Why must I do warm-up and cool-down activities?

A good workout begins with a good warm up and ends with a good cool down activity. So the next time you are exercising, do remember to spend a few minutes to commit to doing warm-up/cool-down activities(Note: Spend a long time on this activities if you intend to do more intense workouts).

Importance of warm-up

• Increase of blood flow to muscles that are active
• Gradually improve contract and reflex timings
• Reduces stress to the heart
• Reduce the risks of injury (muscles, ligaments etc.)
• Athletes feel more psychologically prepared

Importance of cool-down

• Reduces the risks of injury
• Helps to slow down heart rate after intense exercise

At Isplash Swim School, we ensure all students to have proper warm-up/cool-down activities before any intense training sessions. An example of how our instructors conduct warm-up/cool-down activity is shown on the case study below.

Case study

Instructor Zhen Hao plans a swimming lesson for kids at Sengkang Swimming Complex to train stamina of his students(Short distance sprinting).

Warm-Up  (5-10 minutes)	Cool down (5-10 minutes)
·         200 meters breaststroke at own pace	·         200 meters breaststroke at own pace

 

 

Note: Case study is for illustration purpose

"The eyes are the window to your soul."

-William Shakespeare

In a vibrant city like Singapore, many people tend to forget about the little blessings they have in life. One very common blessings that many of us tend to forget is to be thankful about is the ability to be able to see this beautiful world.  Hence, it is very important to protect our sense of sight. All Isplash Swim School students are strongly encouraged to put on their personal swimming goggles when they are having swimming lessons.

Importance of swimming goggles

• Protecting eyes from chemicals such as chlorine which damage eyes' tissues and causes irritation
• Protection against harmful UV rays (note: not all goggles are tinted with UV ray protection coats)
• Allow swimmer to have a "High Definition" experience for clear view under water

Tips on choosing swimming goggles

• Choose one which has UV ray protections when you frequently swim in outdoor pool (eg. Choa Chu Kang Swimming Complex, Clementi Swimming Complex etc.) during day time
• Choose a right sized swimming goggles. If it does not fits properly, it can cause leakages which cause swimmer to feel uncomfortable and lose the purpose of protection against chemicals
• For swimmers with short sightedness, try getting a swimming goggles with the right degree for an HD view underwater

After learning the importance and tips on swimming goggles, do remember to get your own pair before heading to the pool! You can conveniently get your swimming goggles at most of the sports retail outlets (eg. Sportslink have outlets at Jurong West, Choa Chu Kang sports and recreational centre, Clementi Mall, Westmall etc.)

 

 

 

 

Signs of drowning

Referring to the Singapore Life Saving Society, below are signs of a drowning victim:

• He/she is rarely able to call for help
• Instinctual arm movements : trying to push himself/herself upwards
• Facing towards shore

Actions 

• Call for help from lifeguards or any emergency help

 

• NEVER attempt to rescue the drowning person by entering the water if you are not trained as you will be endangering yourself.

 

• Throw a flotation device 

 

• Once the drowning person is on dry land, begin CPR if there is no spontaneous breathing or pulse. Keep the head and neck very still in case of neck, head or spinal injuries (Put two solid and hard objects between the head to minimize the victim's head movement

Singapore Life Saving Society, is the appointed SwimSafer Secretariat. SwimSafer comprises of a progressive six stage programmes which emphasize on proper swimming techniques and survival/life savings skills. Isplash Swim School conducts swimming lessons for kids according to SwimSafer syallabus so that all our students are able to attain basic level of lifesaving skills and swimming proficiency.

One common query that parents and students inquiry is regarding the difference between Swimsafer and NASSA(National Survival Swimming Award)/Learn-To-Swim program. Students, especially those who started swimming lessons before 2010, will be familiar with the NASSA program.

SwimSafer is a national water safety program in Singapore introduced in July 2010 by the National Water Safety Council (NWSC), a council appointed by the then Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS).  Swimsafer will replace the NASSA and Learn-To-Swim program.  

The program objective is to impart swimming proficiency and water survival skills to kids in order to reduce drowning incidences. These skills are necessary after reviewing that more than sixty percents of drowning incidences in Singapore (between 2005 to 2008) occurred in open waters, such as the seas, rivers, and reservoirs. 

SwimSafer Programmes are conducted by certified SwimSafer Instructors. Isplash Swim School's in-house group swimming lessons for kids are designed according to the SwimSafer syllabus. 

Find out more about the different stages of SwimSafer by clicking on the links below:

SwimSafer Stage 1

SwimSafer Stage 2

SwimSafer Stage 3

SwimSafer Bronze Stage

SwimSafer Silver Stage

SwimSafer Gold Stage

You may have heard an endless list of benefits about swimming.  However, you are unsure if they are rumors or facts. In this article, it provides you with the benefits of swimming supported by various reputable organizations findings.

Swimming is a low impact sport

Due to the negligible ground impact when you swim, swimming is a sport which protect the joints from stress and strain. In fact, the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommends swimming and water activities for this reason, (check http://www.arthritis.org for information).

Swimming is a lifetime sport

As a result of the negligible ground impact, swimming is widely considered to be a lifetime sport. Hence, regardless of whether you are 10 years old or 60 years old, swimming is definitely an exercise for you to consider.

By checking the United States Masters Swimming (http://www.usms.org/) Web site for age categories of their swim competitions, you will find a 100- to 104-year-old age group!

Swimming improves your cardio fitness

Swimming increases your physical endurance level. According to a study of middle-aged men and women who did swim training for 3 months, maximal oxygen consumption improved 10% and stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped with each beat which indicates heart strength) improved as much as 18%.

Swimming is another option despite injury

Due to the negligible ground impact, when athletes are injured, especially in the lower extremities, they swim to maintain their fitness level and it's even part of the rehabilitation. The reason is because the resistance of the water makes the muscles work hard without the strain that is experienced on land.

Swimming burns calories

Swimming burns lots of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently you swim.

 

Click here for the full article on the benefits of swimming.

After learning so many lifetime benefits of swimming, it is time to put on your swimming goggles and swimming suit and head to your nearest swimming complex. (Refer below for the full list of public Swimming pools in Singapore)

However, if you or your families do not have the essential swimming techniques, do not worry!At Isplash Swim School, our professional instructors are available to impart the proper swimming techniques for you and your family. Find out more about our swimming lessons for kids and swimming lessons for adults.

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 List of Swimming pools in Singapore