Google “fitness coach near me” and prepare to be overwhelmed by the results. If the definition of a coach is to train or teach an individual in a particular skill, then anyone can slap a label on and call themselves a coach. But what makes a good coach? What are the qualities of a coach that make them exceptionally qualified to instruct?

What are the qualities of a good Coach?

First, and most important, it is imperative that a coach has a strong background in and comprehensive knowledge of the basic science behind the movements they are teaching. For a barbell or a swim coach, that background includes anatomy & physiology, physics, biology, chemistry, and nutrition fundamentals. 

Additionally, a good coach will have experience coaching a lot of people, whether it’s working under a mentor, or using knowledge and study to grow his or her base of clients. The goal of any dedicated coach is to accumulate thousands of hours. Hours spent not just actively coaching, but reading, studying, and developing the skills, knowledge, and expertise necessary to make people more proficient over time. 

Communication 

Strong communication skills are also essential to be an effective teacher. The ability to get your client to understand and correctly perform the necessary movements depends on your ability to communicate. Positive commands, application of the growth mindset, and proper encouragement techniques are all vital to good communication. Finally, after the movement pattern is taught, cues are employed to perfect the execution of the movement as it is performed. 

“The coach’s cue is some form of communication that the coach employs during a lift, or part of a lift, that is designed to produce a physical response from the lifter, usually in the form of an adjustment or correction to the lifter’s movement.” – Starting Strength

For barbell work, utilizing the Starting Strenth method (currently offered as a training program by One with the Water), these are primarily in the form of verbal communication but can be visual and tactile. Starting Strength offers a theoretical approach to developing the coach’s cue, from both the lifter and the coach’s perspective. Effective cues come from both the strength coach and the lifter’s shared understanding of the lift, knowledge that comes from training, experience, and trust. As a lifter, make sure you choose coaches (not trainers) that exercise an in-depth comprehension of appropriate cues, used in a manner that effectively supports the lifter.

In the end, knowledgeable, experienced coaches will always find ways to make the process simpler rather than more complex for the trainee. This approach, in particular, is a telltale mark of a great coach and his or her willingness to pursue professional development. 

Besides offering premium swim lessons to the greater LA community, Coach Rippetoe is also a strength training coach, utilizing the Starting Strength method to help clients become fitter, stronger, and faster. If you are interested in safe, professional one on one coaching, contact us today. 

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 What are the qualities of a good coach? 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.

Water is one of the essential elements for survival. Simply put, life would not exist without it. Yet, the beauty of water goes beyond the forging of a living soul. Water creates endless possibilities within life. Water carries us from shore to shore on Earth. Water purifies, cleanses, and blesses. Water allows us to feel free and alive as it swirls around inside of us in a steady movement carrying the secrets of our ambiances. As water mystically flows around, it appears as though it has no direction or course. No path until a human being jumps, dives, steps, or plunges into the depths of its greatness, and suddenly water is filled with the deepest passion and purpose.

I know this because I have personally witnessed how the humble element of water can influence one’s life. Starting from a young age, I have simply been in love with the water. I remember swimming in pools, oceans, and lakes for hours upon end. The water fostered my self-confidence and self-worth as it embraced me for who I was as a person without questioning or judging me.

My relationship with water.

Water has been a soothing constant and its prominence has had immense guidance throughout my life. When I was ten years old, I learned about Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to successfully swim across the English Channel. I remember looking at my dad and assertively telling him, “Dad, one day I will swim across the English Channel, too.” Ten years later, starting on the rocky shores of Dover, England and swimming all the way to mossy boulders on the coast of Calais, France awakened a burning light inside of me that will ignite for eternity. I found myself craving more intimate experiences with the oceans, and my appetite for marathon swimming was aroused. The following year, I swam across Catalina Channel and the English Channel for a second time raising over $20,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

My relationship with water goes beyond the sport of swimming. It runs much deeper as the water has shaped me into who I am as a person today on many levels. As I prepare for my next event, I plan to support a non-profit organization that shares my adoration for the water. This coming September, I plan to complete my “triple crown” of swimming by racing in the 20 Bridges Swim, which is a 28-mile swim around the island of Manhattan. Along with achieving a lifelong goal of mine, I want to spread my enthusiasm for swimming to others.

One with the Water

One with the Water is a non-profit that provides access to the lifesaving skill of swimming to everyone, especially children and adults with high risk, high needs, and limited resources. The organization relies on donations to provide financial assistance to families and people who need swim lessons but cannot afford it. Swimming is a lifesaving skill as drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-14. With this, providing people with swim lessons goes beyond just helping them learn how to swim. It also nurtures them with confidence, esteem, worth, and discovery, which are vital components to development as a human being. Water is one of the essential elements for survival in many ways. When I swim, I feel like I am truly One with the Water. 

As I embark on my next journey in the open and free waters of New York, I aspire to allow others to also become One with the Water and dive into the vastness of endless possibilities.

-Danielle Wahl, Marathon Swimmer.

Register for our exclusive open water swim clinic this May, taught by Danielle and plus we’d love you to click here to support Danielle’s Manhattan Swim and donate to One With the Water. CLICK HERE>

Danielle has 18 years of competitive open water swimming experience. Danielle competed at the national level in high school swimming in races such as the FINA Open Water National Championships. She also swam in college competing at the NCAAs and was a three-time All American athlete. Danielle has successfully crossed the English Channel two times (2013, 2014). Her English Channel swim in 2013 was the fastest swim of the season with a time of 9 hours and 49 minutes. In addition, Danielle has successfully crossed Catalina Channel (2014). This coming September, Danielle plans to swim Manhattan, which will complete her “Triple Crown.” On top of her swimming experience, Danielle has her Master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology and is extensively trained on the mental side of sport, performance and marathon swimming.

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 Danielle Wahl is One with the Water appeared first on One with the Water.

Deep practice, a term coined by coach Daniel Coyle in his New York Times bestselling book The Talent Code, is an integral part of our coaching process. Deep practice involves specific, targeted creation of myelin in a way that optimizes each movement and memory we make. 

What is Deep Practice?

Inside the brain, neurons are responsible for transmitting information. Human skill is created by chains of nerve fibers carrying a tiny electrical impulse from the brain to the body through these neurons. Myelin is the insulation that wraps around the nerve fibers in our brains and increases signal strength, speed, and accuracy. When a person is thinking about and analyzing skill situations, the brain is producing myelin. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, “The purpose of the myelin sheath is to allow impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells.” In simple terms, the more we practice a skill, the thicker the myelin layers will become, and the better and faster we become.

The rules of Deep Practice.

 Coyle divides deep practice into three rules building upon each other.

1. Chunk it up.

Chunk it up is simply the crawl stage of the crawl, walk, run model. The overall task (stroke) is broken up into subtasks learned individually and practiced slowly until the skill is mastered. When we introduce a new swimming skill, we use minimal space to focus on performing it correctly under the coach’s watchful eye. Once you or your swimmer is no longer able to do the movements correctly, your coach will stop and take a moment to correct the mistake, provide an opportunity to review the correct tstep and begin again training the skill.

 2. Repeat it. 

Just like it says. Repetition creates myelin. In the pool, as mentioned above, the coach will be watching to ensure the repetition is correctly performed. Perhaps the most important take-away is that myelin is created with every movement. If you are performing the movement incorrectly, you are reinforcing the memory of the inefficient stroke. 

3. Learn to feel it.

This step comes as you learn the skill correctly. With increased repetition comes accurate muscle memory and the body’s instinctive ability to recognize the correct movement due to the number of times it is repeated.

Deep practice has broad applications across all areas of personal and professional development and reinforces, yet again, how swimming can change your life across the board. (Ask me about how important it is in a helicopter during an emergency!) If you haven’t yet experienced the life changing power of swimming, register today for our premium swim lessons. 

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 The art of deep practice in the pool. appeared first on One with the Water.

First, understand that swimming is among the top endurance sports for calorie burning with the added benefit of it being non-impact (versus running) and full body (versus running and cycling), making it an excellent choice when weight, injury, and special physical needs are a factor.

As a quick review, the rate at which your body burns calories to use as energy is known as your metabolism, which varies from person to person. Metabolism rates are dependent on a number of things, including body composition and gender, but all calorie burning rates are directly impacted by weight and exertion levels. For swimming, it’s a simple equation: Calories burned are directly proportionate to duration and intensity. In laymen’s terms, you burn more when you swim longer, faster, and harder.

How many calories does swimming burn?

For reference the American College of Sports Medicine has created a chart with estimates based on time and weight, rather than total distance.
•    A 130-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 590 calories swimming fast, and 413 calories swimming slower.
•    A 155-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 704 calories swimming fast, and 493 calories swimming slower.
•    A 180-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 817 calories swimming fast, and 572 calories swimming slower.
•    A 205-pound person swimming freestyle for one hour will burn 931 calories swimming fast, and 651 calories swimming slower.

(Source: https://www.nutristrategy.com/caloriesburned.htm)

Consider time versus intensity.

When comparing strokes, as a general rule one hour of breaststroke at a moderate speed is equivalent to a slower freestyle, while a technically proficient, moderate intensity backstroke roughly equates to a fast freestyle workout. The heavy hitter though, is the butterfly, burning anywhere from 700 to 1100 calories in an hour (based on weight.) Try it if you dare though, as the butterfly is the most technically demanding stroke in the pool!

Finally, it’s important to remember that while we’ve established that fast freestyle will burn more than a slow one, and butterfly will burn like fire, discernment is still necessary when choosing your workout. If you can sustain a more extended workout doing a moderate speed breaststroke, you may burn more calories in the long run than doing a short sprint freestyle workout. If you swim a slow, inefficient butterfly, you want to choose a stroke you are more technically capable of swimming or consider adult swim lessons to improve your swimming technique and ultimately help you to become one with the water.

Register today for premium swim lessons.

Here at One with the Water, we offer premium swim lessons for all ages, whether you are a beginner,  want to improve your technique, or looking to train for competition events. Register today to start your journey towards confidence and success in the pool.

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 How many calories does swimming burn? appeared first on One with the Water.

In the Speedo commercial, they say, “Even if you can’t swim, you can do this.” That’s probably true, and the fact that they’re mixing these dryland exercises with the water accomplishes several positive things:

• Creates a unique resistance on the movements,
• Changes the pull of gravity on your body and the toy, giving you a different perspective,
• Keeps your body cooler while working out, which is better for your body, as it burns more calories than any hot-room workout (hot yoga = heat exhaustion) that just makes you sweat, and
• Puts you into a medium that makes you “happier, healthier, and more connected…”

Ah ha! More connected and better at what you do, as Dr. Nichols would say. And in fact, my cousin, world-renowned coach and founder of Starting Strength, Mark Rippetoe, says the same thing about barbell training, well at least the part about being “better at what you do.”

The fact is, being stronger will make you better at doing literally everything. I don’t recommend doing it underwater for many reasons, finding a facility would be very difficult, and although we hold our breath while lifting, being under water would make it more difficult to do the repetitions properly with a breath after each lift, thereby ineffectively administering your program. It just makes it annoying after being entertaining for a few weeks.

One of my barbell strength clients commented to me just a few weeks after starting, “Hey, my briefcase feels lighter and I didn’t decrease the contents.” That’s how it starts. You get under the bar and within a few weeks it’s easier to walk, stand, sit, and carry your plate to the table. It’s easier to bend down to get that dessert off the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. I workout just so I can eat dessert.

Strength is not the only benefit of Barbell Training

There’s a hint of spirituality about being under the barbell and under water. After taking a few months off from my personal barbell training, I started back last week and realized that being under the bar requires more than just the right equipment. It requires, more than anything besides prayer and meditation, complete concentration and presence. When lifting a barbell, whether it be any one of the 5 exercises associated with the Starting Strength Barbell program: Squat, Press, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Power Clean, you have to fully concentrate on the lift while doing it. Concentration is required to perform a technically-correct and safe lift.

“The Starting Strength System makes use of the body’s most basic movement patterns – barbell exercises that involve all of the body’s muscle mass – utilized over the longest effective range of motion and loaded progressively, to force the adaptations necessary for increased strength.”

In addition to the concentration, much like meditation, you also have to control your breathing. In barbell training, the breath control valsalva manoeuvre is used to keep a rigid spine and apply pressure inside your body. That form of breath is the exact same used to achieve a level of subconscious meditation and if done properly, is held for a few seconds just like in barbell training. And this same breath technique is used while swimming! When swimming, you should be holding your abdominal muscles tight in order to produce power in your stroke. This is the number one skill new swimmers have to be taught because most people had no idea that was happening. Just take a look at the bodies of the Olympic athletes – their abs are very well defined and this is why! When we take a deep breath our sacrum slightly flexes backwards. (Becoming Supernatural, by Dr. Joe Dispenza. Page 126). This is another reason that when lifting we have to consciously reverse that effect, while holding your breath. Additionally, “your isometric contraction around the spine is what locks the back rigid and aligns it with the pelvis. This is what protects the spine, not a vertical back angle.”

“When done correctly, the squat is the only exercise in the weight room that trains the recruitment of the entire posterior chain in a way that is progressively improvable.”

In order to produce a more effective mediation, it might be said that one should also train with barbells, just to reach your full potential.

You can find the only expert source on squatting mechanics at StartingStrength.

What it Means to be One with the Water

Swimming is more than just a fitness activity or sport. Swimming is also a spiritual experience. When I am swimming, it is meditation as well as exercise. I completely shut off my thoughts and the outside world and I become one with the water by focusing inward. Yes, in the dream I had of myself swimming in the ocean as a dolphin, the dolphin as part of the wave being one with the water, that is how I came up with our name and logo; the movements of my arms and legs are secondary activities, like a natural instinct, one that I can observe myself doing. This level of meditation, where you observe yourself swimming, happens to me a lot when I am in the pool. My first experience was in college, at a U.S. national qualifying meet, while I was swimming the 100 backstroke. After the start, as I flew through the air, I felt like my spirit left my body and I watched myself swim the race. And I qualified for nationals! It was very surreal, having this experience, and a memory that I hope to never forget.

Swimming and barbell training are the two best physical exercises to help you become consciously aware of your body and self. And the recovery period is great for keeping you grounded in the present. For those of you that have “restarted” your program, you know what I mean.

In the words of a dear friend and colleague, Erik Hochstein, medal winner for the 1988 West Germany Olympic team in the 4×200 FR,

“If you want to swim fast, just swim. Oh, and do weights.” Erik Hochstein

I have twice completed the Starting Strength barbell training seminar and I currently practice and coach swimmers and lifters in Los Angeles, California. I have private clients for both barbell training and swimming.

Kenneth Rippetoe

Kenneth is a Life-time member of the American Swimming Coaches Association and holds certifications as a Level 4 Disability Coach & Level 3 USA Swimming as well as US Masters Coach. Coaching since 1985, Kenneth specializes in Swimming, Strength and Conditioning coaching.

The post Weight to Weightlessness with Barbell Training appeared first on One with the Water.

And while the kiddos are gathering up massive candy buckets, digging through our admittedly excessive pile of costumes, and revving up for their annual sugar binge, what am I doing?

Just over here thinking about spiked candy and dark neighborhoods and the random teenagers who like to party in our driveway. That’s right, in the sacred tradition of moms everywhere, I’m thinking about all the real boogeymen lurking on Halloween, (and anytime really).

Listen. I’m no helicopter mom, but Halloween will test the limits of my boundaries with a vengeance. So for all you other parents out there with me, here are a few basic tips on trick or treating safely.

Keep Your Monsters Safe

First: Costume Management

• Make sure it fits! Don’t leave anything hanging off they can trip over.
• Wear comfy shoes. It’s going to be a long night.
• Make sure costumes are weather appropriate! You don’t want your little guy overheated or freezing cold-plan accordingly.
• And of course, make sure their vision is clear and not blocked by their masks or hoods.

Second: Route Planning

• Map it out. The last thing you want is to get lost in a strange neighborhood with cranky superheroes all hopped up on sugar.
• Choose well-lit routes. It’s hard enough to keep track of all the munchkins, at least use the streetlights in your favor.
• In that vein, strap some glow lights to the kiddos to help keep them in your sights.

Third: Post Trick or Treat Candy Haul

• Have the little ones sort through at the end of the night – or you do it, if you want to sneak your favorites!
• Toss anything that isn’t in its original wrapper, or looks like it might have been opened.
• And as much as you know the sweet little old lady down the street loves baking treats, avoid homemade goods from strangers. That’s the unfortunate result of the world we live in.

Simple, obvious, and guaranteed to ease your mind. Because that’s we do, as parents, teachers, coaches. We work and work to protect our children from the real monsters, and anything else we think might hurt them. We teach them to fly, but pack their parachutes too. That’s what we do here at One with the Water too.

Keep Them Safe In The Water

According to the CDC, approximately one in five people who die from drowning are
children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive
emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. The rate of near drowning is much
higher, as not all near drownings are reported. With its miles of coastlines, multitude of natural
freshwater bodies, and an abundance of swimming pools, Californians are at increased risk for
drowning and near drowning incidents, with drowning being the leading cause of accidental
death for children between the ages of 1 and 4.

At One with the Water, we give your children the tools they need to be safe in the water, and give them the confidence they need to succeed, both in and out of the water. And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, studies show teaching a child to swim can reduce their risk of drowning by up to 88%. 

Why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to keep them safe?

We provide swim lessons for children of all ages and ability, in group, private, and in home settings. Set your child up for physical, emotional and mental success with the life-saving skill of swimming.

Oh and by the way? When you donate to One with the Water, you can help other moms and dads (with the same desires for their kiddos) keep their children safe by helping us provide the lifesaving skill of swimming. Our nonprofit foundation offers need-based scholarships to low-income families, children with special needs, and service disabled veterans. We are stronger together!

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 Keeping Your Monsters Safe This Halloween appeared first on One with the Water.

First the bad news.

Did you know that Los Angeles has over 43,000 pools? Someone counted and made an atlas. I might have mentioned that before. Did you also know that the South LA neighborhoods of Florence, Rancho Dominguez, and Watts had not a single backyard pool? (As of 2013).

According to the CDC: “Between 1999-2010, the fatal unintentional drowning rate for African Americans was significantly higher than that of whites across all ages. The disparity is widest among children 5-18 years old. The disparity is most pronounced in swimming pools; African American children 5-19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than those of whites. This disparity is greatest among those 11-12 years where African Americans drown in swimming pools at rates 10 times those of whites.”[1]

It is impossible to ignore the connection between low income communities, neighborhoods populated by people of color, and the higher rates of drowning. One of the primary factors in the increased drowning rates for people of color has consistently been lack of access to lessons and facilities. “It is clear that pools are a pretty binary way of indicating those that ‘have’ and ‘have-not’ and we’ve now mapped how that plays out over the diverse economic landscape of L.A.,” said researcher Joseph K. Lee, one of the authors of the original pool atlas.

This news should infuriate us. According to the American Pediatric Society, all children should learn to swim. It’s right there in our mission statement: “Everyone should have access to the lifesaving skill of swimming.” Bottom line? Drowning is preventable!

Now for the good news.

According to a study commissioned by the USA Swimming foundation, to be published later this fall, the gap in swimming abilities between ethnicities is steadily falling since 2010, due in large part to increased access to swim lessons. (For more on this, read this excellent story in the New York Times published in August of 2017.)

The gap is still significant, and there is much work to do to overcome larger issues of generational fears, perceived cultural stereotypes, and pervasive economic divides. However, what we are doing matters. What you are doing matters. 

Donate

When you donate to One with Water, your dollars go directly towards providing swim lessons to those (of all race, creed, and color) who wouldn’t otherwise have access. You have a direct hand in decreasing a child’s risk, and increasing their confidence for life. Donate today. Your community needs you.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6319a2.htm?s_cid=mm6319a2_w

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 On Race, Drowning, and Making a Difference appeared first on One with the Water.

But, if like me, training has taken to back seat to life (with or without four kids), then we’d love for you to start with THE Triathlon, a boutique triathlon event right here in LA with all proceeds benefiting us, One with the Water.

THE Triathlon

Do you have what it takes to complete THE Triathlon? Join us on 10/01 to sweat for a great cause!

Starting with a SwimTeam class at the Culver City Pool, followed by a picturesque run around Downtown Culver City and followed by a incredibly fun Soulcycle class at the Platform Center. After the sweat, join us after the class on the Soulcycle patio where you’ll be enjoying tunes, complimentary refreshments and quality time with the community!

The event will be fully donation based and your donation will guarantee you a spot in the event! All of the proceeds will go to One with the Water to help vulnerable children have access to the life saving skill of swimming.

Go here for more information on location, time and tickets. We’d love for you to join us – you can be a hero while you improve your health!

Don’t forget, you can ALWAYS donate right here on our website to help us help people take back their lives. From 2 to 20, 8 to 80, veterans, adaptive athletes, new swimmers, infants, toddlers and more. When you donate, your money goes toward teaching the lifesaving skill of swimming to ANYONE who needs it.

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 THE Triathlon, benefitting One with the Water! appeared first on One with the Water.

Benefits of swimming for children with autism? Yes, there is a swimming study for that.

Increased mental health from consistent swimming workouts? Yes, a study for that too.

Longer life-span for swimmers? There is even a swimming study for that.

The positive effects of swimming specifically on an aging population. Well, how about this study, published in 2016? Most of the commonsense benefits of swimming and exercise can be broadly applied to the elderly but there was a dearth of research measuring specific outcomes for the aging populations.

Arthritis and Swimming

One determined doctor set out to change that. Dr. Hirofumi Tanaka is the director of the College of Education’s Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin. He has studied swimming and its benefits for going on 15 years, but his goal in this study was to provide evidence based research highlighting the positive effects of swimming on patients with osteoarthritis.

And he did.

“We’re finally getting data showing that swimming exercise reduces pain as well as improves functions in arthritis patients.”

The study, covering 45 patients over three months, was conclusive in determining that swimming accomplished significant reductions in joint pain, stiffness, and physical limitations accompanied by increases in quality of life.

Additionally, according to Dr. Tanaka in this interview for the University of Texas, beyond easing the pain of arthritis, the swimming is as effective as both cycling and moderate walking in lowering blood pressure and decreasing lower joint pain in obese or sedentary patients.

Bottom line – now we have a study for this too. Swimming can help save lives at all stages of life.

 Swim at any age!

Like Mr. Frost, who got back into the water for the first time in 60 years at the age of 91.

Help us help people take back their lives. From 2 to 20, 8 to 80, veterans, adaptive athletes, new swimmers, infants, toddlers and more. When you donate, your money goes toward teaching the lifesaving skill of swimming to ANYONE who needs it.

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 Creaky bones? Swimming helps that too! appeared first on One with the Water.