Swim spa fitness: Full-body workouts from home

Working out from home is convenient, private, and personalized. Swim spa fitness is a popular way to get in shape and improve your health, as aquatic training and water aerobics have a variety of wellness benefits.

If you are looking to add to your fitness routine with water workouts, this article is for you. As you read on, you will learn about how a swim spa can enhance your workout routine. You will also learn about some full-body workouts from home that can help you build strength and stamina, without the intensity or impact on your joints of land-based workouts. You will also learn about Sundance® Swim Spas and how they can help you achieve effective full-body workouts from home.

Swim spa fitness

Lap swimming without the need to do flip turns is a key perk of a swim spa. Lap swimming serves as a complete full-body workout and is an excellent low-impact exercise.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, swimming, along with other aquatic exercises like water walking and water aerobics, is a good workout for just about anybody. The article adds that the water offers buoyancy and resistance that make it easier on the whole body than other forms of exercise. The article highlights the following health benefits of swimming:

• Easy on joints

• Keeps your heart strong, improves cholesterol levels, reduces blood pressure, and lowers your risk of heart disease

• Strengthens your lungs

• Burns calories

• Builds muscle

• Keeps your mind sharp

• Supports healthy aging

• Helps your mental health

In regard to mental health, the article references a study in which women with fibromyalgia who swam for eight months. They not only showed improvement in their physical health, but they also reported 41% improvement in anxiety and 27% improvement in depression. So, beyond being a full-body workout, swimming can also greatly impact your mind.

The article states: “Whether you get lost in your own thoughts or use waterproof technology to listen to music while you do it, swimming can be a great way to destress and reap some of the benefits of meditation while also engaging in physical fitness.”

Beyond these incredible health benefits, swimming is a powerful workout. The Harvard Medical School Harvard Health Publishing website states that “Swimming is a remarkably effective workout because it combines three important types of exercise in one: aerobics, stretching, and strengthening.”

According to the article, lap swimming also “has a meditative quality that forces you to focus on your movement and breathing.” It lists additional benefits such as:

• Improves endurance

• Increases flexibility

• Boosts your balance

• Reduces fall risk

• Helps reduce stress

In addition to health benefits, swim spa fitness at home offers you convenience and privacy. You can enjoy a full-body workout on your own time, in the comfort of your own home or backyard. You don’t have to fuss with traffic, busy gyms, or spending more time away from home if you have little ones. In fact, swim spas are the ideal environment for family fitness.

Swim spas are often the perfect environment for self-led or guided full-body workouts. You can take control of your workout, or you can seek the assistance of videos, apps and equipment to help increase the benefits of your aquatic workout.

Plus, you have the added bonus of hydrotherapy, which can lull you into complete and utter relaxation after your workout while helping your mind and body recuperate from challenging full-body exercise.

Lap swimming in a swim spa

The concept of a swim spa is intended for swimmers who want to train or improve their form. Many swim spas create an ideal environment to help swimmers with their personal goals. For example, Sundance® Spas offers swim spa models that are designed for fun and fitness for all ages.

The Sundance® Spas Surf™ Series offers an enhanced swim system with two dedicated swim pumps and a 10-speed swim selector control within arm’s reach, allowing you to adjust your pace as needed. This series also features a spacious open swim tank with an extra-wide lane, giving you plenty of room to refine your stroke or challenge your pace. The dual-lane extender jets generate a full-body current, which maximizes every inch of space for a more immersive and uninterrupted swim experience. This is ideal for refining wider strokes, such as the breaststroke and butterfly.

On the other hand, the Sundance® Spas Stream™ Series features a smooth, steady current that is ideal for splashing around with the kids, a daily swim, or a low-impact water workout.

Water aerobics and resistance workouts in a swim spa

In addition to lap swimming without the need to do flip turns in a swim spa, you can enjoy water aerobics.

The article on the Harvard website previously mentioned states: “If you’re not a lap swimmer, you can still benefit from aquatic exercises—exercising in the shallow end of a pool. You might take a class with a trainer who leads a group through a set of exercises with special water weights or flotation devices (like a pool noodle). Or you can simply try water walking; working against the resistance of the water is good for your muscles and bones.”

The Mayo Clinic Health System states, “Resistance training can be amped up by simply increasing the speed of movement or adding equipment, such as mitts, paddles, noodles or bands, to increase drag.”

Tips for beneficial full-body workouts from home

First and foremost, don’t forget to warm up and cool down. Just like with any physical activity, you need to get your body ready for aquatic exercise and cool yourself down when you’ve finished your workout. Dedicate five to 10 minutes on either end of your workout to stretching.

The American Heart Association touts the importance and benefits of warming up before and cooling down after working out. An article on the organization’s website states that warming up “increases the temperature and flexibility of your muscles, and helps you be more efficient and safer during your workout. A warm-up before moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity allows a gradual increase in heart rate and breathing at the start of the activity.”

It goes on to state that warming up prevents injury, prepares your body for your workout, specifically your circulatory and respiratory systems. Furthermore, the article states, “The cool-down is just as critical. It keeps the blood flowing throughout the body. Stopping suddenly can cause light-headedness because your heart rate and blood pressure drop rapidly.”

The article suggests stretching while cooling down to help reduce the buildup of lactic acid, which can cause your muscles to cramp up or become stiff after your workout.

Indulging in hydromassage after your workout is an ideal way to help your body transition from your workout to a more relaxed state, while also helping your body recover. Hydrotherapy has its own benefits to assist with your post-workout recovery.

The Cleveland Clinic states that the warm water of a hydromassage can make sore, tired muscles feel better thanks to the increase in blood flow as a result of the heated water. This can help “loosen tense muscles and remove metabolic waste, which can aid muscle recovery.”

Furthermore, according to the article, hot tub use before bed can also help lull you into restful sleep. After all, a good night’s rest is extra enjoyable after a challenging workout.

It’s also important to ensure that the water temperature is ideal for your workout. While this can be a personal preference, water that is too hot or too cold can impact your workout. The American Red Cross states: “Water that is too cold can lead to chilling and discomfort and result in limiting the time spent on necessary practice. Likewise, water too hot can lead to overheating and discomfort in limiting the time spent on necessary practice.”

The Mayo Clinic Health System states: “Aquatic exercise in lower water temperatures (82-88 degrees Fahrenheit) generally is best for higher-level intensity exercise or people who are prone to overheating, such as those who are pregnant, obese or have multiple sclerosis. Aquatic exercise in warmer temperatures (84-92 degrees Fahrenheit) is better for people with arthritis, fibromyalgia or pain, as well as those who are frail.”

Sundance® swim spas are heat-pump ready, meaning they are ideal for warming or cooling your swim spa water, regardless of the weather. So when you want cooler temperature for warm ups and exercise, and warmer water for cooldowns and hydrotherapy, your spa can adjust to your needs.

Full-body workouts from home are not only possible, but easy and convenient in a swim spa. If you are ready to dip your toe into the world of swim spa fitness, visit a Sundance® Spas store in your area, where you can explore all your options and even perform a wet test. This means you can try out the swim spa model you like while it is filled and operating. This gives you a true feel for the swim spa before you make your final decision.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Swim spa fitness: Full-body workouts from home

Q: What is swim spa fitness?

A: Swim spa fitness means doing aquatic workouts in your swim spa. This can mean lap swimming without flip turns, doing water aerobics to a video or app, or doing resistance exercises using the water to your advantage.  

Q: Can I do full-body workouts in a  Sundance® Swim Spa?

A: Yes, besides consistent lap swimming, you can perform a wide variety of resistance exercises and water aerobics in your Sundance® Swim Spa.

Q: Why should I warm up before and cool down after a workout in a swim spa?

A: The warm-up and cool-down parts of any workout are very important to get your body ready for the workout and cool it down afterwards to prevent cramping and sore muscles.

Disclaimer: Sundance Spas® is a registered trademark of its respective owner. All rights reserved.

Medical Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals. This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with questions regarding any medical condition.

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