Swimming is one of the best exercises on the planet for working off calories and staying fit and healthy. But it can also be a hassle. You get to your gym and then you have to hope there’s a lane free. Or you get a pool at your house and then you have a large area to constantly clean. Or you don’t have enough room to even put one in.
Swim spas can put an end to this.
A retired California firefighter, 61, and his wife, 57, a retired teacher, wanted to stay fit with daily swimming and water running, but didn’t like the heavily chlorinated water at the gym and didn’t have the budget and backyard space for their own full-size pool. The solution? Last year they got a swim spa — essentially an elongated hot tub with a current emanating from one end. Already popular with dedicated triathletes and swimmers, these so-called swimmer’s treadmills aren’t cheap, starting around $20,000 for a vinyl-lined model and going to $35,000 or more for a fully molded fiberglass pool, not including installation and remodeling costs. But they eliminate the need to drive to a public pool, can be used at any time and double as a hot tub when company’s over. The couple just had 12 of their kids, grandkids and friends in it at once.
Swim Spas are an amazing piece of technology. One aspect people should look at when buying a Swim Spa is the dual temperature. This allows a person to be swimming in a section 12-18 ft at 80 degrees, while other people can be relaxing in a hot tub area 6-8 ft at 104 degrees. Owners have the option to angle the Swim Spa at 90 degrees if the location cannot contain the length. People who already have hot tubs are ahead of the game. All they need to do is purchase a 12-16 ft Swim Spa and attach it to their existing hot tub. This option can save thousands of dollars when purchasing a Swim Spa.
Swim Spas offer all the advantages of health fitness and therapy in the convenience of your backyard. Vertical water exercises are recommended by doctors to over 6 million people a year. The healing nature of water is not limited to any age group or physical condition of a person. Water exercise is a whole body remedy improving a person’s health from the tip of their toes to the top of their head. Cardiovascular fitness, strength training, and weight management are just a few of the benefits. Water calisthenics offer challenges and effective results increasing mobility, stiffness reduction, peripheral circulation improvement, and pain relief in muscles and joints.
Swim spas come in varying sizes — typically 6 to 8 feet wide and 14 to 19 feet long. The depth ranges from 3 to 5 feet, and some units can be customized to greater depths for people who do aquatic exercises. Dual swim spas, with separate spa and pool areas, are longer.
A swim spa’s water temperature can be adjusted to provide therapeutic warm water for relaxing the muscles or cooler water for more vigorous workouts.
Activities in warm water (hydrotherapy) give a person greater range-of-motion and help to relax muscles. Hydrotherapy also can help to increase circulation and reduce leg swelling.
Moving around in water, if your doctor advises this, may even help increase lung capacity.
Because the buoyant nature of water supports the body, water therapy maximizes a person’s abilities.
Spas are a growing market. They are great for therapy and stress relief. With the aging baby boomers, we anticipate the trend will continue. A swim spa at home also offers 24-hour-a-day convenience, year-round use and privacy. It can fit in a smaller space than a traditional pool, and requires a lower heating cost, easier maintenance and fewer chemicals.
