Parts of the country are opening up in waves, and summer temps are setting in. We here at One with the Water are providing you a quick update on the pools, parks, and beaches in LA County and the surrounding areas.

In May, Los Angeles County announced a new safer at home order that could be possibly extended through July. This safer at home order increases the number of businesses designated low risk, including outdoor recreation areas. Masks and social distancing are still required, but tennis courts, pickleball courts, shooting ranges, equestrian centers, bike parks, community gardens and more are currently re-opening for public use.

Public Pools and Beaches

Unfortunately, that doesn’t include pools for now. According to the LA County Safer At Home initiative, public pools in LA County remain closed for now.

Safer At Home Order: Examples of Openings

The good news, however, is that the County of Los Angeles has reopened beaches in limited ways to allow residents more outdoor recreation options.

“Staying physically active is one of the best ways to keep your mind and body healthy. Using public beaches can be an important way to relieve stress, get some fresh air and vitamin D, stay active, and safely connect with nature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucially important that you follow these public health beach use requirements below in order to use beaches in a way that keeps you and others healthy.”

Public Health Protocol for reopening beaches.

Stay tuned for more updates.  We can’t wait to get back in the pool with you!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Update on Public Pools: Los Angeles County appeared first on One with the Water.

I’ve seen a lot of memes over the last two months lamenting what it will be like to put on regular pants once quarantine is over – and if that will even be possible! But quarantine doesn’t have to be an excuse to make unhealthy choices and gain weight. And obsessing over body image isn’t a healthy mental choice either. So, like the Chicken and the Egg, which came first?

Is it a positive body image mindset or living a healthy lifestyle? Why can’t we have both? People show significant improvement in social well-being and mental health when they live a healthy lifestyle. By facing your fears through a meditative exercise like swimming, you can learn to create a positive mindset that will help you truly want to live a healthy lifestyle. 

Healthy Lifestyle

What happens to our health physically, emotionally, and spiritually when we’re 50+ pounds overweight? The tricky part is that once our bodies are carrying extra weight, it becomes exponentially harder to lose it. We lose the ability to process calories correctly, and the weight comes off slower. Plus, according to research gathered by Harvard Health Publications, being moderately overweight more than doubles the risk of over FIFTY different health conditions, including depression.  

It’s frustrating that the ones who benefit most from our unhealthy lifestyles are the corporations pushing unhealthy products in the name of convenience and low-cost while our bodies slowly fail. Or maybe worse, dietary, nutritional, and workout fads that are confusing, expensive, and difficult to maintain, ending in failure and defeat. Crossfit is a prime example of a workout that, on the surface, looks exciting and promises great results with a challenging, competitive atmosphere. Unfortunately, the unpopular truth is that besides beginner athletes being more prone to injury in this atmosphere, the variable, intense, and constantly changing workouts prevent proper recovery and muscle strength gains. 

How can our lives improve by losing weight?

One with the Water Clients reported the most significant positive impacts in the following categories:

Quality of Life 55%

Social Well-Being 47%

Mental Health 47%

Physical Health 50%

Swimming Abilities 85%

Confidence/Self-Worth 61%

Leadership Skills 40%

Positive Body Image

So, where does a positive body image fit into all this? After all, what’s wrong with loving ourselves the way we are. And the answer is nothing; we encourage self-care and positive body image. The secret is using a growth mindset to increase our positive body image and reap the benefits of creating healthy lifestyle changes. According to the same Harvard publication (“Lose Weight and Keep it Off”), even a modest 5-10% weight loss can significantly reduce your health risks. 

Using a growth mindset, people can conquer their fear and kick their unhealthy habits, improve their mental health and physical health, and create an increased quality of life. We can love our bodies and want to care for them better. 

At One with the Water, we coach using the growth mindset and a proven meditative exercise (swimming) to create lasting, positive change for our clients. When our clients believe the effort is worth it and will produce results, the hard work follows.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices in Quarantine appeared first on One with the Water.

I’m pivoting back here to a discussion we’ve had several times surrounding New Year’s resolutions because the same principles apply when we address how we are challenging ourselves to grow during this time of isolation.

What is a Growth Mindset?

First, in case you are new here, just a quick primer on the growth mindset. Simply put, people with a growth mindset learn to love challenges, are intrigued by mistakes, and intentionally seek out new challenges. They have learned that their circumstances matter less than who they are.

“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” – Carol Dweck.

So how does that apply here? We must start by remembering that while we have no control over the current situation with regard to Covid-19, we are in control of our actions and reaction to our environment and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We’ve talked about ways to stay physically healthy here and here, but whatever you are attempting to navigate, the following five principles will help you do so with a positive growth mindset, which in turn contributes to an emotionally and mentally healthier you in the long term.

Five principles of maintaining a Growth Mindset in quarantine.

1. Set small goals. Choose something that can be achieved in only 30 days or less. People say that if you can do something for 30 days, it will become a habit. For the quarantine, I am working one week at a time. Setting new routines with children, accomplishing new ways of schooling and balancing work. All may need adjusting at different times, but five days at a time doesn’t feel overwhelming, especially when there is no set end date in sight.
2. Make the goals measurable and incremental. Whether you are setting a physical goal or a self-improvement goal, make sure you set markers to celebrate. A lot of people say they want to lose weight. If you want it to stay off, then set the goal at 1 pound per week. That’s the healthy way to do it.
3. On that note, Track your wins. Celebrate your success, make a note of your failure, and adjust accordingly. Applying a growth mindset works here, just like everywhere else.
4. In that vein, don’t be discouraged by failure. Individuals with a growth mindset see mistakes as temporary setbacks, something to be overcome. Reflect on what you can learn and apply that learning when attacking your goals. Quarantine is a marathon, not a sprint.
5. Surround yourself with support. This looks wildly different now, but find an accountability partner, a coach, a mentor, a friend. Sometimes a little motivation from an outside source can go a long way in helping you to achieve your goals. The internet has provided a myriad of ways to connect, from online meetings to social media groups, or even just a quick text. Connection is more important now than ever before.

One quick note to finish as you face your week with a positive mindset. First, don’t get sidetracked by others’ goals. Focus on what you can achieve, physically and mentally. If making time to shower and setting aside 20 minutes a day to walk is all you can reasonably achieve, then we are here to celebrate you. If you are a marathon runner and you’ve kept up your training, way to go! If you are learning a new instrument, we can’t wait to hear it. The only person you are competing against here is yourself.

*Note: While we are fierce advocates for swimming and exercise as having significant positive mental health benefits, neither the growth mindset or exercise alone is a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of depression, please reach out to a mental health professional. No one should suffer in silence.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Maintaining Growth Mindset in Quarantine appeared first on One with the Water.

As an organization with a unique focus on serving children and families with special needs, we do our best to be aware of significant issues happening in the community. COVID-19 continues to dictate our day to day in an unprecedented manner. Schooling at home carries additional challenges for teachers and parents engaging with children who require extra help and resources to manage their educational needs.

In normal circumstances, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act ensures that such families receive the support they need in the education system.

“The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.The IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.” Source

Due to the constraints of COVID-19, some school districts are unable to provide the resources and support available. Some students aren’t receiving any instruction online at all. Now the issue is coming to a head in Washington, DC, as advocates and administrators go head to head over how to best support these students with the resources available.

According to the Washington Post, 

“The advocates are demanding that school districts deliver education equitably, as the law requires. Administrators say they cannot do the same things they did when schools were open and need some flexibility.”

In short, advocates are demanding that all tenets of the IDEA be upheld and all legal rights afforded to students, and no waivers to the authority of the law should be granted.

Administrators, on the other hand, argue that waiver authority is necessary.

“Local education agencies (LEAs) are facing a great deal of compliance challenges which are taking our focus from educating children with disabilities and shifting, focusing our effort on paperwork. Without flexibility, we will generate endless cycles of reporting about how COVID-19 caused money to be unspent, evaluations to be delayed, and services and supports that are in IEPs that are not able to be implemented.

(From the letter from the special education administrators’ organizations seeking flexibility from Congress)

Read the full Washington Post Article here for full copies of the letters detailing each side’s case in the matter. 

How is this affecting your family? Are you receiving the support you need? Let us know and don’t forget to share!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Upholding the Individuals With Disabilities Act appeared first on One with the Water.

Over the last thirty days, our world has changed on a fundamental level. What once was our regular routine has, for most of us, been distilled down to the four walls of our residence. Combined, of course, with occasional trips to the grocery store to resupply.

If you are a close follower of One with the Water, or merely a resident of Los Angeles, you know that all the public pools are closed. This has affected our livelihood, yes, but fundamentally our way of life. For many of you, your livelihood has been impacted, too, causing more anxiety, fear, and worry on top of the stress of avoiding the virus.

Maintaining mental health.

The specter of depression and poor mental health in this unprecedented season is very real for many, many people. And of course, the very things that help the most – community, counseling, exercising at a gym, swimming at the pool – are the things we’ve lost as a way to cope.

The good news? There is hope. There is still a myriad of simple ways to use exercise safely to keep our mental and physical health from spiraling downward. Over the next few weeks, we will focus on different activities that can be done from home to improve and maintain physical fitness and a positive mental outlook.

Start walking.

Start with walking. Researchers from St. George University in London found in one 2015 study that just 25 minutes of energetic walking can add up to 7 years of life and slow the aging process in our bodies. Walking is a great way to start and maintain a moderate fitness level. (Plus, your furry friends may be really grateful for the added attention and exercise too!)

Experts agree that just 30 minutes of walking a day can improve your body composition, creating a higher muscle to fat ratio, decrease blood sugar, decrease the body fat around the waist, lower cholesterol, and lower blood pressure – all of which lead to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and Type II diabetes.

And critically, in this particular season, moderate to intense aerobic workouts release the natural compound endorphins, the “feel-good” chemicals produced in your brain. Increased endorphin levels work to lower stress, increase pleasure, and reduce or manage pain. In addition, the release of endorphins can help to significantly lower anxiety and relieve depression. For a detailed description of an ideal walking program done to improve conditioning, read Coach Rippetoe’s recommendations here.

The bonus? Walking requires no expensive equipment, can be done with the added addition of music that buoys you up and can be done with a partner while still maintaining a safe social distance of the CDC recommended six feet.

Friends, we are all in this together. Check-in with each other, maintain accountability, and start walking!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Maintaining Mental Health During the Covid-19 Crisis appeared first on One with the Water.