SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 254, 27 October 1939, Page 4

SWIMMING

VALUE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY ) ! EXCELLENT LUNG DEVELOPER I FRESH AND SALT WATER > Everyone should be at home in the water not. only for recreation and. enjoyment, but for health and safety, ' writes Dr. Irving Cutter in the ! Chicago Tribune. Lessons should be- ’ gin in childhood certainly by the time the youngster has reached his ' fifth birthday. A good teacher is . highly desirable - one who can inj struct in The proper strokes. Therei after practice makes perfect. Swimming is a most valuable form I of exercise. Next to walking it brings r into action more movements of more parts. In addition, the body is buoyed . up so that every joint has free play. Because of lessened resistance, those i who cannot indulge in violent gymL nasties—tennis or squash take kindly . io outdoor bathing. Even invalids are - benefited and a tank is an almost indispensable adjunct in the treatment of many forms of arthritis or weakened muscle fibres due, for example, , to infantile paralysis. Even pressure on the spinal column is relieved. This ’ is present constantly when one is on a ! hike. In consequence, one may perform manoeuvres which would be . difficult, or even impossible, were it [ not. for the lifting effect of the waver: > Furthermore, there probably is no 1 lung developer of equal power. Deep, ; regular breathing is called for and the . upper portion of the chest particu- - larly that, which is likely to Hatten I about middle life—is maintained in its - full, rounded contour. Thus more i room is preserved for Ihr lungs, the I heart, and the great vessels. i t Role of (hr Skin. No one should be obliged to argue in favour of aquatics whether practised in a tub at home, at. the seashore, or in a clean stream or lake. The I role of the skin in the elimination of wastes at top efficiency it saves the i kidneys an overload and the arteries 1 undue strain. In consequence, glands r become more active, and the capil- . laries dilate. It. is a good deal like i opening a safety valve when the force , within the boiler mounts 100 high. If one does not remain immersed . too long - - a Tew minutes al first, - gradually increasing the period - the i whole episode will prove relaxing and ? strengthening to tired nerves. One can stay in the ocean far longer because f salts which the body needs and must ? have are not excreted. Those who - feel exhausted after a dip either have - been submerged too Jong, or have been too energetic. Indulgence, however, requires great caution. The most expert swimmer 1 may he seized with cramps iu which . there is so powerful a contraction of t the muscles that effort is impossible. 1 This may follow plunging into a cold - pool or it may accompany fatigue. The - cause is deficient nutrition to the - muscles. If panic can be avoided so - that one will not waste his energies in useless struggles the incident may ? pass quickly. We all know that it is ? not necessaryto work the arms or legs ’ in order to float. It is highly important that we learn to “rest’’ in the I water. Sensitiveness to Cold. ( . More dangerous, perhaps, is a . peculiar type of sensitiveness to cold I which may lead to collapse. Two or , three years ago our attention was ~ called to this phenomenon by Bayard 1 T. Horton, who believes lhai many of ) our drownings are due to cold allergy, I which renders the individual power- ; less. In his short series of cases some I victims developed the symptom after leaving the beach, and four had to be f rescued from drowning. If one is susceptible, He should accustom himself f to the lower temperature by degrees. . Protection may be acquired by ims mersing the hands in ice water for a i minute or two twice a day for a few i weeks. Despite our warnings, however, fatalities will occur, and it behoves us all to understand resuscitation There arc two excellent methods - one proposed by Schafer and the othet s by Sylvester. The former is easily learned and is taught in most of oui D first aid classes. Artificial respiratior . may be life saving, and no one should give up until the procedure has beer persisted in for at least three-quarter' of an hour. Champion; delegate to New Zealand I Surf Life-saving Association. Mr. J. L i. Dighton; delegate to National Com- - mittee of Swimming and Life-saving I Mr. J. L. Dighton.