While the media coverage of drowning incidents tends to focus on the tragic loss of young lives, a disturbing trend in the number of deaths of older Australians (55+ years) by drowning has emerged in recent years. Last year, more than 100 adults aged over 55 drowned – a number that accounted for approximately a third of all drowning deaths for the year. What makes this statistic even more surprising, is that it represents an increase in the number of deaths against the 5-year average for this age-group of 28% (RLSSA). The ageing of Australia’s population, and the increase in the number of older Australians “returning to a water environment” and, in turn, the increasing amount of time they spend in and around the water, is likely to be accompanied by more and more aquatic tragedies involving this group of people. There are several reasons why older Australians are being seen to return to a water environment in greater numbers: - EXERCISE: For low impact exercise. Swimming is an ideal form of exercise for the older age group. However, many will overestimate their ability and many will have not actively participated in aquatic activities for many years, both of which increase the risk of injury or heart attacks....

Almost all older adults, regardless of age or condition, can improve their health and independence through exercise and physical activity. Participating in regular physical exercise increases a person’s chance of living a longer and healthier life. Swimming is a fabulous form of exercise for people of all ages, and its host of benefits make it an ideal physical activity for older adults in particular. Swimming offers a cardiovascular and respiratory workout that helps to maintain and improve balance and coordination, strengthen the immune system and grow muscle mass, and enhance joint flexibility and bone density. Back pain sufferers or those looking for a low-impact workout also find relief in the water. Swimming can serve as an effective treatment for chronic conditions, and can assist in the prevention or delay of some diseases and disabilities such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis and depression. However, the recent tragic fatalities of 2 older Australians from within...

While swimming is a great sport, for many it does not come naturally, and learning how to swim efficiently requires time and commitment on the part of the individual, as well as the development of stamina and coordination. If you want to improve your swimming ability or you need some extra tips to take your swimming to the next level, look to the common approaches for improving swimming technique I have listed below. Employing these approaches will guarantee your improved fitness and speed in the pool. Swim frequently – your improvement will be accelerated as you...

There's no question that the instruction provided by a coach can serve as a powerful motivation tool. However, not everyone is available to participate in set squad session times, and not everyone wants to be a part of a social swim squad or feels the need to utilize the knowledge and expertise that a coach has to offer during their swimming workout. All that being said, regardless of a preference for independent lap swimming or a structured swim squad program, a swimmer needs to be aware of a number of unwritten ‘etiquette rules’ which exist to ensure the swimming experience is...

The benefits of swimming can be enjoyed by adults as well as children. Parents should consider jumping in for their own health and fitness, as well as an opportunity to enjoy the water with their kids. In the course of teaching a babies’ class earlier this week I demonstrated a new activity that required both parent and child to submerge and swim underwater together for 3 seconds. I was astonished to observe that of the six parents in the class only one was able to perform the exercise effectively, with three of the remaining five parents appearing uncomfortable and awkward going underwater...