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Get in the swim at Davis Family YMCA
By LINDA M. LINONIS
BOARDMAN
Christine Hughes, aquatic direc- tor at the Davis Family YMCA, touts swimming as an exercise that offers a whole-body workout.
“It’s an exercise people can continue throughout their lives. In the water, there’s comfort and not stress on joints,” she said.
The popularity of the activity is evidenced by the number of people who frequent the multiple pools – outdoor leisure and lap; and indoors, there’s leisure, lap and therapy. And, there’s a whirlpool.
She said some 385 students participate in swimming lessons that are for children as young as 6 months to adults. Lessons are available to members and nonmembers, and there also are private lessons. Swim lessons are more than learning different strokes; students learn about personal safety, personal growth, water sports and games and basic rescue and emergency care.
With all that activity, Hughes also supervises a staff of 50 full- and part-time lifeguards whose number increases during the summer to about 70. Multiple lifeguards are on duty. Lifeguards must be 16 and older and junior lifeguards from 11 to 15 years old.
She said the lifeguards take training to be certified; the Y also offers this training. The 35-hour course includes CPR, first aid and a variety of rescue techniques. “And they must be strong swimmers,” she said.
The Y is open from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. weekdays.
Lifeguards keep people safe by monitoring their activity in the water.
“Lifeguards have a special opportunity to teach people how to be safe in the water,” she said. “I believe lifeguards learn about helping people and learn about life” as they interact with swimmers.
Hughes said lifeguards react when children get into water that’s too deep for them or are out of sight from their parents. Adult issues in the pools result from people spending too much time in the sauna or hot tub and not realizing how the heat may affect their bodies and medications they are taking.
While many people swim for recreation and exercise, some others are in training for triathlons. A recent event that benefited the YMCA annual campaign included swimming, bicycling and running.
Hughes said the Y is in partnership with St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, and patients use the therapy pool. In cooperation with the Arthritis Foundation, the Y offers a program.
She continued that Y members are offered a free water-fitness class.
Hughes said a free program, Safety Around Water, is open to members and nonmembers. It is geared to 6- to 12-year-olds and focuses on basic water-safety skills but does not include swimming lessons. The program, YMCA Splash, will be offered May 26-29 at the Davis Family YMCA, 330-480-5656, and from June 1-5 at the Central YMCA, 17 N. Champion St., Youngstown, 330-744-8411.