Dive only off the end of a diving board. When swimming in open water, never run and enter waves headfirst. Check weather reports before going swimming to avoid being in the water during storms, fog, or high winds. Stanton says that some people tend to overdo it when they go swimming. They should start gradually and listen to their bodies.
Swimming is an endurance sport.
You need to slowly build up the endurance. One very important thing to remember, says Stanton, is that drinking and swimming can be deadly. Alcohol and water don't mix. Hong Mautz is a staff writer for CBSHealthWatch by Medscape. She was a reporter for the CNN International affiliate in Hong Kong and was most recently an associate producer at CBS News.