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"Knowing how to swim is vital and the Life Time Swim program is geared to help kids and adults alike learn and perfect their swim skills."
CHANHASSEN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Memorial Day weekend typically marks the time when families start heading to local pools, lakes and beaches for summer fun. As they do, the staggering statistics around drowning risks take on renewed importance. According to the Center for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for infants and young children between the ages of one and 14 years old in the United States.Life Time – The Healthy Way of Life CompanySM (NYSE: LTM) offers several tips in support of a safe, fun swimming experience this season and beyond:
- Invest in swim lessons. The safety of your children (and yourself) is vital. The younger children are when they start swimming, the more likely they’ll excel and become confident in the water.
- Maintain visual contact. A lifeguard is no substitute for maintaining visual contact and close proximity to your children at all times. Never turn your back on a child when he or she is in the water, not even for a moment. Don’t mistake water wings, flotation devices, life jackets or lifeguards for safety.
- Follow a 25:10 rule. If children cannot swim 25 meters continuously without assistance, ensure an adult is within 10 feet at all times.
- Establish a 1:3 swimmer to non-swimmer ratio. Limiting the amount of non-swimmers to swimmers will directly impact your ability to better supervise each non-swimmer.
- Get CPR certified. Take a class and learn how to perform CPR in case an emergency does occur.
- Teach safety basics. Keep children safe by teaching water safety basics such as: wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, do not run by the pool, do not go into the water without an adult nearby and know to reach for a pole or line that has been thrown out if you’re struggling in the water. Strollers and car seats should be kept at least four feet from any body of water.
- Take breaks at least every two hours. There’s a reason public pools have safety breaks. Rest, rehydrate and reapply sunscreen before returning to the water for more fun.
- Designate a meeting spot. Use a brightly colored towel to designate a meeting spot and establish regular times to check-in.
“Many families enjoy the water each summer, and it’s important to ensure they can continue to enjoy it safely by knowing swim safety basics,” says Alicia Kockler, Director of Aquatics at Life Time Fitness. “Knowing how to swim is vital and the Life Time Swim program is geared to help kids and adults alike learn and perfect their swim skills.”
Life Time Swim offers best-in-class swim lessons for kids, featuring an interactive instructional approach and utilizing warm water, zero-depth entry, in-pool benches, islands and flotation tools that help children transition from instructor support to independent movement. The Masters Swim program for adults features both group and individual swim sessions to ensure that each adult in the program has success, whether he or she is just learning to swim or looking to compete in a triathlon.
Life Time Swim schedules vary by location. For additional information on Life Time Swim programs and amenities, visit your local Life Time Fitness destination http://clubs.lifetimefitness.com.
About Life Time Fitness, Inc.
As The Healthy Way of Life Company, Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM) helps organizations, communities and individuals achieve their total health objectives, athletic aspirations and fitness goals by engaging in their areas of interest — or discovering new passions — both inside and outside of Life Time’s distinctive and large sports, professional fitness, family recreation and spa destinations, most of which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Company’s Healthy Way of Life approach enables customers to achieve this by providing the best programs, people and places of uncompromising quality and value. As of May 21, 2013, the Company operated 106 centers under the LIFE TIME FITNESS® and LIFE TIME ATHLETIC® brands in the United States and Canada. Additional information about Life Time centers, programs and services is available at lifetimefitness.com.