Why Swim
November 20, 2022
The water is a great place for children to be. They can play games, exercise, and be happy. Drowning is a risk factor when being in the water which is why it is important to bring children to Small Fish Big Fish Swim School so your children safer around the water.
Here are some drowning facts people should know:
- Drowning is a leading cause of death for children i n the United States.
- More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death except birth defects.
- For children ages 1–14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
- Children are at the highest risk, but anyone can drown
- Every year in the United States there are an estimated 3,960 critical unintentional drownings, including boating-related drowning which is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.
- 8,080 nonfatal drownings which is an average of 22 nonfatal drownings per day.
- Nonfatal drowning can result in long-term health problems and costly hospital stays
- For every child who dies from drowning, another eight receive emergency department care for non-fatal drowning.
- More than 40% of drownings treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared with 8% for all unintentional injuries).
- Injuries from drowning can result in brain damage as well as other serious outcomes including long-term disability.
- Some people have a higher risk of drowning.
- Children – At the young ages of 1-4, children often drown in swimming pools. This tragic event can happen anytime, including when children are not expected to be near water, such as when they gain unsupervised access to pools.
- Males – Almost 80% of people who die from drowning are male. The cause might be increased exposure to water, risk-taking behaviors, and alcohol use.
- Racial and ethnic groups – When it comes to drowning, the death rates of American Indian or Alaska native people ages 29 and younger are 2 times higher than the rates for white people, with the highest disparities among those ages 25-29 (rates 3.5 times higher). Death rates for black people are 1.5 times higher than the rates for white people.
- People with seizure disorders or certain medical conditions – People with epilepsy are at a higher risk of fatal and nonfatal drowning than others. This traumatic event is the most common cause of injury or death in bathtubs. There are other conditions such as autism and heart conditions that pose a higher risk of drowning.
- Factors that make drowning more likely to happen
- Not being able to swim – Some adults and children report they don’t have the skills to swim, or they are weak swimmers. Taking swimming lessons can help reduce the tragic event with children and young adults.
- Missing or ineffectual fences around water – Barriers like fencing around the pool prevent children from having access to the pool without adult awareness. A four-sided isolation fence that separates the pool area from the house and yard reduces a child’s risk of drowning by 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.
- Not having close supervision – The tragic event of drowning can occur often without children being looked after in environments such as lakes and oceans, pools, bathtubs, and even buckets of water.
- Not wearing life jackets – Wearing life jackets help prevent drowning during water activities such as boating and swimming. There have been reports by the U.S. Coast Guard that of 613 boating-related deaths in 2019 -79% of these deaths were drowning related, and of those who died from drowning, 86% were not wearing life jackets.
- Drinking alcohol – Among teens and adults, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation, nearly 1 in 4 emergency department visits for drowning, and about 1 in 5 reported boating deaths.
- Using drugs and prescription medication – Some medications can increase drowning such as psychotropic medications for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other conditions. This fact is similar to drinking alcohol with the side effects of not being able to think clearly and decrease motor skills.
Children need to to learn to swim it is not just a want. Small Fish Big Fish Swim School is an excellent place to become safer around the water. Please don’t wait register now smallfishbigfish.com. Small fish become BIG fish by swimming in schools.
Swimming Injuries and Treatments for Them The water is a great place to work out. Exercise keeps the body healthy, but while exercising injuries do occur, here are four common swimming injuries and how to treat them: Swimmer’s shoulder – This occurs after repeated energetic sessions as the tendons are being pressed against the bone and eventually get sore. This stretches down to the rotator cuff tendons. If it is ignored, it will result in tears. Treatments include: Resting for long periods after exercising. Icing to reduce inflammation. Warming up before sessions and stretching as a weekly treatment. Lower back pain – The butterfly and breaststroke lower back pain occurs because of vigorous body jerking with the wrong swimming technique. This lower back pain can transform into a stress fracture in the vertebrae. This injury is also commonly found in weightlifters. Treatments include: Avoiding sitting positions because they apply pressure. Gentle stretching to relieve strain in the spine. For acute pain caused by a stress fracture speak with a medical professional. Bicep Tendonitis – This comes with swimmers’ shoulder and is caused by long periods of overexertion. Taking long rest periods can prevent this injury. The symptoms include pain in the shoulder that gets worse when lifting the arm, a shooting pain moving down the upper arm, at times there is a noticeable bulge in the tendon, a warm feeling moving from the point of the pain, as well as a snapping sound coming from the shoulder. Treatments include: Icing the pain to remove swelling. Gently stretching the scapula, posterior capsule, and rotator cuff areas. Taking anti-inflammatory medication provided by a doctor. Swimmers Knee – This is known as a strain in the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL). It mostly occurs by extreme use of the breaststroke technique, which puts repeated strain on the knee. Symptoms of this injury include swelling, muscle spasms, decreased strength and movement, as well as pain in the quads or the knee. There may be a rough feeling when moving the knee. Treatments include: Gentle stretches to bring back movement. Taping the knee. Icing to reduce swelling. Exercising is the key to keep the body functioning, but doing too much or doing the technique the wrong way can lead to injuries like these. It is important to know how to treat them to get the body back in shape and keep it healthy.
Our kiddos progress thru our child centered curriculum while learning survival skills and having fun
Our kiddo’s progress thru our child centered curriculum while learning survival skills and having fun. Children retain what they learn when they become passionate and enjoy themselves and with repetition. At Small Fish Big Fish Swim School “Small fish become BIG fish by swimming in schools”.
Splashing water is one of the most enjoyable things for babies to do, whether it is taking a bath or in the pool. But do you know when your baby should start learning how to swim? Children should start learning how to swim as early as possible. Some babies start swimming even at the age of two months. So, if you want your baby to learn how to swim at an early age then here are some tips to prepare them. Make bathing an enjoyable event Whether your baby is interested in playing in the water or not, if you want them to learn swimming as soon as possible then you will have to make it more enjoyable when they are near water. A great way to start is while taking bath. You can increase their interest in water by providing them with a warm environment and water so that they can feel more comfortable than playing with cold water. In order to make bath time a fun experience, you should enjoy it with them so that they can replicate you. To make bath time more fun for your child you can use some rubber or washable toys so that they can enjoy them while taking bath. Splash water Unexpected splashes of water are one the oldest ways to develop the interest of your child towards the water. Though it can be a bit startling for them when water enters their nose, mouth, and eyes but with time they can get used to it while taking bath regularly. You can encourage them to splash water from the bathtub in response to your splash so that they can easily understand its effects and fun. You can also expose your baby to shower nozzle by bringing it down and spraying water on their face as well as on their belly or arms so that they can experience the water’s effects more closely. Make fun after a bath After finishing the bath, instead of rushing out, you should take some time to wrap your baby in a warm towel so that they can enjoy that moment before getting dry. Now pat them gently with a towel to dry them from top to bottom and make them relax with your soft voice or a song. It will give your baby a unique experience after getting out of the water. Blowing Bubbles It can be difficult for children at a young age to understand that they have control over their breathing, making it hard to teach them how to hold their breath while swimming. The best way to show your children how to begin regulating their breathing is by blowing bubbles in the water. Demonstrate the different ways the bubbles appear depending on how hard you exhale and encourage them to do the same. Buoyancy Lessons When bathing with your child, you have an excellent opportunity to safely show them the effects of buoyancy on their body, allowing them to learn how to float. Place your child in the bathtub before it is filled with water, and then begin filling it so they can feel the water start to lift them up. Keep them from sliding under at first, and soon they will figure out how to float on their own without your assistance. Swimming lessons After introducing your baby to water in the bathtub and they feel comfortable it’s time to get some formal swimming lessons. At Small Fish Big Fish Swim School, they can get lessons from experienced Aquatic educators that specialize in working with babies. All instructors are participating in continuing education and will be taking part in an 8 hour workshop given by the United States Swim School Association. But it doesn’t stop there, we teach self-confidence, discipline and well-being through the lifelong sport of swimming. Want your baby to learn how to swim? We offer free classes for babies 6 months old or younger. The free lessons do not include cost of Small Fish Big Fish annual membership fee. Membership is required to qualify for Free lessons. You can also sign up for our Free Trial here https://www.smallfishbigfish.com/free-trial