Advice for the Winter Season

Please find below some advice on keeping well whilst training – and what to do if you/your swimmer does get ill.

Training hard will suppress your immune system so it’s important to take extra care of yourself/your swimmer during winter to make sure we minimise time off due to illness…

Prevention

After a hard training session your immune system is suppressed for 3-72 hours. During this time it is VITAL that you are hyper-vigilant about where you go and what you do:

• Please invest in a warm hat. Sorry swimmers – but wet hair and cold weather are not a good mix.
• Minimise close-contact with ill people and keep a distance from people coughing and sneezing.
• Hand washing – before eating, after contact with ill people, in bathrooms and public places. It’s a good idea to keep some hand-sanitizer with you when hand washing isn’t possible.
• Avoid touching your nose and mouth with your hands.
• Eat well – ensure you are eating enough fruit & veg and keep up the carbs after training to increase illness resilience!
• Wear warm clothing to and from training.
• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep.

Training and Recovering from an Illness

• Mild sore throat, headaches and stuffy nose – please let your coach know.
  –     Recovery-paced sessions can still be carried out.
  –     Use this time to work on your swimming skills, turns and technique without the
  pressure of exertion.

• Recovery-paced training will continue until symptoms disappear.

• Very sore throat, fever, coughing, exhaustion, chills and aches, diarrhoea and vomiting – please let your coach know.
  –     Stop all training (other than gentle stretching)

• Wait one day after symptoms have gone before returning to training

Expect a graduated return to training on your first day back (if illness was 3 days or less) or a 3-day graduated return (if illness lasted 3+ days).