YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health Autumn 2019 | Page 13

JANELLE FALKINGHAM 
Janelle is the Aquatics Project Manager for YMCA Victoria, where she has worked for
17 years as an aquatics specialist, leading our progress in swimming and water
safety education. Throughout our 25-year career to-date, Janelle has gained
extensive experience in swim school management and program development, and
she currently works closely with aquatic industry partners in Victoria around drowning
prevention initiatives and advocacy.
TOP TIPS FOR
STICKING TO SWIMMING
Adopting a few easy tricks will have your kids swimming and loving the pool all year round.
Hoodies are hot
Not only is being wrapped in a hooded
towel extra cosy, it helps with drying
long hair and stop little heads from
getting cold.
Keep it toasty
Have something warm your child can
quickly change into for the trip from the
pool to the car. A beanie will help keep
wet heads warm, and a hooded tracksuit
or pyjamas and dressing gown will stop
the shivers. Don’t forget the slippers to
keep the toes toasty.
Snack attack
Exercise can make kids ravenous, so
pack some healthy snacks they can
enjoy straight after their lesson. This
edition has some great snack ideas,
including sweet treats on pages 8, 9
and 10. Swimming can also be thirsty
work. Packing an insulated mug of your
child’s favourite warm drink will keep
the chills at bay. If you’re feeling
adventurous, you could try one of the
tea recipes on page 15.
Presence on the pool deck
n
summer,
it’s
almost
impossible to get the water
babies in your life out of the
pool. When the weather is hot, swimming
and swimming lessons are a wonderful
way to cool off. But as the temperatures
drop, so too can their enthusiasm for
swimming lessons.
I
As the season changes, it’s important
your child continues their swimming
lessons. It’s a great way to keep them
physically active, which can give their
immune systems a boost – wet hair
doesn’t increase their risk of catching a
cold. It also helps consolidate what they
learned in the warmer months, meaning
their skills and confidence in the water
won’t follow the falling temperatures.
Swimming lessons run all year round, so
how do we keep our kids in swim school
and loving the water? Here are our top
tips to help you.
You can’t expect your child to love
being at the pool when it’s cold if you
don’t. Make sure they know you like
watching them swim and that their
lesson time is a special time for you
too. A wave, a ‘thumbs-up’ or cheery
grin could be all it takes.
Rashies aren’t just forsummer
If your child gets the shivers in the water,
the same rashie they wore in summer to
prevent sunburn can help keep them
warm in the water. Lots of swimming
teachers wear them all year round for
that very reason.
AUTUMN 2019 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE
13