BIKING
Biking is becoming increasingly utilized by both adults and children for maintenance of healthy weight and as a fun family activity. Though cities are doing more to increase the availability of bike paths and safe routes for biking exercise, it is important to your own personal safety measures. This is especially true with children as statistics show roughly 300,000 kids are taken to the emergency room each year due to a biking injury. Additionally, 3-4% of these injuries require a hospital stay of a few days.
How can I decrease my risk of biking injury? These safety suggestions may help.
- USE A HELMET – Visit a local bike shop or sporting goods store to ensure your helmet has a proper fitting to protect against injury.
- KNOW THE BIKING AREA – Visit the area you plan to bike in and assess the routes. It is safest to avoid high traffic areas, busy intersections, difficult terrain, or other possible hazards.
- JOIN OR INITATITE A BIKING GROUP – Biking as a group often increases awareness of biker presence. It also increases motivation by building social relationship with others.
SWIMMING
Swimming is a fun and refreshing activity that provides low impact exercise to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. One major concern of parents with children in and near water is drowning. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 10 people die from unintentional drowning every day, with nearly 20% of those deaths occurring in children under the age of 15.
Now that the hot summer months are upon us, more children and adults are heading to pools, lakes and beaches to cool off. So, it is important to ensure that safety precautions are in place to prevent injury
The CDC recommends the following swimming safety tips:
- Sign up your children for swimming lessons at a young age
- Ensure adult supervision when children are in or around water
- Obtain CPR Certification
- Install fences or gates around pools or other bodies of water
- Encourage life jacket usage when in or around water
TRAMPOLINE
Trampolines are the bouncy form of entertainment and fun exercise for children and even some adults. They have become more popular in recent years and if you don’t have one, chances are that your neighbor’s backyard in home to one. Although this fun form of exercise is loved by children across the country, pediatricians and orthopedic physicians continually warn parents about potential injuries such as broken bones, lacerations, and even traumatic brain injury.
The good news, however, is that injuries related to trampoline usage has steadily declined since 2004, because parents have become more educated about the injuries that can potentially occur and how to prevent them.
Here are some safety suggestions to help protect your trampoline bouncing children and their friends:
- Allow only 1 person to jump on the trampoline at a time
- Use safety coverings on framing and nets around the edges of the trampoline
- Ensure all trampoline play is conducted under adult supervision
- Remove any ladders or equipment leaning against the trampoline while in use