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Upon completion of a lifeguard class, individuals may be required to pass a written exam and demonstrate practical skills to obtain their lifeguard certification.
As you age, your strength and fitness decrease. By continuing to move, you slow down the loss of muscle mass. By swimming and lifeguard you activate almost all muscles in your body optimally. This will maintain your muscle strength and burn fat. Combating overweight also has positive consequences in combating wear and tear and preventing diseases.
If you swim regularly, you also exercise preventively against the aging process and chronic diseases. Exercise is good for your cholesterol, vascular elasticity and blood pressure, and protects you against cardiovascular diseases, among other things. It also helps you prevent symptoms of terrible diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Injury free
Aging is often accompanied by various changes in your muscles, joints, and bones. This is particularly felt in your knees, hips and back. Both wear and tear and the decrease in muscle strength play a crucial role here. The weightlessness you experience while swimming and lifeguard is therefore a huge strain on your body. Not only does this flexible form of exercise prevent injuries, the water also offers a solution for the recovery of injuries!
Soothing
Swimming and lifeguard is very soothing and relaxing. With a (half) hour of swimming you are completely relieved of the daily routine. It is just you and the water unless you choose to enter the water in a group. Today, swimming pools provide various activities for groups of seniors. Whatever you choose, see it as an outing where you can exercise and also work on your (social) health.
Social
Swimming and lifeguard is an individual sport that can be performed in groups. Swimming has a social aspect, especially for the elderly. In many swimming pools, senior swimming is accompanied by a nice cup of coffee at the end of the lesson. Be it provided by the swimming and lifeguard pool or on the participants' own initiative. A good opportunity to enjoy the relaxation that follows exercise together.
Swimming in cold water, preferably in nature: its popularity has increased considerably in recent years. When the swimming and lifeguard pools were closed due to corona, even more people resorted to cold water swimming and lifeguard. For example, the KNZB reports that people are signing up en masse for the Open Water course . People seek freedom and experience the healthy effects. Now that the water is not that cold yet, it is a good time to start: the threshold is not yet that high with the relatively warm water and you can already incorporate it into your routine.
Benefits of lifeguard and swimming in cold water
That it is healthy is like a pole above whether or not the water is cold. It has been proven to be good for the heart and it stimulates blood circulation. Your body becomes stronger, your immune system is strengthened and it even has an anti-inflammatory effect. In short, a daily bath in cold water keeps you healthy for longer and may even prevent diseases.
Lifeguard classes provide individuals with the vital skills and knowledge needed to safeguard lives, respond to emergencies, and ensure the safety of swimmers in aquatic environments.
In addition, it also has a mental effect, which in turn translates to better health. Cold water swimming and lifeguard is outside of their comfort zone for many people. Entering that water gives a positive sting to the mind. It gives the feeling of 'you did it anyway and if you can do this, you can probably do much more!' In addition, cold gives you an energetic feeling, because with such a cold dive, extra dopamine is produced, the chemical in the brain that causes a feeling of happiness.
Swimming in cold water is not without risk
Swimming and lifeguard in water below 15 degrees is risky without proper preparation. You can end up in a cold shock, which disrupts your breathing, which in turn leads to panic and you can get water in the fright with all its consequences.
You can also get caught by the cold. Your body may find the cold pleasant at first, causing you to become overconfident and swim further away than is safe for you. If the body loses too much heat, you lose control of your muscles and there is a high risk of drowning.
Hypothermia occurs after being in cold water for about 30 minutes. The chance that you will get a cold shock or get caught by the cold is therefore much greater, but just keep your stay in cold water short. Underlying physical problems can also pose a risk. If you suffer from a heart condition, high blood pressure or severe asthma, cold water swimming and lifeguard is not recommended.