wooded areas with high grass and checking
your clothing and your body for ticks when
you return home.

I can swim, so I don’t need
a life jacket
Even for confident swimmers, wearing
a life jacket is a crucial part of summer
water safety, especially if you encounter
the unexpected.

According to the BoatUS Foundation,
“more than two-thirds of all boating
fatalities are drowning incidents and 90%
of drowning victims were not wearing a
life jacket.”
The National Park Service, which sees
countless summertime visitors, stresses
that conditions at natural bodies of water
are typically quite different from those at
the average community pool. Even strong
swimmers can be overcome by the water,
warns the NPS.

In some places and situations, you may
be required by law to wear a life jacket
regardless of your age or ability. Check
uscgboating.org for your local regulations.

You need to wait 30 minutes
after eating to swim
Dr. Amanda Caswell, associate professor
and program director of athletic training
at George Mason University, says this long-
held summertime myth has no legs to stand
on — or swim with.

A review by the American Red Cross
Scientific Advisory Committee published
in the International Journal of Aquatic
Research and Education found “no
evidence supporting the link between
eating before swimming and drowning.”
When it comes to how our bodies work,
Caswell says there is no basis for waiting to
swim after enjoying a meal.

EPIXIMAGES / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
I only need to hydrate
if I’m thirsty
The truth behind this one, Caswell says, is
that feeling thirsty means you’re already
behind when it comes to water intake.

“If you are going to be out in the heat, sun
and humidity,” Caswell explains, “hydrate
before going out and during activity.”
Furthermore, sports drinks are not the
best way to stay hydrated, she says.

“The amount of sports drinks needed
to replenish electrolytes after activity is an
amount that is not possible for a person to
intake in one setting. The best source of
hydration before, during and after activity is
water combined with a balanced nutritional
diet,” Caswell says. n
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