The benefits of swimming are undeniable for both the young and the elderly. It provides a safe, joint pain resistant workout that increases the circulation, strengthens muscles and helps to tone the entire body. Swimming laps is an excellent form of exercise. Many urban dwellers who don’t have backyards for large pools, install lap pools in order to reap the benefits of daily swimming workouts as well as have a place to cool off on those hot summer days.
Lap pools are commonly referred to as exercise pools. This is because they are a long and narrow style pool, intended for the use of usually no more than one or two people to swim laps. Their compact design makes them an optimal source of hydro related exercise in small exterior spaces.
Often, in urban areas, where very little land exists between homes or where spaces are more vertical than horizontal, these lap pools can be found in interesting locations. Some of these locations include roof tops or in the long narrow courtyards of tall thin brownstone residences as well as indoors. Indoor lap pools are actually quite popular in high end homes and are often associated with wealth and stature.
The classically designed lap pool is rectangular in shape and the depth is uniform throughout the entire pool which means there is no shallow end or deep end. Lap pools are normally about 4 feet in depth to prevent the hands from hitting the bottom when swimming laps. With that said, it is possible, if necessary, to have a three foot deep lap pool. For very small spaces that can’t accommodate the 75 feet for a standard competitive sized lap pool, there are endless pools. Endless pools are much like lap pools in shape and design however, they can be as small as 7 feet long and can fit in a standard sized bedroom. The endless pool forces water against the swimmer so that he or she stays in the same place but swims against the force of the water. This is somewhat like the exercise derived from a treadmill. The runner stays in place running but still gets the same exercise benefits of running outdoors. Endless pools give the same exercise benefits as lap pools but in a smaller area.
Whether indoor or outdoor, rooftop or backyard, lap pools are a great way to keep the blood and the body moving without the hard impact of running or other cardio exercises. No matter what, keeping fit and keeping healthy, means keeping the body alive and ticking. Lap pools can help to give people in small spaces the opportunity to have a safe, gentle workout that works the entire body in a shorter amount of time than other cardio workouts.