When is Not a Good Time to Swim?

Swimming is great for overall health and fitness but there are times when it is better not to swim and put yourself or other swimmers at risk.

Swimmers should not swim if they have either an open wound which has not healed, an infection which has not yet been taken care of, an airborne disease which can very easily be passed to other swimmers, or conditions like diarrhea and vomiting which can soil the pool water and make it dangerous for other swimmers.

Swimmers should make sure that they use laundered swimwear before going into the pool and that they have showered thoroughly with warm water and soap before immersing themselves into the pool water.

People with open wounds can easily transfer blood borne pathogens into the water and other swimmers in proximity can easily either ingest or expose their skins to such pathogens resulting in potentially harmful consequences. Similarly, people who are suffering from seasonal flu or common cold should stay at home and avoid going to the pool since they have the potential to spread the flu in a public place like a swimming pool faster than any other venue.

Those swimmers who are suffering from diarrhea should avoid going to pool since fecal matter is one of worst offenders in transmitting pathogens to other humans and can result in many more victims including women, children and elderly.

People who are prone to vomiting either due to some sickness or bad food should watch out for such tendencies and should take adequate precautions such as observing their own condition before entering the pool and taking appropriate medication to prevent it from happening while in the middle of swimming.

Swimmers should be also very courteous not to sneeze with an open mouth or spit indiscriminately in the pool water as this is liable to pollute the pool water and create harmful and unsavory environment for other swimmers. If an urge to spit or sneeze arises, swimmers should leave the pool immediately and use a wash basin or shower facility to take care of such situations before reentering the pool.

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Is there any way to treat allergies manifesting from swimming pool water?

Some swimmers are not very tolerant of the chemicals in the pool water and they suffer from frequent allergies and rashes on their body. This adverse effect forces them to stop swimming for a while until they repeat these attempts to acclimatize to pool water again and again.

Allergies or rashes can lead to loss of interest in swimming and people might try running or perform other aerobic exercises to maintain their health and fitness levels.

However, there might be an easy solution to these problems if swimming is absolutely essential for aerobic exercise, since many patients suffering from arthritis, spinal injuries, knee and ankle injuries cannot run or walk without pain and need swimming as a low impact exercise to remain fit and healthy.

The first thing to do is to visit the family doctor and ask them for advise. They might be able to prescribe certain anti-allergy medications or anti-histamines for itching and rashes. Those swimmers who have not found any solutions through their primary care doctors can visit a dermatologist or immunologist to seek additional solutions or advise on the future course of action.

Apart from these steps, allergy or rash prone swimmers can try different swimming pools to see if they can tolerate chemical cocktails in some pools better than the others.  In addition, swimmers can also wear full body swim suits and put on goggles, ear plugs and train themselves not to ingest even the least bit of water. This can be done by proper training in breathing techniques which ensure no pool water will be ingested while swimming.

Swimmers can also ask their doctors if there are any food supplements they can consume or avoid certain kinds of foods or drinks which might help boost their immune system against such adverse reaction to pool water.

Filed Under: Pools, Swimming Tagged With: , ,

What Type of Pool Should I Get?

aftab swimming pool
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Before you get a new swimming pool for your family, there are several factors to take into consideration. You may want to decide first what shape that you want. Most above-ground pools are either round or oval, while in-ground pools come in a variety of shapes, such as oval, kidney-shaped, square, or even a combination of these shapes.

A pool that is in-ground will come in a bigger size than the above-ground pool, giving you more room. An above-ground pool does not usually have an end deep enough for a diving board to be used. When you buy an above ground pool you will need to place a deck around the pool and a high fence. Buying an in ground pool only has the expense of fencing that is of regular height. However, it is much more affordable to get an above-ground pool if you total up the full cost of the project.

When you put on one of your many water resistant Michele watches which pool do you want to get into? You just need to decide what you want to do in the pool. Do you want to do your daily laps in there? Do you want to play with your kids there? You may also consider what type of pool your family will benefit from in the future.

Even though the in-ground pool is more expensive it will offer the greatest versatility. It can let you have a slide and diving board. This will also offer you the ability to swim laps. The above-ground pool is great for playing fun games and splashing around on a sunny day.

Which one of these is right for you? That is something that only you can decide on.

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Could Your Local Swimming Pool Be a Disease Carrier?

A young girl taking a break in a swimming pool...
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Millions of Americans chose swimming as a way to get fit and have some fun, especially in the summer months. Public pools are accessible to most neighborhoods, and they offer open-swim sessions year round. Pools are also a common feature in many private health clubs, fitness centers and hotels.

With all these swimmers sharing the same pools, it’s vital to be aware of water-borne germs that can make you and your family sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even has a name for infectious ailments caused by germs in pools: recreational water illnesses (RWI). These illnesses include a wide variety of infections: gastrointestinal, respiratory, skin and wound, to name a few. The water-borne illness reported most commonly is diarrhea.

Used Properly, Chlorine Kills Germs—But Not Right Away

Just one swimmer with diarrhea can contaminate the water in a swimming pool, even if it’s Olympic sized. Other swimmers can ingest those germs by swallowing small amounts of water.

Isn’t chlorine supposed to kill these germs? Yes, chlorine does destroy most contaminants—but only if the chlorine is used at proper disinfection levels and if water conditions (pH and temperature) are ideal. But even when chlorine is properly used, some contaminants are chlorine tolerant. These germs will eventually succumb to chlorine, but it might take hours—or even days. In the meantime, those germs are swimming in the pool along with all the humans.

How to Protect Yourself, Your Family and Other Swimmers

You can avoid spreading and catching pool-borne germs by taking a few precautions.

• Don’t swallow pool water. Instruct children to try not to get pool water in their mouths at all.
• Before you get in the water, shower with soap. Wash your hands thoroughly after changing diapers or using the bathroom.
• Don’t go swimming when you have diarrhea. Don’t take children swimming when they have diarrhea.
• Check children’s diapers often.
• Don’t change children’s diapers at poolside. Germs can end up in the pool.

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Filed Under: Excercises, Surfing, Swimming Tagged With: , ,

Teaching your children to swim may be a lifesaver

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With Labor day gone and over, many families have said goodbye to a busy summer of activities and headed indoors for their fall and winter activities.
Summertime is often filled with activities that are centered around a favorite lake or the picturesque beach along the ocean. Not teaching your children to swim, could have serious ramifications to their health and well being as they grow to teenagers that are not always monitored by mom and dad.
Teaching your child to swim at an early age is crucial. Many youth have an inherent fear of the water, and getting your little one over that fear early might be a key to their swimming success. Teaching your five-year-old to swim means the entire family can be slightly less self-conscious during those summer swimming activities.
Gone are the days when fathers threw their boys into the local swimming pool, hoping they would have some ability to swim and save themselves. Swimming pools and YMCA’s that teach youth to swim are readily available to most people that live in the cities.
Studies show that inner-city youth that fail to learn how to swim are more susceptible to drowning later in life. In particular, African-American youth have higher drowning rates than those of their caucasion counterparts.
Even though the summer months have ended, many facilities continue to teach youth swimming through the fall, winter and spring months. Even a beginning swimmer, or someone who has never learned to swim can make significant improvements in their swimming abilities in a relatively short time.
That family summer vacation can still be filled with swimming activities for the entire family. Even adults who have never learned to swim can learn the basics of swimming in a short time. Even the ocean won’t seem like such a mighty entity after some short swimming lessons.

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Swimming gaining in popularity as a cardiovascular mainstay

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As more people make the commitment to exercise regularly, swimming has proven to be a viable option for those wishing to avoid the aches and pains that accompany running and other high impact exercises.
When people begin their exercise regimes, they may be horribly out of shape, and significantly overweight. A 400 pound man, can’t expect to run multiple miles, and in some cases might be limited to walking very short distances.
Swimming is a way to get started exercising without the typical pain in the ankles and knees that sometimes stop the exerciser before they really get started. There is nothing worse than starting an exercise routine, only to be so stiff and sore after day one that all the goals and hopes of a healthy lifestyle are washed away before they are really given a chance
The benefits of swimming are not limited to just the obese or a beginning exercise enthusiast. Even high-level runners sometimes substitute swimming into their normal routines, to cut down on mileage and wear on the body. Swimming allows the body to dig into its cardiovascular reserves, without putting excess stress on the feet, ankles and knees.
Finding a place to swim may not be as difficult as you think. Many gyms in metropolitan areas include usage of the pool in their normal monthly fees. YMCA’s are typically equipped with swimming pools, and public pools often offer ‘adult-only’ swim nights for parents and other swimming enthusiasts who don’t want a pool full of hundreds of kids during their workout.
Ever hear of a swimmer getting hit by a car? Unlike runners and bikers that face trucks, SUV’s and other obstacles during their workouts, swimming provides a relatively stress free environment to improve one’s cardiovascular health.
For those looking at putting variety into their routines, swimming, lifting weights and running or bike riding can provide a well rounded routine that keeps the body and mind fresh.

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Winter Pool Covers Eliminate Algae

A swimming pool.
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The need to cover your pool may not sound like it’s related to style or fashion. After all, you’re dealing with algae, dirt, and scum. However, there is a kind of fashion element to the latest in winter pool covers for above ground and in ground pools. Pool covers are very visible to you and your guests when you look out at your backyard or deck.

Some pool covers will give extra protection with a drain so the ugly algae-ridden puddle of water does not collect on the pool cover. A pool cover will lessen the evaporation process, which will also greatly decrease the amount of water inside the pool.

To be most effective, the pool cover should be constructed of a strong tear resistant material such as a woven polyethylene. This type of U.V. stabilized material protects from snow and sun as well as ice. There are some pool covers that feature a black underside that will greatly slow algae growth. Heat-sealed seams will ensure that you pull back the cover next spring and find a crystal clear pool.

For above ground pools, it’s best to have a cable and tightener mechanism anchored to the cover by rip proof metal utilities. Pools are different sizes, so the most flexible covers have an extended two to four foot overlap. This overlap will also accommodate pools with top rails that are wide.

Those who must have their pool warm regardless of the outside temperature do not need to install a heater. Pool covers constructed from a special material can absorb solar energy to heat the pool every day. If the pool is above ground, the solar pool cover can raise the temperature of the water up to 15°F. Solar pool covers have thermal bubbles that retain heat. With a transparent blue color, the sun’s rays can reach the above ground pool for maximum heating.

Filed Under: Excercises, Sports, Swimming Tagged With:

Chlorine May Lead to Breathing Problems in Swimmers

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Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Chlorine is widely regarding as the most effective way to disinfect and prevent bacteria from forming on swimming pools. However, recent research reveals that too much exposure to chlorine can lead to significant respiratory issues, as evidenced by the following two studies:

A recent study conducted by researchers in Belgium and published in the September 2009 issue of Pediatrics found that teenagers who spent more than 1,000 hours in a swimming pool had more than eight times the risk of developing asthma, allergies or other breathing disorders, compared to teens who swam in pools that were disinfected using copper-silver disinfectants.

In another study, researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine found that chlorine levels such as those found in public and home swimming pools may lead to increased breathing problems and a condition known as exercise induced bronchoconstriction in trained swimmers.

The researchers studied the effects of chlorine in two different concentrations, including 0.5 parts-per-million (PPM) and 1.0 PPM (the latter of which is typically found in home and public pools) had on the lung capacity of trained swimmers. Testing was conducted after the swimmers swam in pools with different chlorine concentration levels, as well as after they ran or cycled next to the pools. The researchers found the incidence rate for respiratory trouble was slightly less than 20% when swimmers swam or exercised near the pool with 0.5 PPM; however the incidence rate for respiratory issues climbed to more than 60% when swimmers were exposed to the pool containing a concentration of 1.0 PPM. These findings were regardless of whether the swimmers had a history of prior breathing problems.

The researchers said they had suspected that chlorine played a significant role in the respiratory health of swimmers and cautioned those who swam regularly to be aware of the chlorine concentration levels in the pools in which they are swimming.

They noted that swimming is an exercise that’s generally recommended for those who already have breathing problems, such as asthmatics, and recommended that those with respiratory issues should seek out pools with chlorine concentrations of less than 0.5 PPM.

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Swimming Pools and Kids: What Are the Dangers?

A boy in a children's swimming pool.
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Swimming with kids can be a fun, healthy activity for the whole family. And families who own pools say nothing beats the convenience and enjoyment of swimming in their own backyards—anytime, year round. But owning a pool comes with the responsibility for safety awareness, especially if children are nearby.

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in children in the U.S. And recent studies show that, in some states in the nation’s Sunbelt, where more families own pools, drowning is the number one cause of accidental in children under age five.

What are other key statistics regarding children’s risks and dangers when they’re around swimming pools?

• Nationwide more than 300 children under age five drown in residential swimming pools every year. More than 2,000 children in this age group are treated every year in emergency rooms for submersion-related injuries.

• Medical costs for submersion patients can start from about $2,000 for a victim who fully recovers to nearly $100,000 if the patient has brain damage. Victims with severe brain damage can require extended hospital stays (more than four months) and costs can exceed $150,000.

• A recent study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showed that 65 percent of children’s drowning and submersion incidents took place in a pool at the child’s house. Thirty-three percent of the incidents were in a pool at the residence of friends or relatives.

• The CPSC study showed that pool submersion incidents happen fast. Seventy-seven percent of the victims had been missing from sight less than five minutes.

• The study showed that, during most incidents, a parent was on site, but 69 percent of the children were not expected to be near the pool.

• Toddlers are most at risk, reported the CPSC study, because they are most likely to engage in unexpected behaviors. Seventy-five percent of submersion victims were between the ages of one and three. Most (65 percent) were boys.

• The victim’s welfare depends on how quickly the breathing process is restarted, said the study. Seconds matter when trying to save a child from death or brain damage

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Filed Under: Games, Swimming Tagged With: , , ,

The Top Five Unforgettable Swimming Pool Scenes in Movies

The Graduate
One of the most acclaimed American movies of the 1960s, The Graduate (1967) is about Benjamin Braddock (played by a young Dustin Hoffman), a recent college graduate who has no idea what he wants to do with the rest of his life. The summer after college, he spends lots of time lounging on an air mattress on his parents’ backyard swimming pool, while the soundtrack plays Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence.”
It’s a Wonderful Life
Ranked high on many “best movies of all time” lists, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a troubled savings and loan manager who contemplates suicide. A memorable flashback has George on a date with Mary (Donna Reed) during which they’re dancing the Charleston at a high school hop—and the gymnasium floor opens to reveal a swimming pool underneath. This famous pool, located at Beverly Hills High School, is still in use.
Harold and Maude
Number 45 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Funniest Movies of All Time, Harold and Maude (1971) is about Harold (Bud Cort), a young man obsessed with death who likes to stage his own suicide. During one brief, hilarious scene, Harold, wearing a suit, lies face down in his mother’s backyard pool while she swims by, blithely ignoring him.
Bathing Beauty (Esther Williams)
The swimmer/movie actress Esther Williams had her first starring role in Bathing Beauty (1944), a musical about a swimming teacher (Esther Williams) at a girl’s college. The extravagant “water ballet” scene, featuring female swimmers who dive one by one into a pool and then surround their “queen” as she performs graceful swimming maneuvers, became internationally famous.
Something’s Got to Give
This 1962 American film was Marilyn Monroe’s last movie, and was abandoned after she died in August 1962. Much of the footage was not seen for years after Monroe’s death. The movie is now known for its famous scene in which Monroe’s character is swimming nude in a pool at night and she is calling out to the character played by Dean Martin to join her.

The GraduateOne of the most acclaimed American movies of the 1960s, The Graduate (1967) is about Benjamin Braddock (played by a young Dustin Hoffman), a recent college graduate who has no idea what he wants to do with the rest of his life. The summer after college, he spends lots of time lounging on an air mattress on his parents’ backyard swimming pool, while the soundtrack plays Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence.”
It’s a Wonderful LifeRanked high on many “best movies of all time” lists, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a troubled savings and loan manager who contemplates suicide. A memorable flashback has George on a date with Mary (Donna Reed) during which they’re dancing the Charleston at a high school hop—and the gymnasium floor opens to reveal a swimming pool underneath. This famous pool, located at Beverly Hills High School, is still in use.
Harold and MaudeNumber 45 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Funniest Movies of All Time, Harold and Maude (1971) is about Harold (Bud Cort), a young man obsessed with death who likes to stage his own suicide. During one brief, hilarious scene, Harold, wearing a suit, lies face down in his mother’s backyard pool while she swims by, blithely ignoring him.
Bathing Beauty (Esther Williams)The swimmer/movie actress Esther Williams had her first starring role in Bathing Beauty (1944), a musical about a swimming teacher (Esther Williams) at a girl’s college. The extravagant “water ballet” scene, featuring female swimmers who dive one by one into a pool and then surround their “queen” as she performs graceful swimming maneuvers, became internationally famous.
Something’s Got to GiveThis 1962 American film was Marilyn Monroe’s last movie, and was abandoned after she died in August 1962. Much of the footage was not seen for years after Monroe’s death. The movie is now known for its famous scene in which Monroe’s character is swimming nude in a pool at night and she is calling out to the character played by Dean Martin to join her.

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Filed Under: General, Swimming Tagged With: , , ,
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