YMCA Aquatics

neckfloat workout

Do you spend time by the pool? Or maybe you and your family frequent the beach on the weekends? On the other hand, maybe you actively avoid the beach and never go near the water. Either way, it is crucial that every member of your family know how to swim. The ability to swim could literally be a lifesaver, and thanks to the extensive resources of the YMCA, finding swimming lessons and aquatic programs has never been easier.

 

There are more than 2,700 YMCAs in the United States alone, with approximately 19,000 full-time staff members and more than 600,000 volunteers. These volunteers and full-time staff members serve some 1,000 communities; so there is a good chance that there is a YMCA located near you.

 

Worldwide, the footprint of the YMCA is even larger; the organization serves some 45 million men, women, and children in 119 countries around the world. No matter where they are located, those YMCA chapters are dedicated to teaching basic water safety and reducing the incidence of drowning and other aquatic accidents.

 

The staff and volunteers at the YMCA are particularly committed to teaching children to be safe around the water. They consider water safety to be a necessity and not a luxury. The Safety Around Water program teaches kids the essential water safety skills they will need by having them perform a sequential set of water skills. This progressive learning environment takes place over the course of 8 lessons lasting just 40 minutes each.

 

A typical lesson includes exercises to help kids adjust to being in the water, along with instructions in “jump, push, turn, grab” and “swim, float, swim.” These are skills that the kids can draw on if they unexpectedly find themselves in the water. Whether they fall in a lake, take a bad step along a local stream or get caught in a flood, Y-trained kids can use their skills to get safe and avoid potentially fatal danger.

 

The YMCA believes that if you can do it on land, you can perform some version of that same action in the water. The YMCA tailors its lessons to young people by designing fun and engaging swim instruction as well as safety precautions when near a body of water.

 

Although there is a draw for children, it is not just kids who can benefit from swimming lessons and water safety. Water-based activities offered by the YMCA include water exercises for improved fitness, adult swim classes for sharpened water safety, and adapted exercises tailored to those with disabilities and undergoing rehabilitation. YMCA branches around the country also offer swim lessons for all ages, along with family swims and competitive swimming and diving teams.

 

The YMCA also hosts a number of state, regional and national swimming championships. If you love to swim and have a talent for it, contact your local YMCA.

 

Be sure to take your Nekdoodle® with you. Makes Sense Every Time You Swim!