If your pooch's water bound this season, I've selected my seven favorite doggie life jackets on the market now. Just like people need a P.F.D. (personal flotation device), don't let your dog be without his C.F.D. (canine flotation device) whether in a boat, or if he happens to take a long walk — or flying leap — off a short pier! While some are for swimming and others for safety, all have a handle, just in case.
Source: Getty
If you're like me, your days are jam-packed with family responsibilities, errands, work, and exercise, so finding ways to save time whenever possible is always helpful. Recently a friend of mine told me that since she needs to rehydrate after sweating it out, and she also needs to shower, she drinks from the shower head to save time. I immediately thought, "Interesting time saver, but a good idea?"
If you guzzle from the shower head, stop! To find out why keep reading
Before you take your kids out to take a dip next Spring, check to make sure the (public, private or residential) pool has safe drain covers. Children have been terribly injured, paralyzed and died after the suction of a pool's drain has trapped them underwater. In one incident, it took two adults to pull a young girl from a hot tub. Despite their efforts, she passed away. Though a federal law went into effect in December, not all states are properly enforcing it so parents should take precautions.
A quick-thinking dad was able to save his 3-year-old daughter when she was sucked down a storm drain after the family's English neighborhood flooded. Mark Baxter heard his tot and glanced over expecting to see the lil girl standing with his wife and older daughter. Panicked when she wasn't, he reached down the drain to feel only water and guessed it flowed to the nearby river. The father ran over to find Leona floating face down and, luckily, was able to revive her.
In an amazing family story of survival, a 12-year-old who was caught in a riptide while swimming off the coast of Florida and his father who attempted to save him were swept out to sea on Saturday night. Wearing just swimming trucks, the two treaded treacherous water through the night and were separated before they were rescued by the Coast Guard 15 hours later. Both father and the tween who has autism are fine.
Beach time is fast approaching. Yay! Unfortunately not all beaches are clean all the time. I am not talking about the sand; I am talking about the water.
Polluted water from roads and streets drains into pipes and eventually makes it to the ocean, and that is nothing you want to be swimming in. Luckily, I have found a site to check on the water quality of the your beach hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is easy to use; you can search by state or by beach name. Without leaving your desk, you can learn if your favorite beach has been closed recently due to health precautions.
Click here for the beach advisory closing website. The site doesn't include beaches on lakes or rivers, just ocean beaches.
Fit's Tip: If you like to swim in natural waters such as lakes, rivers, and oceans, avoid swimming after heavy rains, since many storm drains empty into these waters, increasing the pollution directly after a storm.
