Swimming Safety and Techniques

• Recreational activities, also known as leisure activities, are those done for enjoyment and relaxation, distinct from work.
• Leisure is crucial for human well-being.
• The right to rest and leisure, including reasonable working hour limits, is a universal human right (Article 24).

Aquatics

• Aquatics encompass activities in or on the water, including fitness swimming, water aerobics, synchronized swimming, and kayaking.
• The Philippines, with over 7,641 islands, provides abundant water resources for recreational activities. Numerous swimming pools are also available in cities.

Water-Based Activities Examples

• Swimming is a racing sport that uses the entire body. Competitive swimming includes butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and individual medley events.
• Kayaking uses a kayak to move across water
• Surfing involves riding waves, while snorkeling includes swimming with a diving mask and snorkel. Wetsuits are worn in colder waters.
• Water aerobics is an aerobic exercise in water done vertically, often for resistance training.

Benefits of Water-Based Activities

• Water-based exercise benefits people with chronic diseases like arthritis.
• Hydrotherapy improves joint use and reduces pain from osteoarthritis, enhances muscle strength, relieves stress, and boosts self-confidence.

Hazards of Water-Based Activities

• Water-based activities pose health hazards, categorized by the World Health Organization as physical, microbial, and chemical.
• Physical hazards include drowning, injuries from falls, and issues from poorly maintained water systems. The WHO estimates 372,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide.
• Microbial hazards are illnesses from contaminated water, with bacteria shared among users.
• Chemical hazards include exposure through direct ingestion, inhalation, and skin absorption.

Reducing Hazards

• Participants in water-based activities should be informed about risks and safety protocols.
• Basic life-saving and first aid techniques should be taught.
• Constant supervision is essential, especially for beginners.
• For drowning prevention, fences and safety devices should be installed.
• The WHO advises effective sewage discharge procedures, appropriate chlorine levels, and disinfectant monitoring. Pre-showering is also important.
• The WHO advocates for regulating industrial waste, good hygiene, and pre-showering to address chemical hazards.

Introduction to Swimming

• Swimming combines recreation and sport, propelling the body through water.
• It is an individual or team sport that has evolved into a common recreational activity, and tests one's fitness and stamina.

Swimming Terminology

• Blowing Bubbles involves placing the face in the water and pushing off the bottom while kicking the legs.

Four Main Swimming Strokes

• Freestyle is performed horizontally, face down, with body roll and alternating arm movements, with breathing enabled by turning the head to the side.
• Breaststroke is performed face-down, with semicircular arm movements and a frog kick, which is the slowest stroke due to drag.
• Backstroke, or back crawl, uses alternating arm movements and flutter kicks, swum on the back.
• Butterfly involves simultaneous arm movements and a dolphin kick, requiring efficiency, strength, and timing, and is not recommended for beginners.

Swimming Attire and Accessories

• Swimwear reduces drag.
• Goggles protect the eyes.
• Swim caps keep hair dry and improve aerodynamics.
• Swim fins enhance swimming speed
• Hand paddles improve technique.
• Pull buoys improve body alignment.
• Kickboards help develop lower body strength.
• Earplugs prevent water intrusion.
• Nose clips prevent water from entering the nose.
• Swim snorkels let swimmers focus on technique.
• Floats and buoys increase visibility whereas pool noodles aid swimming techniques and offer safety

Benefits of Swimming

• It's a full-body workout that is low impact
• It builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness
• Swimming helps with maintaining a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
• It works nearly all muscles
• It provides relaxation and stress alleviation

Warm-Up

• A warm-up prepares the body for intensive activity.

Benefits of Warm-Ups

• Prepare the athlete mentally and physically
• Loosen up the muscles and get the blood flowing throughout the body.
• Enhance flexibility and mobility in shoulders, hips, chest, and legs.

Cool Downs

• Wall Press: place your palm against the wall and slowly rotate your torso away from your arm until you feel the stretch in your chest and shoulders.

Cool Downs Cont.

• Goal Post Squeeze: squeeze your shoulder blades together in the middle and maintaining a 90 degree angle Goal Post Rotation: Rotate your arms up to the goal post position, without dropping your elbows below your shoulders.
• Straight Arm String: Lower your head down and place your forearm above the knee of your forward leg.
• Hamstring Streamline Stretch: Bring your arms straight and tight to your head in a streamlined position.
• High Hurdle Streamline Stretch: bent backward, foot close to your buttocks & bring your arms straight and tight to your head in a streamlined position
• Cat - Cow: Hands and knees on the floor in a tabletop position (knees are under hips, wrists under shoulders).
• Child's Pose: Reach your hands far in front of you as you push your shoulders down into the ground to feel the stretch.

SPCF Philosophy

• Commitment to excellence to serve God and the Community

Vision

• An institution delivering world-class education

Mission

• SPCF provides holistic development through excellence in instruction, research, and extension.

Core Values

• Service encompasses delivering excellence in academics and volunteerism.
• Professionalism is upheld through integrity and ethical responsibility.
• Competence = service excellence + holistic learning.
• Fellowship enlivens camaraderie and solidarity.

This quiz covers essential aspects of swimming safety, hazard prevention, and swimming techniques. It addresses microbial and chemical hazards in pools, drowning prevention, and the use of safety equipment. It also tests knowledge of swimming strokes and techniques like blowing bubbles and using swim caps.