimming lessons so if they do go into water, they can help themselves,” Iland said. “Infants can learn to swim, but maybe it is something we overlook even for adults. Especially if their fascination is with water, swimming lessons could be more important than for anyone else.”

Drowning remains the leading cause of accidental death among children ages one to five. Santa Clarita residents have many resources available – from free CPR classes to year-around swimming lessons, special needs water safety training, and bilingual water safety material. According to the doctors from several Santa Clarita medical centers, water safety techniques are a top priority.

“It’s something that is a necessity of life. If we can save one life by teaching techniques, that right there is the reward,” said Dr. Eric Fernandez of Facey Medical Group.

Visit the Aquatic Safety Awareness Program website at http://www.ASAPsocal.org for more information and links to Santa Clarita water safety resources.

Gloria Locke is a Santa Clarita resident and producer of “SCV-Arts & Entertainment,” which airs Fridays and Sundays on SCVTV. Article originally published at SCVNews.com. You can view it at http://scvnews.com/2013/09/17/for-safetys-sake-teach-kids-to-swim-commentary-by-gloria-locke/ ask men

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Hints for a Happy Swim Lesson

Academy Swim — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 19:40:23 +0000

Last week we gave you a checklist of things to bring to a swim lesson (Swimsuit? Check!). This week we thought we’d share a few more tips to help make your child’s swim lessons a happy success.

If your child is still taking naps try to schedule his lesson for an hour or so after he normally wakes up. Tired kids are cranky kids, and the ones that just woke up aren’t always too perky either.

Give your child a snack 30 minutes before her lesson. Make it something light that will deliver energy for swimming. Fruit is good, but avoid meat and dairy. Probably best to skip that Happy Meal with chocolate milk rather than chance it making a reappearance in the pool.

Arrive early to allow time for your child to become accustomed to the surroundings. It will decrease nervousness and spark curiosity about the pool and lesson. Hopefully he will have a chance to watch his instructor teaching another child.

Talk to the instructor about your child’s swimming experience, personality and your goal for lessons. Instructors will always try to adapt to your desires – whether you want a no-pressure, relaxed lesson or a more forceful approach. As lessons continue let the instructor know about anything unusual going on in your child’s life. If you’ve got family from Italy visiting for a month, the instructor will understand that she is more distracted and tired and adjust the lesson.

Put on a happy face. It’s important to show your child a positive attitude toward swim lessons, especially if he is anxious or scared. Listen carefully to his fears and promise him that you will both speak to the instructor about them. Use confident, fun language and avoid saying things like, “You won’t have to go under water today.” Your instructor will, of course, do what you ask, but you’ve reinforced the idea that going under water is a bad thing that your child must be protected from. Instead, reassure him that his instructor will always help him and he will get better with practice. Then talk to the instructor about your child’s specific fears. Usually there is a gentle way to take a step in the right direction that everyone can happily live with. Whatever you do, DON’T pull your child out of the lesson early because he is crying. It will make it much harder to get lessons on track; he will continue crying because it gets him out of the pool instead of accepting that he must stay in for the whole lesson. Remember, your child will pick up on your attitude, so make sure you project the right one!

Finally, give your child another snack after the lesson. Moving around in the water burns a lot of energy – she will be hungry, and probably tired, too. If she still takes naps, schedule one for after the lesson as well. Many of our Baby Swim parents say they love the nice, long naps their babies take after class.

As always, our office staff and instructors are here to help you in any way we can. Be sure to ask one of us about any specific concerns.

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Swimming Immediately After Eating

Academy Swim — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 19:35:41 +0000

Was your mother right? Is it dangerous to swim after eating? Do you really have to wait at least thirty minutes after eating to avoid stomach cramps and possibly drowning?

This “old wives” tale has been around for quite some time and has been perpetuated generation after generation by well meaning, but incorrectly informed, parents. There is not even one recorded case of anyone experiencing stomach cramps and drowning while swimming immediately after eating. As a matter of fact, long distance swimmers eat while in the water, swimming their endurance events.

Consumption of low fat, high carbohydrate foods can be nutritionally beneficial to elite competitive swimmers. However, not eating at all, or eating particular foods immediately before swimming will neither harm nor enhance the swimming ability of most typical recreational swimmers.

Engaging in intense exercise immediately after eating a heavy meal is not beneficial to proper digestion. You shouldn’t try to run a marathon immediately after consuming a Thanksgiving feast, nor should you compete in a long distance competitive swimming event. However, it wouldn’t hurt to go for a short walk around the block after a moderate meal, and neither would it be dangerous to swim a few laps. Just use common sense to decide when it’s appropriate to swim after eating.

An exception to this may be children enrolled in swimming lessons: Because there may be some anxiety or water ingestion, it would be prudent to not eat meat or dairy products within 2 hours of a lesson or any other rigorous exercise.

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Why TWO Swim Diapers are required

Academy Swim — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:15:35 +0000

Meet the humble swim diaper. It’s got a dirty job to do, and it does it well. All swimmers under 36 months must wear TWO health department approved swim diapers at Academy Swim Club. If you’ve got a swimmer who is under three, or is perhaps older but not yet, shall we say, reliable, we’d like to get you guys together. Below is a quick rundown of what a swim diaper is, why you need it, and where you can get it.

What is a Health Department Approved Swim Diaper? A fancy name for underpants with two layers of tightly woven fabric and heavy-duty elastic around the waist and legs. This stylish, reusable garment has one purpose – to keep poop inside the diaper (making it eco-friendly in more ways than one.) It should fit snugly, but not so much so that it cuts off circulation. They are sized by weight and age. You may want to buy a size up for the outer swim diaper. Huggies Lil’ Swimmers or other disposable diapers won’t work. The only thing they keep contained are baby bottoms, not what comes out of them. Some parents do layer a Lil’ Swimmer under the approved swim diapers to keep clean up simple in the case of accidents. Just remember that a disposable Lil’ Swimmer does not replace one of the required reusable swim diapers.

Why are two swim diapers required? Firstly, because the Health Department told us so, and we never say “no” to the Health Department. They don’t have to buy us dinner first or anything. Secondly, because a fecal incident (those are the actual words on the form we have to fill out after one occurs) creates an unbelievable mess. Our pool is a pretty high tech affair, with pumps, jets, filters and all manner of diagnostic whatsits designed to circulate the water and ensure it is contaminant free. You could probably launch a space shuttle from our equipment room. However, all that circulation works against us once a little digestive waste hits the water and gets spread from end to end. Then we have to shut down the pool for the remainder of the current lesson and all of the next one while we vacuum and scoop – and the reality of that is even more disgusting than it sounds. That’s also a lot of parents who wasted their time driving to our facility for their child to only receive half a lesson or none at all. Worst case scenario, we’re shut down for the rest of the day. Double diapering doesn’t seem like much bother compared to all of that, right?

Where can I buy swim diapers? Academy Swim Club sells them at the front desk, but you can also find them during the warm months at Target, Walmart, Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby, etc. We don’t care where you buy them, as long as they meet the health department’s standards. Some baby swimsuits come with built-in swim diapers that can function as one of the diapers, which is handy.

If you have any questions about swim diapers, give us a call, shoot us an email, or just stop by the front desk. We are more than happy to help!

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Drowning Prevention Checklist

Academy Swim — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 20:28:23 +0000

Drowning Prevention Checklist

Date: Apr 11-2006

Drowning Prevention Checklist

As we approach summer, it is important for parents to remember that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of 5 in the state of California. Please take a moment to educate yourselves and your children, as drowning is 100% preventable.

Supervision

Never leave your child unsupervised in or near any body of water

Don’t allow barriers, such as fences or walls, to give you a false sense of security

Keep toys, tricycles and other children’s play things away from the pool or spa

Don’t consider your children to be “drown-proof” even if they are enrolled in swimming lessons. Swimming lessons will teach them skills and respect for the water

Do Not rely on “water wings” or inflatable devices to keep your child afloat

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTION FOR SUPERVISION !!!

Barriers

Fencing, walls, latched doors, covers and alarms should always be utilized

Doors and windows leading to the pool area are kept closed and locked

Fence gates should have self-closing, self-latching mechanisms

Door, window and gate latches should be out of reach of children

Always drain standing (surface) water off of the pool or spa cover

Your pool or spa should always have well-maintained barriers or “layers of safety”

Emergency Procedures

Install a phone, or keep a cordless phone, in the pool or spa area

Know how to contact local emergency medical services

Post emergency phone numbers in an easy-to-see location

Child care-givers should always be familiar with emergency procedures

Learn and practice how to administer lifesaving techniques (CPR) to children

Remember:

There is no substitute for constant supervision

and eye contact when a child is in or near water.

For information on April Pool’s Day, a community child & parent water safety please contact Academy Swim Club at (661)702-8585

Fence the Pool, Shut the Gate! Teach Your Kids to Swim – It’s Great!

Supervise, (Watch your Mate), Learn How to Resusitate!

For more information on swim lessons & drowning prevention, please call Academy Swim Club at (661)702-8585

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Why Swim Year Round?

Academy Swim — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 20:19:57 +0000

Why Swim Year Round?

Date: Sep 07-2007

Water is a unique medium that offers opportunity for everyone: Newborns, toddlers, children, teens, adults and the elderly, including athletes, arthritic, and the injured. Swimming is the only sport one can do, literally, from first breath to last. It is a lifelong skill with benefits that cannot be replaced or duplicated by any other sport. It is a skill that saves lives, infant, child and adult.

Life Saving: Swimming is a skill that all Californians need. People swim at pool parties, beach outings, hot afternoons at a friend’s house. Children gain confidence and self-esteem by knowing how to swim well when they are with friends. Children also need to know their limits and what they can do to help when another swimmer is in trouble. Many drownings turn into double drownings because people generally do not know the best course of action when a swimmer is in trouble.

Exploratory: The newborn can locomote and explore in water before he is able to crawl or walk. Three dimensional movement is attained, free from the restrictions produced by gravity or untrained muscle groups. Even older children and adults are fascinated with the ability to move in all directions, similar to what astronauts must experience in space.

Curiosity & Safety: Everyone loves water and is drawn to it. Just look at real estate prices near water. Children are no exception. Drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children under five in the state of California. Toddlers who learn how to swim are more respectful of the dangers of water, have learned water safety skills and are less likely to drown. Even if you don’t have a pool in your backyard, someone in your neighborhood does.

Physical Fitness: The benefits of water exercise are long standing. Resistance is a key factor in improving strength and cardiovascular fitness. Compared to exercise on land, the same level of fitness can be attained in up to ½ the time! Water can be from 4 to 44 times more resistant than air, depending on how hard you work. Even athletes train in water because the medium produces resistance for every muscle group and the athlete becomes stronger and more flexible for other sports. Water can also be a safer environment to exercise in because of virtually no impact, as gravity is reduced to 10% of that on land. A note to remember is that many people enjoy water exercise so much that they overdo it without even knowing it, as there is little pain associated with it, so take it easy when you begin your program.

Physical Therapy: A warm water pool is beneficial for many ailments including, but not limited to, arthritis, fibromyalgia, & injuries of all kinds. The reduction in gravity leads to less stress on injured areas and the warm water provides a soothing environment which relaxes muscle groups adding optimal conditions for therapy and healing.

Fun: Everyone loves water!

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Learn to Swim. . . for LIFE! Because We Don’t Learn by Accident

Academy Swim — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:20:44 +0000

Learn to Swim. . . for LIFE! Because We Don’t Learn by Accident

Date: Jun 22-2007

During a 5^th grade, end of year pool party, all the children were called inside to eat lunch and the lifeguard was sent home. After lunch was served, an adult chaperone noticed that one of the boys was missing. After checking the bathroom and calling for him, someone checked the pool to find him on the bottom. He did not survive.

During an outdoor social gathering by the pool, Jessica P. Looked down to find her son, motionless, at the bottom of the pool, less than 3 feet from her. She jumped in to pull him out and revived him while other party goers called 9-1-1. He survived, although traumatized by the event. “The most unnerving thing is that no one heard a sound! Drowning is so SILENT!”

While fishing off the end of a dock with their four children, Jerry and Jill turned around to find their 3-year-old son floating, face up and fully clothed, and patiently waiting for someone to help him out of the water. He had been taking swim lessons and had practiced this many times before this event transpired, so he just reacted the way he had been trained to do so.

If you have children, accidents happen. Children of all ages have the opportunity to be in and around water. Prepare your children, because you love them, because it is only a matter of seconds between an accident and a tragedy.

The previous stories are true, with names and some specifics altered to protect the privacy of those involved.

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