“Dip into Wellness” From Boating Times, Long Island

By Lita Smith-Mines

From http://boatingtimesli.com/NY/swimmingforwellness/

We get wet to clean up or cool off, but taking a plunge can transform us both mentally and physically. I’m not talking about some elaborate or exotic hydropathy for our health — everyday swimming is a powerful and positive change agent.

Shawn Slevin, the founder of Swim Strong Foundation, spends her days preventing drownings by providing affordable water safety and swim skill programs. Along with saving lives, her mission is to increase the population’s overall health through swimming. It’s no wonder she enthuses, “From a physical health point of view, swimming is the best total body workout… bar none! It’s the best cardio, pulmonary, and skeletal friendly exercise you can do, and is the only exercise we can do from womb to tomb!”

Swimmers learn by engaging their minds as well as their bodies, says Slevin. “When learning a new skill, the mind must be fully engaged to direct the body in a specific manner. This engagement needs to be keen until the new ‘muscle memory’ is developed, and then the brain is free to tackle the next skill.

“Many adults are surprised at how physically and mentally challenging learning to swim actually is. It’s no wonder they feel so accomplished when they can demonstrate the skills with competence and confidence.”

Swimming’s focus on breath is also vital, adds Slevin, “Breathing is a key pivotal skill. It can be challenging to master because we must breathe differently while swimming — in the mouth and out the nose. Most of us are natural nose breathers, but if we do this in the water, we will be breathing water, not air!”

For more information: www.swimstrongfoundation.org/

 Always consult your doctor or healthcare provider before embarking on a new or stepped-up exercise program.

By Lita Smith-Mines

   Swimming for weight loss and swim tips for boaters

How swimming fights obesity:

https://www.swimstrongfoundation.org/how-swimming-fights-obesity/

Swim tips for boaters:

When it comes to tips for those who go swimming from their boats or along the shore, Kaitie Brown’s advice is to swim with another person and “always make sure that you’re in an isolated area away from other boats and jet skis.” Shawn Slevin says the swim with a buddy rule serves a very important, albeit grim purpose: “Even the best of swimmers can suffer a heart attack or be overcome by some other medical situation. If you are alone, you are dead.”

Beware of anchor lines that extend far beyond boats and don’t swim in a channel or other high-traffic area. Slevin says that when swimming for exercise, do so parallel to the shore. “And if you are not a strong swimmer, keep your life jacket on at all times.”

A final note from both swim professionals: If you find yourself in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable position, shout, wave, or do whatever you have to in order to catch your swim companion’s attention, and don’t panic.