Swim spas are usually purchased with the intention of using them to exercise. They are fantastic tools to use for exercising as they come with so many amazing features and benefits. The truth is, you can do just about any exercise you want in a swim spa, as long as you are comfortable and safe. The only exercise people tend to stay away from is heavy weight lifting, as this can pose as a danger if you are unable to maintain control of the weights. Other than that, you are free to be creative with your exercise routine and your swim spa. Below, you will find just a few ideas for you to try out the next time you are using your swim spa to workout. Keep in mind, the best workouts are the ones you enjoy doing the most, so keep up with the ones you like!
Contents
Swimming in Place
The most unique feature with swim spas is the ability to swim in place. Swim spas push out water to create a current, which then gives you the ability to swim in place. Doing swim styles like the breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke, and the butterfly can be very difficult if you do not have a lap pool accessible. However, with a swim spa, you now have the ability to do this form of cardio in your own backyard. To do this exercise, you will want to turn your swim spa on the water flow mode, and set it to the speed you feel comfortable swimming. If you would like to push yourself, you can set it to be slightly faster than you are comfortable doing. Make sure you always maintain a level of safety when you are trying to get your heart rate up.
Jogging Activities
Another excellent cardio workout that you can do in your backyard spa is jogging in place. This activity is amazing for people who have sensitive joints or have an injury that prevents them from running. Under the water, your body is not pulled down by gravity, which is normally the cause of the high impact on runners’ joints. So, if you love running, you can try to do some jogging activities in the water. The effort it takes to lift your legs in the water is very challenging, which then adds to the calories burned per minute jogging. You are also working to tone the muscles in your legs as an added benefit. From simply jogging in place to doing high-knees in the water, your swim spa is an excellent place to do this form of cardio.
Online Water Aerobics Class
With the rise in popularity of the website like YouTube, many people have taken the opportunity to put their water aerobics lessons on the site. Many trained and qualified instructors film themselves in the water, and they give the viewer instructions for a water aerobics workout. These videos are very helpful for people who would rather workout at home or who do not want to pay a membership to a water aerobics facility. If you would like to do a water aerobics class in your own backyard, pull up a YouTube video on your phone or tablet. Be sure you have a waterproof case on your electronic device, as you do not want it to get damaged from the water. If you have a swim spa with a Bluetooth speaker system, you can even connect your device to it, which will make it feel as though you are at an in-person class. You are sure to love this method of exercise in your swim spa.
Strength Training
You can also do some strength training to tone your muscles in your swim spa. As mentioned above, you should avoid doing heavy weightlifting like squats, deadlifts, and bench pressing. This puts you in a position where you have an extreme amount of weight pushing you down in the water. Doing this is not safe at all. However, if you have some waterproof dumbells, you can safely do some strength training in the water. In fact, many water aerobics classes have their participants use weights in the water. Doing strength training in the water can help alleviate some pressure on your joints, similarly with jogging in the water. If you do not have dumbells, you can do many strength training exercises like dips on the side of the spa, and lift your legs out of the water repeatedly. Keep in mind, swimming in place will help to build muscle all over your body as well.
HIIT Workouts
Last but certainly not least, you can do HIIT workouts in your swim spa. HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, which means doing an exercise at a high intensity for the duration of a set interval. HIIT workouts help to get your heart rate up and help you burn a significant number of calories in a short period of time. To do HIIT workouts in your swim spa, you can do jumping jacks, swim at a very fast speed, high-knees, glute kicks, standing jackknives, and many more. You can get creative with the movements you do during your HIIT workout. As mentioned before, make sure you are doing movements that you think are fun at a high intensity, as this will motivate you to keep up with your workout routine.
As you can see, there are many workouts you can do in a swim spa. If you have not purchased a swim spa yet, but are interested in them because of the amazing types of workouts you can do, please feel free to contact us. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have or give you advice on which swim spa is best for you. We have over 20 years of experience under our belts helping customers like you feel more equipped to work out and relax at home.
