Owning your own pool comes with a wealth of benefits! We've compiled a list encompassing five of our top favorite benefits to pool ownership that are just good for the soul!
EXERCISE VARIETY
Similar to common aerobic activities like jogging, walking and biking, swimming has huge health benefits. What’s more, swimming works your whole body from your core to your legs and arms. This torches calories and engages a variety of important muscles; an easy swim can easily burn up to 500 calories.
A run is a run and a bike ride is a bike ride. But in the pool you can try a variety of stroke and swimming techniques to activate new muscles and improve your overall body strength. Try mixing it up by incorporating the backstroke, which improves your posture, and the breaststroke, which strengthens your hips and inner thighs. Other swimming techniques include the butterfly, freestyle, side stroke and more!
Swimming laps isn't the only way to exercise in a pool either! Water weights and aerobics are both extremely popular ways to get your body working and gaining health benefits! If you don’t like working out alone, invite some friends over to workout at your house; there are a number of aerobic water exercises you can do that build muscle strength. Try leg kicks, underwater walking and pool-side crunches to give your body something new to do.
Low Impact EXercise
Unlike running, swimming is easy on your body. With what is essentially neutral gravity, your body becomes nearly weightless. When you’re not pounding the pavement your body is able to stay aligned and strong. Keep in mind that swimming and water aerobics only puts about 1/4 of strain on the body when compared to other exercises like running and jogging.
This can be extremely beneficial to those with joint problems, bone or muscle conditions, or those who are overweight, since load-bearing aerobic exercises like running may be too hot or uncomfortable to get all the benefits from.
If you love swimming, you can do it every day; all gain and almost no pain. With a pool in your backyard you have something better than a gym. You can get a full body workout, with no harmful impact to your knees or hips, in a short 30 minute period.
Improved Endurance
Improve or build your endurance without ever hopping on a bike or putting on running shoes. “In one study of sedentary middle-aged men and women who did swim training for 12 weeks, maximal oxygen consumption improved 10% and stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped with each beat which indicates heart strength) improved as much as 18%,” according to WebMD.com.
Along with increased endurance, you'll also get the additional benefit of a stronger cardiovascular system that comes with aerobic exercise: reduced blood pressure.
Swimming will also play a major role in increasing your stamina as well as your physical strength!
RELIEVE STRESS & Anxiety
Spending time your pool not only helps eliminate physical stress like we've already discussed, but mental stress as well! A study conducted by global market and opinion research specialist, Ipsos MORI, on the benefits of regular swimming surveyed 3,979 swimmers showed the following results:
- 74% of those surveyed agreeing that swimming helps release stress and tension. Therefore, enjoying a pool is the perfect way to unwind at the end of a crazy day!
- 68% said that being in the water helps them to feel good about themselves, making swimming and aquatic exercise the ideal form of working out!
- 70% agreed that it helps them to feel mentally refreshed, meaning that over two thirds of those surveyed felt that swimming has a positive impact on mentality.
So know that we really mean it when we say, "Happy Swimming"!
More Time with Friends and family
The best part about swimming: the whole family can swim together making it an cost-efficient form of exercise as well as entertainment! And family time has been proven to have mental health benefits, particularly in the development of bonds. Plus, when you swim with your family, you're all encouraging one another to partake in activity that is good for your body-and that encouragement can be vital in building healthy habits. plus, if you have younger kids or grandchildren, you can teach them how to swim in an environment that is both safe and comfortable to them!
If you have a pool out back, make it a tradition to swim every Saturday morning in the summer—if you’re in a warmer climate you can make this a year-round affair. Follow your swim with a big family breakfast for a great start to your day.
Keep this in mind as well: How many of your friends would love to come over for either a one-on-one floating lazy day or big all-are-welcome pool party? Let's be real- owning a pool tends to bring old and new friends over more often simply for having more opportunity to do so.
Time spent with loved ones increases our sense of community and therefore has huge impacts on our overall happiness. This is one of the biggest overall health benefits to pool ownership. Start making those memories and smile with every splash!
