Author Archives: Christina Mantoura-Gough

Swimming in a swim spa is a great workout, but what many people don’t realize is that it is not the only workout that is available to a swim spa owner. The massive variety of workouts that you can do in the swim spa is impressive.

There are a wide variety of low impact workouts that you can do in the water that will benefit the entire body and the cardio vascular system. The benefits that you realize come from the water providing resistance to the movements of the exerciser.

Hydrotherapy or working out in a water based environment is an excellent way to get full body exercise and, for many reasons, it is beneficial for anyone, even those who may have physical disabilities. The fact that working out in the water causes much less strain on the joints in the body means that you can avoid injuries that you may encounter when working out on land.

This also means that you can actually work out longer than you would traditionally working out in the gym, while the lack of stress on the body and pain in the joints means that you can have very effective workouts overall.

The aerobic workouts that you can do in the water will have a huge benefit on your cardio vascular system and actually offers a more powerful workout than traditional land based workouts. If you add up all the incredible benefits that a swim spa can introduce into your fitness regimen, not to mention the fun that you can have, it all adds up to a great solution to get and stay in shape. Whether swimming is passion or you have limitations due to a physical impairment and need a shallow water workout instead, you and the whole family will benefit from a swim spa.

It is so beneficial to have a swim spa in your yard or basement that you can head to for a full body workout as you swim. The benefits of swimming have been proven in study after study to have such an incredible effect on the health of not just your body but on your mental health as well. Having said that, when you decide to install a swim spa, there are some things you need to remember and mistakes you should avoid.

By having the necessary knowledge beforehand, you will ensure that your swim spa experience is the best that it can be. One of the most common mistakes that new swim spa owners make and one that can be completely avoided very easily is the use of the cleaners that you use to clean and maintain your spa.

Most people would never even consider the effects that mixing certain chemicals can have on both the liner and the water itself. There is a specific reason that there are chemicals on the market that are specifically designed for cleaning your spa. The chemical composition of these cleaners are designed to work with the chemicals that you use to ensure that your water stays bacteria free. If you neglect to use these chemicals, you run the risk of mixing chemicals that are found in regular household cleaning products with the stuff in the water that can have very negative effects for your swim spa and potentially your health.

In some extreme cases, you can also inadvertently create a chemical reaction that can be harmful. Always use only products that are designed to be used in conjunction with the chemicals in the actual water. Whenever you have doubts, make sure to do your homework by checking with a reputable swim spa manufacturer or pool supply company to get the right information.

Never rely on the advice of people who do not know for sure what they are saying. This can be a recipe for disaster. There are enough products on the market that are specifically designed to maintain and clean your spa. Be safe and use only the stuff your manufacturer recommends.

Maintaining a swim spa is really easy, takes very little time and there are only a few precautions that you need to take with it.

Iron Man training is no easy task and it takes a lot of time and commitment. In general, this type of training includes running, cycling and swimming. Many of those who are involved in this type of training are not able to commit to it full time. They have to fit their training in with their daily life of work, family, and social commitments. Having a swim spa on their own premises really helps with the swimming requirements and can even help with the cycling.

There is a second benefit to a swim spa, which is recovery time. Whether one is new or advanced in this type of training it always puts stress on the body as participants strive for higher levels of activity. The swim spa is perfect for helping to soothe the aches and pains as a result of this and helps them to heal faster.

Swim spas enable the swimmer to adjust the current, which helps build strength and endurance. Those that have had a swim spa installed usually set up a routine for implementing it into their regime. Some will go for their run first, then move to the swim spa activity. There are some that have even replaced their run exercise by doing it in the spa.

For those that participate in Iron Man competitions, they have to adjust to the water temperature, which is another great advantage of the swim spa. The temperature can be regulated to mimic the variations in water temperature that a ironman competitor may have to face.

There is the cost factor to consider as well. Many times, by having a swim spa in one’s own home, it can cut the costs down for having to pay for training facilities. It’s also a time saver, which often means more time can be dedicated to the workouts because there is no travel involved going back and forth to regular facilities.

The Iron Man workouts that can be done in the swim spa are on par with standard training and may even be better. The water allows for less stress on the muscles and joints, which helps to cut down on the time necessary for recovery. This, in turn, means the Iron Man trainer is not experiencing as much down time due to pain and discomfort often caused by standard workouts.

There certainly are a lot of benefits for the individual who has decided to have a swim spa installed at home. Also, it can be used by other family members for fun and relaxation, so there is no doubt that it will be put to good use.

A swim spa can certainly bring a great deal of fun and entertainment to the entire family. Many people are now having a spa installed to help them with some of their health conditions. Those that use a swim spa put it to good use for not only swimming and relaxing but for exercising as well. It has been shown that hydrotherapy is an excellent form of treatment for many different types of health conditions.

Helping With Arthritis and Fibromyalgia

Both of these conditions are rheumatic conditions. They attack the joints and soft tissues of the body and, when doing so, create chronic pain. Many of those that suffer from these ailments try to find ways that they can relax the muscles and tendons as well as the joints. Many have found that the warm water in the swim spa brings some definite relief by reducing the stress on these areas and minimizing the stiffness. The body is weightless in the water, so there is no pressure being applied to the joints, so there is no discomfort when using the swim spa.

Using the Swim Spot To Help With Parkinson’s Disease

Individuals that suffer with Parkinson’s disease are often encouraged to go through a lot of physical therapy exercises. It has been determined that hydrotherapy is really beneficial to help with this. Now those that own a swim spa at their own home are able to carry on with these exercises and get additional benefits. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system and while there is no cure, there are ways to go about helping to minimize the discomfort. Those that use a swim spa find that it acts as a full body support and allows them to balance easier when going through their exercises. At the same time, the warm moving water helps to loosen up the joints and muscles.

Neuromuscular problems

There are a lot of conditions that fit into the category of neuromuscular conditions. These include Muscular Dystrophy as well as Multiple Sclerosis. These are conditions that can affect the nerves and muscles and it is important that those that suffer from these problems focus on their mobility. The water in the swim spa provides a buoyancy, which allows the individual to move much easier with a lot less pain and stress on the joints. With the comfortable conditions that the person is in, they find that a lot of their symptoms are reduced. They often suffer with symptoms, such as muscle spasms and weak muscles. Pain and discomfort is also part of the problem and they sometimes have a limited range of motion that includes poor balance.

General Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is different than acute pain, which is usually sharp, whereas chronic pain persists over a long period of time even after an injury may have been treated and healed. The water in the swim spa can help to relieve the stress in the pain area. It helps to minimize the pressure on the joints during exercise, which allows the individual to participate much longer.

Using the Swim Spa For Recovery

A lot of people can end up with injuries from many different causes. Many have found that using the swim spa is a great way for speeding up their recovery and allowing their body to heal much more quickly. These are just some of the great health benefits that a swim spa can offer in addition to all its other great uses.

For many, the thought of buying a home that has a swimming pool is one of great benefit and something that they look forward to immensely. For others, however, the thought of buying a house with an existing pool is a deal breaker. So, what do you do with an old pool? Do you spend the many thousands to have the pool removed from the premises completely or do you spend even more to have the pool brought back to life with a complete refurbishment? There is a third option. Rather than tearing the pool out completely, some have chosen to use this as a base for the installation of a brand new, modern swim spa.

As most now know a swim spa is a “pool” that has a propulsion system built into one end that generates a strong current that the swimmer can then swim against. You can also shut off the propulsion system and use the pool as a lounge pool as well. This is great for when the kids come to visit and you just require the relaxation of a pool without the propulsion system enabled. By using the footprint of the old pool you are also able to build an excellent outdoor area around the site of the old pool once construction on the swim spa is complete.

You will find that the smaller footprint of the swim spa opens up all kinds of possibilities for adding decking, gazebo or other structure to compliment your new swim spa. The benefits of having a swim spa for health reasons cannot be overstated. Swimming “laps” against the current or even engaging in water yoga or aerobics are all proven methods of getting and staying fit.

So, if you truly love the property you have recently looked at that has a pool, you do have options. Explore the world of swim spas and talk to your representative about changing the old pool into a world-class swim spa experience. You will be surprised how many options are available.

Most consumers are aware by now of the difference between a swim spa (sometimes referred to as a lap pool) and a regular swimming pool. The main difference is that the swim spa houses a propulsion system in one end of the swim spa that generates current strong enough for a grown person to literally swim against. This resistance allows the swimmer to swim using whatever method they choose – breaststroke, butterfly, and front crawl.

There are many reason people choose a swim spa. First, the size of a swim spa is generally less than half that of a regular in-ground pool, which translates into savings of several thousands of dollars for installation, as well as considerable long-term savings on maintenance. In addition, because the swim spa is smaller in size, it heats up more quickly and is far easier to keep at a comfortable level during what would be considered non-pool weather for a full size swimming pool. This allows the user to get more “bang for the buck” as you can use the swim spa earlier in the season and keep it open much longer. You can also install a swim spa easily in a normal size basement to swim year round.

Another great advantage for the serious swimmer is the ability to swim without ever having to turn. This means a longer, uninterrupted swim.

There are primarily three different types of swim spa propulsion systems available for purchase. These are the jet propulsion system, the paddlewheel and the propeller system. The Jet is the most common and uses a motor to drive the current through a pressure system, which then can be directed into current streams allowing the swimmer to customize the current to suit their purposes. The paddlewheel and the propeller work in a similar way. The paddlewheel or propeller turn at high speeds, which creates the current.

Both of these systems create a current that can be adjusted for speed like the jet system. However, the paddlewheel system creates current across the width of the spa and cannot be directed like the propeller and jet systems can. Do your homework and find the swim spa that works best for the purposes of yourself and your family and you will not be disappointed. The future is here and swim spas are the future of swimming.

The benefits of a swim spa or swimming pool are so vast that swimming laps is merely one of the ways to realize the benefits of water as an exercise tool. The buoyancy offered by water allows people of all shapes and sizes, including those who have physical disabilities, to perform exercises that they would be unable to perform without water. This buoyancy coupled with the resistance that the water offers is considered one of the absolute best ways for seniors and the disabled to exercise.

The continual resistance offered by the water is approximately 12-14%, so when you perform aerobic exercises when submerged in the water it is similar to lifting a small amount of weight, while you perform those aerobic movements. The added bonus of the cooling effect of the water allows one to exercise longer and with more vigor than you would be able to on land under the same conditions.

The fact that many physical therapists choose to bring their clients into the water is great evidence that the benefits offered are universally accepted and that the benefits realized are evidence based. The added benefits are the social component that is realized by the ability of the exerciser to talk to the other swimmers while they work out. The release of stress that is found by the water workout is another great benefit of using a swimming pool or swim spa to get fit.

The vast majority of people who do not use a pool to get a work out typically cite the main reasons as proximity to a good public pool or the cost of putting a pool into the backyard. This can be effectively reduced by installing a swim spa. A swim spa is a pool that relies on a propulsion system to create a current that the swimmer then swims against in order to get the laps in rather than having to swim the full length of a spool.

The smaller size of the swim spa makes it much less dependent on a large yard and is much more cost effective when compared to a full sized pool to both have constructed and for maintaining. Do your homework and get the information you need to make a decision and you will see the benefits of owning a swim spa of your own.