We’ve written before about how swim spas are an excellent investment in your health and well-being. You should also know what an incredible environment they are for a variety of activities, one of the most important being exercise.
If you’re thinking about buying, or are already the proud owner of, a swim spa, we want to help you make the most of your investment by showing you just how easy and fun it is to start doing swim spa exercises.
So we’ve put together this guide, which covers everything you need to know about exercising in a swim spa, from the benefits of water workouts to how you can plan an effective workout routine.
As always, consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Swim Spa For Exercise?
Something we often hear from our clients is that they had no idea a swim spa could make exercise so enjoyable. Working out in water is a complete game-changer, with the buoyancy of the water eliminating impact on the joints while still providing a challenging and invigorating cardiovascular workout.
Swim spas can do all this because they produce a current of water that provides ongoing resistance, which can be adjusted from gentle to powerful. Depending on your fitness level and preference, you can swim, run, jog, or walk against this current for as long as you want, for a workout that strengthens and tones your body.
Where it becomes a truly unique experience is the feeling of weightlessness that a swim spa provides. The water supports the body, improving your flexibility and range of motion. This often leads not only to a more enjoyable workout but an overall improvement in balance, endurance, and strength.
These are just the physical benefits of exercising in a swim spa. There are many other ways that a swim spa can improve your life:
- You get to enjoy the privacy of exercising in a dedicated space all your own, away from onlookers and other people who are waiting for their turn with the equipment.
- You’re far more likely to stick to an exercise routine when your workout area is just steps away in your own home or backyard, and getting ready is as easy as slipping on your swimsuit.
- You can use your swim spa to relax and recuperate after your workout by switching off the current and switching on the hydrotherapy jets for a soothing and therapeutic massage.
How Often Should You Exercise In A Swim Spa?
One of the best things about a swim spa is that it is suitable for people of all fitness levels and abilities. If you’re just getting back into physical activity, you may wish to start slow and steady, with one to two sessions of exercise per week in your swim spa.
If you’re ready for more of a challenge, you can do as many as four or five sessions. The experience is 100% customizable to your ability and preference, and many people find that they look forward to their swim spa workouts in a way they never did for workouts at the gym.
How Can You Make The Most Of Your Swim Spa Exercise Routine?
Like any exercise regimen, a swim spa exercise routine is most effective when used as part of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, stress management, and adequate rest.
When used in combination with these behaviors that prioritize well-being, the positive effects of a swim spa tend to become exponential, impacting everything from your flexibility to your immune function.
Many people also find that setting fitness goals for themselves is the best and quickest way to motivate themselves to be consistent with their swim spa exercise routines. Maybe you’d like to be able to swim at a steady pace without stopping for 30 minutes.
Or maybe you’d like to be able to do 20 squats in the water while maintaining your balance.
No matter what your specific fitness goals are, just having a goal in place is a highly effective way to keep yourself on track and returning to your swim spa day after day, week after week.
What’s more, once you start to see and feel improvements in your physical fitness, the effect is galvanizing, motivating you to keep up the good work and experience even greater results.
What Does The Ideal Swim Spa Exercise Routine Look Like?
The “ideal” swim spa exercise routine will look a little different for everyone, depending on their personal preferences and goals. In general, however, a good routine will include cardiovascular exercise to get the heart pumping and resistance training to build strength.
Here are some examples of exercises you can mix and match to form your ideal swim spa workout routine.
A good place to start is by choosing three or four exercises and performing three sets of each.
Break up each set by adding two minutes of cardio exercise in between, in the form of running, jogging, or swimming laps.
Some of these exercises can be performed using just your body, while others require some extra equipment that can be installed in your swim spa.
Bicep Curls
Bicep curls are a great exercise for building muscle on their own, but when performed in a swim spa, they get an extra strengthening boost from the water current and resistance.
To perform bicep curls: Grab water-friendly dumbbells, in your preferred weight and size, in each hand. Standing in the water with your feet hip-width apart, curl your arms up from your hips to your shoulders, using a steady, controlled motion. Lower back down to the starting position and then repeat the motion.
Knee Tucks
Knee tucks help build your core and are an excellent way to improve your balance and stability.
To perform knee tucks: Allow your body to float on the surface of the water, torso facing the bottom of the swim spa, and hold the swim spa’s grab bar to keep yourself in place.
Stretch your legs out straight, then pull them into your chest, making sure to engage your core as you perform the motion.
Hold yourself in the curled position for a moment and then release back to the starting position. Repeat.
Underwater Rowing
This exercise requires a set of row bars, which can be attached to the sides of the swim spa.
To perform underwater rowing: Get into a seated position in your swim spa, grasping a row bar handle in each hand. Perform a rowing motion, taking care to use your core muscles and engage both arms equally.
Trunk Twists
Trunk twists are an excellent exercise for strengthening your core while getting an extra challenge from the resistance provided by the water current.
To perform trunk twists: Stand upright in front of your swim spa’s water current, with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands extended out in front of you at chest height.
Rotate from one side to the other, keeping your head and chest aligned, moving only at the hips.
For a greater challenge, hold a water-friendly dumbbell in each hand. Repeat.
What Types Of Exercise Can You Do In A Swim Spa?
The exercises described above are just a starting point to give you a sense of what’s possible for your swim spa routine. The list of exercises you can do in your swim spa is virtually limitless, so feel free to adapt and add new exercises that you enjoy doing and that will help you achieve your fitness goals.
Here are some further exercises you may wish to consider for your swim spa routine:
For arms and upper body:
- Triceps dips
- Wall push-ups
For legs and lower body:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Toe pushes
- Leg stretches
For core and mid-section:
- Torso twists
- Crunches
- Seated twists
For cardiovascular and endurance-building:
- Lap swimming
- Walking, jogging, or running
- Jumping jacks
- Treading water
Shop Swim Spas In Calgary
Are you ready to start enjoying the incredible benefits of including swim spa exercises in your life?
Shop our selection of top-of-the-line swim spas and get the ball rolling on creating your ideal at-home exercise environment and spa getaway.
Our friendly and knowledgeable SunSpa agents will walk you through the process step-by-step, from selecting the swim spa for your needs and lifestyle, to providing the care and maintenance instructions that will keep your swim spa in excellent shape for years to come. Contact us today to get started.
