7 Ideas for Turning Your Backyard Pool Into a Workout Zone

Backyard swimming pools are a great place to have fun and relax, but they are also be the cornerstone of your workout routine. If one of the reasons that you are building a pool is so that you workout more, your pool needs the right design and the right accessories. There are lots of options—take a look at these ideas.

1. Build a Lap Pool

If you primarily want to swim for exercise, consider dispensing with the traditional back yard pool design and opt for a lap pool. These pools tend to be long and narrow. They generally hold one to three lanes for lap swimmers.

On the downside, however, they usually don't have a shallow end. If you are going to have children using the pool or recreational swimmers, you may want to consider a modified design so that you can get the best of both worlds. If you opt for a vinyl lining, your swimming pool installer can generally put in any hybrid, specialized, custom design that you want.

2. Consider an Infinity Pool

If space is limited, you may want to put in an infinity pool. This is a small pool—it can even work in an indoor gym. Typically, these pools feature water jets that make waves for you to swim against. Basically, you swim in place against the current. If you just want to relax, you can turn up the heater and turn off the jets.

3. Add Swim Jets to Your Pool Design

Think an infinity pool is too small? Then, you can simulate that effect by adding swim jets to your full-size pool. These jets go on a pool wall. When you turn them on, they create a current that you can swim against. For an even cheaper alternative, you can try a swimming tether. That's basically a rope that you attach to the side of the pool and your foot. Then, you just swim in place.

4. Look Into Warm Water Therapy Pools

For people with arthritis or a range of physical therapy needs, a warm water pool can be essential. The water creates a therapeutic effect while you do physical therapy or water aerobics. It lessens the pressure on your joints and relaxes your muscles so you can do a wider range of exercises. If this interests you, talk with your swimming pool installer about putting in an extra powerful heater.

5. Get a Climbing Wall and a Diving Board

Swimming and water aerobics aren't the only types of pool-based workouts. If you want to have a bit more diversity in your workout, you may want to add accessories around your pool. In particular, you may want to add a climbing wall and/or a diving board.

With climbing walls, you can work out your whole body, and there's no need to wear a harness. If you fall, you just land in the water. Diving pools let you do flips, jumps, and all kinds of manoeuvers into your pool.

6. Invest in Resistance Training Equipment

In addition to or in lieu of some of the above ideas, you may want to invest in some resistance training equipment. Water dumbbells give you resistance for a range of water exercises, and they can be a great way to build up your arm muscles. For your legs, you may want ankle weights—you can also get weighted bands that go across your middle.  Webbed gloves or resistance paddles can also provide resistance whilst you are swimming for an extra challenge.  

7. Buy an Underwater Treadmill

There are also underwater treadmills. If you love jogging but also love a refreshing swim at the end of your jog, this is a great way to combine those hobbies. Talk with a swimming pool builder to ensure a treadmill works with your proposed pool design.


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