Anyone who owns a pool in their backyard should get to enjoy cooling off on a hot day in a clean pool. Swimming pools should actually be clean in all weather to create a good vibe and inviting ambiance. Nobody wants to swim in a pool that is full with bacteria, germs, and possible diseases, after all. Expert professionals who care about your family’s health and safety are needed to maintain your pool on a regular basis at an affordable cost. FitKonnect technical services provide the best pool cleaning and treatment services in Kenya at very reasonable costs that help to keep you and your family safe. Our pool specialists are highly qualified, certified, and trained to manage the cleaning procedures and restore enjoyment to pool ownership.
Why it is Important to Keep your Swimming Pool Clean and Well Maintained
Most people like it when their pool’s water to be sparkling clear, signifying a setting that appears to be germ-free. Dirty water may provide a dangerous environment for your family and friends, leading to major health issues. It would be unfortunate to have a gorgeous pool in your backyard that is not properly cared for or clean enough for people to enjoy. An filthy pool may be a breeding ground for dangerous germs that can cause various health problems, including increasing existing diseases. This is more than just a passing inconvenience. Your pool’s water quality may be lowered by a variety of things, such as rain, airborne bacteria, and synthetic oils and lotions. For these reasons, routine pool maintenance and cleaning can assist you in keeping dangerous contaminants from getting into and staying in your pool. A pool that is not clean can also cause the following;
- Your pool water may have harmful stains and impurities it will sting your eyes.
- Deteriorate pool pumps and filters, leading other parts to fail
- Include a variety of germs and viruses that can put you in the hospital
- Cause serious health issues, including as infections of the nose, throat, and ears.
The frequency of cleaning your swimming pool will depend the frequency of its use. We advise testing chemical levels regularly and cleaning your pool at least once a week if it is not being used that regularly. Proper maintenance involves maintaining the optimum PH levels in your pool and treating it with the appropriate equipment and chemicals such as chlorine and algicide/ algicure. Pool maintenance requires both careful attention to detail and the appropriate tools. Sadly, not everyone has the time or finances to dedicate to adequate pool maintenance or is aware of the signs that cleaning is necessary. When it comes to pool maintenance, the water will offer you a number of telltale indicators when it’s time to call in experts.
Water discoloration is one of the most obvious indications that your pool requires cleaning. Your water might grow algae or other impurities that change the color of the water if it isn’t treated correctly or often with the suitable mix of solutions. Any color other than clear in your pool—be it green, brown, or yellow—is a clear indication that expert cleaning is required. Bugs frequently navigate their way around the water and occasionally unintentionally enter it. It is unpleasant to witness bugs having a field day in one’s swimming pool. Your pool may get infested with mosquitoes, water beetles, gnats, small red pool mites, and other insects, leading to an unhealthy atmosphere.
If you swim and prefer to leave your eyes open underwater, minor skin and eye discomfort is very typical with pools that are not clean. Leaving filthy water in a swimming pool for an extended period of time might cause “hot tub rash,” a dangerous skin ailment. Negative responses to pool water are frequently brought on by the microorganism Pseudomonas aeruginosa, especially when the water is not adequately cleaned or chemically balanced. Scaling is another problem characterized by the accumulation of inorganic material that is observed on fiberglass, stone, and other hard surfaces, including pool tiles. Scaling often occurs when your pool’s calcium, pH, and alkaline levels are too high. Having your pool cleaned by a professional might assist to mitigate these types of problems.
When it comes to pool cleaning, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing it yourself. In reality, as a pool owner, we advise that you have a basic understanding of pool maintenance so that, in the absence of specialists, you may take care of the pool yourself. However, we are aware of the precise chemical levels, may assist you avoid accidents or injuries, and can also save you time and money. It takes more than periodically skimming the water’s surface of trash and insects to keep your pool clean. Our pool specialists adhere to a very specific procedure that balances your chemicals, gets rid of irritants and contaminants, and helps prevent future issues. You can reach us on +254 791 929 454 or go@fitkonnect.com for a broad range of technical services.
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The first challenge of 2022, dubbed ‘Eyes on the Prize’, saw a number of people creating time within their busy schedules and stepping out to burn some calories. Most of the people who participated in the challenge have indicated that they have adopted running/ walking as part of their routine and do not regret it. Running/ walking and other forms of physical activity can be an excellent form of reducing the health challenges that afflict Kenyans. Your overall health, physical fitness, and quality of life may all benefit from regular physical activity such as walking or running. Your chance of developing chronic illnesses including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, several cancers, depression and anxiety, dementia, or even suicidal thoughts is also decreased.
Running or walking is the most flexible form of exercise out there and we have to leverage its potential to improve health among our communities. You do not require any equipment, but rather, the will to go out and get the job done. These challenges are also meant to debunk the myths around the difficulties associated with taking up personal fitness for persons of all ages. The FitKonnect running challenges have made it apparent that running or walking is as simple as putting on gear and stepping out. The FitKonnect running challenges are usually organized around school holidays to encourage participation by all family members. The next challenge will start on the 1st of August, 2022 and will run through to the end of the month. All participants are expected to join any of the FitKonnect WhatsApp groups, record their runs and motivate others within their cohorts to hit their targets. You can request to join the next challenge through sending ‘I want to join the next challenge’ to our WhatsApp admin on +254 791 929 454.
Lets do this!
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The common swimming styles in recreational and competitive swimming are:
- Backstroke
- Butterfly
- Breaststroke
- Freestyle or front crawl
- Sidestroke (Recreational and for teaching lifesaving skills)
Because you must move your entire body against the resistance of the water, swimming is a wonderful workout. Swimming is a healthy exercise overall since it improves endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness while reducing some of the impact load on your body. This helps you maintain a healthy weight as well as a healthy heart and lungs. Since virtually all of your muscles are worked during swimming, it delivers an all-over body exercise that tones muscles and increases strength. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for both children and adults.
Swimming also provides the following benefits;
- Weight Loss
- Reducing stress
- Enhancing balance
- Improving body posture and postural flexibility
- Delivering effective low-impact therapy and treatment for injuries and other conditions
Make sure the swimming area you select is secure. If you do not know how to swim, make sure that you engage professional swimming teachers such as FitKonnect Swimming for effective lessons. FitKonnect offers affordable learn to swim lessons with qualified swimming instructors. Engaging unqualified or untrained personnel could pose a risk to your life. There are several locations where you may swim, including lakes, beaches, dams, rivers, and swimming pools, making it a great way to cool off on a hot day.
Always Remember
- Make sure you know how to swim.
- Choose a safe environment and ensure the water safety of children.
- Don’t overdo it if you’re just starting out.
- Have plenty of fluids on hand and drink regularly.
- Warm up and stretch your muscles and joints before entering the water.
Tips to Drink More Water
- Add a wedge of lime or lemon to your water bottle. This can help improve the taste.
- Carry a water bottle with you and refill it throughout the day.
- Choose water over sugary drinks.
- Freeze some freezer safe water bottles. Take one with you for ice-cold water all day long.
- Make sure your kids are getting enough water too.
- Opt for water when eating out. You’ll save money and reduce calories.
- Serve water during meals.
There are suggestions for how much water should be consumed daily overall from a range of meals and beverages, but there is no advice for how much plain water everyone should drink on a daily basis. The amount of water ingested each day in the form of meals, plain drinking water, and other drinks is referred to as total water intake (fluid). Recommendations for daily water consumption vary according on age, sex, pregnant status, and breastfeeding status. Most of your fluid requirements are satisfied by the water and other drinks you consume. Your diet can provide you with some fluids, especially items high in water content like many fruits and vegetables. One effective method of obtaining fluids is through drinking water, which has no calories.
Your body benefits from water in the following ways:
- Get rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.
- Keep a normal temperature
- Lubricate and cushion joints.
- Protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues.
Always drink hot water when:
- Having diarrhea or vomiting.
- In hot climates.
- More physically active.
- Running a fever.
These weight-loss workouts at home double as strength activities that will raise your heart rate and improve your functional movement abilities. That is, they will prevent you from injury and assist you in doing things more effectively in your daily life – all while burning calories and gaining lean muscle. To make a circuit exercise, string these motions together for the stated sets and repetitions, or add them separately to your favorite routines.
Forward Lunges
- Start standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- To begin, place your hands on your hips or hold the weights by your sides.
- With your right leg, take a measured stride forward.
- Lower your body until the front and rear legs make a 90-degree angle, keeping your spine tall.
- After a brief pause, return to the starting position with your right leg.
- Repeat on the other side by stepping forward with your left leg.
Sets: 3
Reps: 10 per side
Mistakes and Tips:
The lunge may be done in a variety of ways, but the basic forward lunge is still quite beneficial for weight reduction since it engages numerous muscles at the same time (think: glutes, quads, and hamstrings).
Burpees
- Stand with your arms at your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower into a crouch by pushing your hips back, bending your knees, and reaching your palms to the ground.
- For the following rep, immediately return to a squat.
- Rep 8–12 times more.
- Finish all three sets.
- Jump back into plank position with your hands shoulder-width on the floor squarely in front of your feet. Shift your weight to them and land lightly.
- Step forward with your feet so that they fall just outside of your hands.
- Jump far into the air, stretching your hands aloft or to the side.
Sets: 3
Reps: 8 to 12
Mistakes and Tips:
This workout works your core, chest, and legs all at the same time. Feel the heat and know that you’re gaining lean muscular mass.
Explosive Lunges
- Begin with your feet together and your hands on your hips.
- With the right leg, take a step forward and lower into a lunge with the right knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Jump up and swap legs in mid-air.
- With the left leg ahead, lightly land and instantly drop into a lunge.
Sets: 3
Reps: Repeat for 1 minute
Squats
- Begin with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides, either carrying weights or clasped in front of your chest.
- Sit hips back and bend knees to drop into a squat until thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping weight in heels and back straight.
- Always remember to maintain your knees in line with your toes.
- Maintain a steady pace and return to the starting position.
Sets: 3
Reps: 15
Mistakes and Tips:
Squats are one of the most effective workouts for losing weight and increasing general strength. You activate your core and entire lower body when you execute them correctly.
Double Jumps
- Lower into a deep squat with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
- As though you were jumping, rise to your feet and land in a lunge stance with your right leg back.
- To return to a squat, use momentum to jump from this lunge stance.
- Then repeat on the opposing side, landing in a lunge.
Sets: 2
Reps: Repeat for 45 seconds
Mistakes and Tips:
Add a hop and lunge to your standard squats to make them more challenging. Your heart rate will rise as a result of the action, and you’ll feel the burn in your abdomen, butts, and legs.
Mountain Climbers
- Begin on the floor in a plank posture.
- Without elevating the hips or letting the right foot to contact the floor, drive the right knee in toward the chest.
- Return to plank with the right foot and repeat on the opposite side, pushing the left knee in toward the chest.
- Rep with the other leg.
Sets: 3
Reps: Repeat for 1 minute
Mistakes and Tips:
Climbing mountains is a great method to burn calories. The obliques, buttocks, and hamstrings are targeted by the fast leg action.
Jump Ropes
- Start with your feet together and your hands clutching the jump rope’s ends, elbows in toward your ribs.
- Step or hop both feet over while swinging the jump rope.
- Don’t leap in between the swings of the rope; instead, jump with each swing of the rope.
Sets: 3
Reps: Repeat for 1 minute
Mistakes and Tips:
Jumping rope is an excellent total-body weight-loss strategy. Make it a goal to leap for a whole minute—more it’s difficult than you think. Hold the jump rope in each hand and make sure the handles line up with your shoulders to determine its length.
Body Weight Balance
- Begin by standing with your feet together and your right leg elevated such that your toes are barely tapping the floor.
- Bend over and place your right hand on your left knee.
- To stand and return to the starting position, squeeze glute and maintain core engaged.
Sets: 3
Reps: 10 per side
Kettle Bell Swings
- Stand with a kettlebell in front of your feet, little wider than hip-width apart.
- Grasp the handle of the kettlebell with both hands.
- Hike the kettlebell rearward between legs while keeping your back straight.
- To stand, press your hips forward and swing the kettlebell overhead while maintaining your core engaged.
- To begin the next swing, let the kettlebell fall forward and between your legs.
Sets: 3
Reps: 15
Mistakes and Tips:
Because they exercise the complete body, kettlebells are particularly beneficial for weight loss. They’re also low-impact yet high-intensity, which is perfect for calorie burning. Stop the bell at shoulder height and let it swing back down between your knees if you’re not ready for an overhead swing.
Tabata Drills
- Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and a light dumbbell in each hand, racked at your shoulders.
- Dumbbells should be jacked straight up overhead with feet spread wide and arms fully extended.
- Continue for 20 seconds with all-out effort, then rest for 10 seconds.
- With your feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbells at your chest, stand.
- Start with jabbing the dumbbells across your torso on opposite sides.
- Continue for 20 seconds with all-out effort, then rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat both exercises for a total of 8 rounds.
Sets: 8 rounds
Reps: Repeat for 20 seconds; rest for 10 seconds
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When you initially start looking for fins, the temptation is to go for the biggest ones you can find. Isn’t it true that increased surface area equals higher speed? In a nutshell, yes and no. The larger fins will aid in propulsion, but at the sacrifice of your kick rate. Swimming, like any other activity, is all about developing specialization via training. If you want to kick quickly and powerfully, wearing fins with a three-foot blade will simply slow you down and transform you into a lumbering kicker. The short-blade fin offers you more speed and power while also guaranteeing that you’re kicking at a pace that’s near to your real (and intended) kicking tempo, allowing you to maximize benefits. The following are the benefits of short blade zoomers.
- Increase the flexibility of your ankles. When you wear Zoomers when kicking or swimming, you’ll be able to increase the range of motion in your kick, especially in your feet and ankles. The increased pressure will offer your ankles a lovely, gentle stretch, increasing range of motion with time.
- It aids in the elimination of knee bend. Excessive knee bend during kicking is one of the most common technical faults made by backstrokers. It’s also an evident error, since the swimmer’s knees continually pierce the surface. Freestylers aren’t exempt from this. Zoomers fins can assist swimmers decrease this by exposing how little propulsion is generated by this sort of movement. Zoomers may provide swimmers a “a-ha!” moment by demonstrating how much faster they can go through the water when they kick from their hips and core rather than their knees.
- Gives you a complete range of motion. Training aids are enjoyable to use, but they should be used to encourage excellent swimming skills. Zoomers let you maintain the same range of motion and technique as your ordinary swimming since they fit snugly around your feet and just slightly exaggerate the surface area. This is critical since some swimming aids such as pull buoys alter your posture and technique.
- Improve body position. With the extra speed of wearing these, you’ll get a taste of what it’s like to swim faster. Take note of how you’re standing. Where are your hips? The effect of a tight kick on your drag profile. This is something you should incorporate into your normal swimming routine. Zoomers can be used to educate people how to swim more efficiently.
The Bottom Line
Swimming with equipment such as a pair of Zoomers is important as it improves technique. One should be sure that they use them for the right reasons, however, and not over-rely on them. Too many swimmers (especially triathletes) lean too heavily on their zoomers fins and forget that it is only an aid. Zoomers fins should be used for short bursts of speed and power while the majority of kicking should be done without.
]]>A side stitch is a discomfort on one side of your abdomen that is also known as exercise-related temporary abdominal pain (ETAP). It’s more frequent on the right side of the body. Cramping or a dull discomfort may be present, as well as a tugging sensation or a sharp, stabbing pain. The most common cause of a side stitch is extended sports activity. Side stitch sensations may be alleviated by staying hydrated, halting your activities or taking a break to walk, and stretching. Younger athletes are more prone than older competitors to acquire a side stitch. Side stitches, on the other hand, can afflict anyone who exercises for an extended period of time.
Causes Of Side Stitches
A side stitch’s exact cause remains uncertain. According to several research, a side stitch is caused by blood flow to the diaphragm or muscles during physical exertion. Other study suggests that inflammation of the abdominal and pelvic cavity lining may be the cause. When there is a lot of movement and friction in the torso during physical exercise, this discomfort might arise. Athletes frequently complain of shoulder tip soreness with the onset of a side stitch. This might be because inflamed stomach linings can induce localized discomfort in several places, including the point of the shoulder. A side stitch can also be caused by eating a huge meal or consuming sugary sports drinks.
Treating Side Stitches
The following can help reduce pain and resolve side stitches:
- Bend slightly onto the side where the stitch is felt.
- Reach one hand above to stretch your abdominal muscles.
- Stop moving and gently massage your fingers into the afflicted region while bending your body forward slightly.
- Take a deep breath and exhale slowly.
- Take a rest or slow down to a walk if you’re running.
- While exercising, stay hydrated, but avoid sugary sports drinks if they bother your stomach.
While exercising, stay hydrated, but avoid sugary sports drinks if they bother your stomach. A side stitch will normally go within a few minutes or after you stop exercising. However, if your side stitch persists after many hours, even after you’ve stopped exercising, you should seek medical attention. It might be a symptom of a more serious medical problem. If you have acute, stabbing pain along with a fever or swelling on the side of your abdomen, get emergency medical treatment immediately once.
Preventing Side Stitches
Avoid eating large meals or drinking a lot of liquids one to three hours before exercising to avoid a side stitch. Take the following measures as well:
- Maintain a decent posture. Athletes with a rounded spine are more likely to have side sutures.
- Before exercise, stay away from high-fat and high-fiber meals.
- Shorten your workout and increase the intensity instead.
- Before exercising, avoid sugary beverages or any beverages.
- Gradually improve your fitness level.
If you’re a runner, increase your weekly mileage by a few miles. If you’re prone to side stitches, a physiotherapist could be able to assist. If they suspect it’s your technique or posture that’s creating your side stitches, they can examine it.
The Bottom Line
A side stitch affects the majority of athletes, particularly runners and are a regular occurrence especially in endurance events. After you stop exercising, a side stitch should go away in a few minutes. Reduce the time of your workouts if you’re prone to them. If you feel discomfort in your side or abdomen that isn’t connected to exercise, or if you have a side stitch that lasts many hours, tell your doctor and get medical care as it might be a symptom of something more serious.
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