Whenever you’re near the water, whether it’s for a workout or just for fun, it's important to remember safety for you and everyone around you. There are thousands of needless deaths due to drowning each year, but by exercising basic safety near the water (pools, rivers, lakes, and the ocean) you can help ensure that fun doesn't turn to tragedy. Here are some water safety dos and don'ts from the American Medical Association:

Do

• Be aware that swimming in one body of water (for example, a pool) may be different from swimming in another (a river or an ocean).
• Check for any special warning flags or check with a lifeguard for any potential hazards.
• Have a phone nearby, if possible, with emergency numbers clearly marked.
• Improve your swimming skills. Take some lessons from an experienced and qualified instructor.
• Know where the safety ring and rope are.
• Obey "No Diving" signs.
• Practice the "buddy system" (even when swimming with many people) and never swim alone.
• Stay within designated areas, preferably within sight of a lifeguard.
• Stop swimming or boating as soon as you hear or see a storm. Water conducts electricity.
• Take a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course to learn basic life-saving techniques. Contact your local American Red Cross chapter to enroll.
• When swimming away from shore, make sure you save enough energy to swim back to shore.

Don't

• Don't chew gum or eat while swiming. It could cause choking.
• Don't engage in horseplay that might result in injury.
• Don't swim near piers, pilings, patches of plants, aquatic life, and diving platforms.
• Don't drink alcoholic beverages and swim. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination.

	It's Important to Teach Water Safety to Your Child According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, drownings rank behind only motor-vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death among youngsters in middle childhood. Usually, these tragedies occur when children swim without adequate adult supervision. These children and their parents have often overestimated their swimming ability and their knowledge of water-survival skills. Here are some basic guidelines from the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics to help your child stay safe in and near the water: Whenever your child swims, make sure an adult is watching. Ideally, the adult should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and should be paying full attention, not reading, playing cards, talking on the phone, mowing the lawn, or doing any other distracting activity. Don't allow your child to swim in areas where there are boats or fishermen. Nor should your child swim at beaches where there are large waves, a powerful undertow or no lifeguards. Teach your child to float or tread water whether or not he or she is a good swimmer. Anyone can and should learn a technique for staying on top of the water with minimal effort. If your child is 4 or older, sign him or her up for swimming lessons from an experienced and qualified instructor. Check for available lessons at local recreation centers, YMCAs, and summer camps.