Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Lap Pool - A Perfect Way To Exercise

By Ned Dagostino

Most people already know that swimming is a great way to exercise. And I'm pretty sure that most people would agree that it's also fun. So why don't more people do it? Well for starters, not everyone has the finances or the space to put a pool in their back yard. However with a lap pool, both space and money become less of an issue.

Basically you have a couple of choices. You can get either a full length lap pool, or one of the small models where you swim against jets of water coming against you. Either way the health benefits are numerous. If you think about it, it's almost like having the perfect exercise machine at your home.

The most obvious benefit is to your heart. Swimming provides a great cardiovascular workout. Your heart rate goes up much like it does while jogging on a treadmill, around a track or through the neighborhood. Two good things happen here. You increase your endurance and heart health while at the same time burning calories to help you stay trim.

But swimming has one huge advantages over running. Because it is low impact, you will not have the aching knees, feet, joints and back that many people feel after a lengthy run. There's no constant pounding, yet you still get all the fitness benefits that running can provide.

Perhaps you're looking to increase your strength as well as your overall health. Swimming does this also because the water provides resistance. It's the same principle as weight lifting. The weights provide resistance. The only difference is with weights you control the amount of resistance. But in both cases, the resistance will tone your muscles. Olympic athletes realize this and many make swimming a regular part of their exercise program. You can too.

And while a lap pool is not cheap, it's much less expensive than building a traditional swimming pool. And it will take up less space. Furthermore, if you get a smaller one where you swim in place, you can even put it in your home. No longer will the weather be a factor in whether or not you exercise.

If you should decide on a full length pool placed in ground and in your back yard, you're not only getting a place to exercise, but a place to entertain as well. Get an above ground pool and you'll likely be able to take it with you if you decide to move. Most of them are easily portable. And because of their size, they are relatively easy to maintain and keep clean. Not only do they cost less to get, they cost less to run as well.

Put it all together and you have an almost perfect exercise machine. A lap pool gives you a low impact, cardiovascular workout with a reduced risk of injury. You get resistance training without spending money for cumbersome free weights. And it is low maintenance, reasonably priced, looks great, and won't take up a lot of space. And best of all it's fun. What more do you need from your exercise equipment? - 15995

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