If you already swim, you know how excellent a swimming workout can be, not only for your body but also for your mind, and everyone can do it!  Swimming is a total body workout because you use all your muscles simultaneously in the act of swimming. Water is 800x more dense than air, so your body is moving through water resistance; you get an excellent workout that engages and tones your muscles increases your strengths which increases your metabolism. 

Swimming is also great for you because of cardiovascular fitness. Swimming, unlike other sports, allows you to engage your body aerobically. Swimming is a great cardio workout, but unlike running, for example, swimming has a low impact on your joints, and because swimming is such a great medium of resistance, you can get a great workout with a low impact on your body. Swimming is also a life-long sport and is the only sport you can do from the cradle to the grave. In the womb, you are essentially swimming, and at a very young age, children can learn how to swim. Swimming is also great for people who have injuries; say you are an athlete that’s injured, you can engage your muscles in the water to rehabilitate them. Swimming is also great for people who have some kind of disability. If you have a physical or a mental disability, swimming is a fantastic way to engage your body and mind while improving self-confidence. Even if you’re pregnant, you can swim at any pregnancy stage, although you need to consult a medical doctor first. 

Swimming burns a massive amount of calories; swimming burns the most calories of almost any other physical activity. You are moving through a medium of water that is 800x denser than air. Because you are moving through this medium, you are engaging all of your different muscle groups in a low-impact way to burn more calories than you can from engaging in other forms of activity. The amount of calories you burn is dependent on many factors, including your gender, how much you weigh, the intensity of the training you’re doing. It is possible to burn 1,000 calories an hour while swimming. Swimming also helps improve sleep because your body is engaged, and studies have proven that if you have insomnia, exercise can help you stay asleep for more extended periods of time at night. Swimmings awesome because you engage all of your different muscles, so you’re tired evenly throughout your entire body, making it a lot easier for you to go to sleep and stay asleep. Swimming will also boost your mood because it releases endorphins in your brain, which makes you feel good, it makes you feel happier. This means during the workout, and after your workout, you’re going to feel like you are in a better mood. The mood boost you get from swimming also boosts your self-confidence and self-esteem. 

Swimming is also a great way to manage stress by improving your mental mood. Swimming is a great way to escape from the world, be in your own place, moving through the water; you don’t have to talk to anyone; you can just escape from everything. 

There are countless ways swimming benefits your physical and mental health. As a bonus, swimming makes you happy! If you have ever talked to someone who has swum throughout their life, they will always tell you that they are always more satisfied after a swim workout. If you’re looking to get the mental and physical health benefits from swimming and want to be happier, make sure you have a swimming pool installed in your backyard this summer. 

Having a swimming pool or spa in your backyard is nice, but having awesome pool accessories makes your pool experience even better! You can be confident that you have the most incredible backyard hang-out spot in town by adding affordable and innovative swimming pool accessories.

Warming Towels

Have you ever dreaded climbing out of the pool or hot tub when it’s a bit windy or cold outside? You can add a touch of luxury to your backyard soak by adding a towel warming accessory to your swimming pool or spa accessories. Towel warmers are inexpensive and effective at keeping you warm when you’re cold.

Exit Ramp

A swimming pool is enjoyable for humans, but it is also pleasant for animals. A frog or other water-loving critter may jump into your swimming pool at times, and they will need a way out. Because water circulates towards your skimmer basket, having an escape ramp near your skimmer basket allows critters, who have floated towards your skimmer basket to get out of the pool. Pool owners can easily remove skimmer baskets from your pool before entertaining guests, so don’t be concerned.

Bath for your feet

A footbath near your pool or spa is a good idea if you’re throwing a pool party and want to keep dirt and grass out of your pool or spa. Simply place your foot-bath at the edge of your pool to ensure that rinsed feet enter the water each time. Rinsing off your feet is especially useful for anyone who owns an above-ground swimming pool and faces the challenge of cleaning it out. Foot-baths are a low-cost way to keep your swimming pool clean and inviting.

Fountain with Waterfall

A waterfall pool fountain is a great way to decorate your pool while also enjoying the soothing sounds of water. Waterfall pool fountains also improve pool water circulation. They are the most practical and straightforward way to decorate your in-ground or above-ground swimming pool and patio to create the ideal backyard ambiance. Other advantages of having a waterfall swimming pool fountain include cooler pool temperatures, avoiding water stagnation to keep insect populations at bay, and increasing the pool water’s oxygen levels.

Basketball Hoop by the Pool

With a poolside basketball hoop, you can slam dunk on your summer pool parties. Any swimming pool party I attended that featured a poolside basketball hoop was a huge success. A high-quality poolside basketball hoop will be able to maintain its upright position even when children are thrashing on it and playing with it in the pool. They frequently have weighted bases to prevent them from tipping over. They are typically portable and easy to store, so don’t put off purchasing a poolside basketball hoop until your next pool party.

Fountains

Pool Fountains are similar to swimming pool waterfalls in that they spray strands of water from the side or center of the pool. A swimming pool fountain provides a beautiful combination of cascading water that will add elegance and flair to your pool. They can usually be adjusted to cover the amount of spray radius that is most convenient for you.

Pool Heater Powered by the Sun

Solar pool heaters are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to heat your pool. It is frequently built in a tube-and-web design, which allows for normal expansion and contraction as the panels heat and cool, extending their service life. They are typically made of pre-compounded polypropylene, which increases your solar panels’ resistance to UV light. It is recommended that you match up to 100% of your pool’s surface area to the surface area of your solar panel pool heaters. They are simple to install, requiring only a few components and will last between 15 and 20 years.

Water Slide 

There is no better way to get in shape than by playing on an inflatable water slide in your pool. Many modern inflatable water slides include climbing attachments, spraying water guns, and a splash pool. Don’t be concerned if putting up and taking down an inflatable water slide appears to be a lot of work; it isn’t! Set-up and take-down time are typically less than three minutes. Inflatable water slides aren’t just for the pool; you can also take them to the park, your garage, or your backyard.

Volleyball Net that Floats

Nothing says summer like a floating inflatable volleyball net! Don’t be bored this summer with anything active to do; instead, purchase a floating swimming pool volleyball net, which can be fun for adults and children. These modern nets are of high-quality construction, typically made of PVC materials, are non-toxic and odorless, and are most importantly ultra-safe and durable.

As you can see, there are many good options for pool accessories for both kids and adults. From waterfalls to sports activities, you can turn your backyard into a fun-filled haven for the entire family.

Instead of waiting for something to go wrong with your pool’s cleaning system, you can practice what’s referred to as preventative maintenance, or maintenance that is proactively performed on an asset with the goal of lessening the likelihood of failure, reducing unexpected downtime, and prolonging its useful life. Basically, everyone wants to get the most out of their investment, that’s why practicing these tips can help you avoid unexpected costs incurred from the life-cycle costs associated with your backyard pool. 

Here are helpful tips to keep your swimming pool water clear and clean. 

Check Pool Chemistry

Your backyard pool can bring you hours of relaxation and enjoyment, but the proper water chemistry is paramount to keeping your pool water clear and clean. The proper balance of your pools water’s pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness and the three main factors when it comes to properly balance your pool’s chemistry. You should check your pool’s chemistry 2-3 times per week and add chemicals to properly adjust levels as needed. You should add one chemical at a time or if adding multiple at once, add them to different areas of the pool. Afterward, you should run your pump to help disperse the chemicals. Always test and adjust pool chemicals starting with alkalinity, then pH, and finally calcium.  

Maintain Optimal pH Levels

pH measures the acidity or basicity of the pool water. The scale ranges from 0-14 with 7 being neutral. Under 7 the water is classified as acidic, over 7 the water is classified as basic. 

Your pool’s pH should be in the range of 7.4 pH to 7.6 pH.

A body of water that is high in pH, or basic, will leave deposits of scum on the liner that coats the pool walls. 

 A pH of 7.4 will stop scum lines from forming, as well as wiping down the waterline of your pool where scum lines are most prone to forming.

Calcium Hardness

Calcium hardness refers to how soft or hard your pool water is. 

The harder your pool water, the higher the concentration of the calcium or magnesium that is present. 

The optimal range of calcium hardness to keep your pool at is between 180ppm – 200ppm

The pH of the water directly affects your pool water’s calcium hardness, so you must properly set the pool’s pH before balancing its calcium hardness.

Empty the Skimmer Basket

Keeping your skimmer basket free of debris at all times keeps it working at its best. The purpose of the skimmer basket is to skim the surface of the pool water for debris before they become saturated and sink to the bottom of the pool. You can empty the skimmer basket by opening up the skimmer panel, remove the skimmer basket, and dump out the collected debris. 

Clean the Hair and Lint Pot

Depending on how often and how many people use your pool, you will need to clean the hair and lint pot located inside of your pool pump. The hair and lint pot captures what the skimmer basket failed to collect. 

Check Your Water Levels

The best way to check if your pool’s water level is too high or low is by checking its level in relation to your pool skimmer or tile. Your pool’s water level needs to be right at the center level of your pool skimmer or tile. The reason your pool’s water level is so important is that if the water’s too high the skimmer door will not work properly and will leave debris in the pool, in contrast, if your pool’s water is too low, it can cause your pump to run dry, causing it to burn up. 

We all know daily life has its endless stream of challenges and difficulties. Owning your own backyard pool can be a relaxing getaway from the day-to-day hurdy-gurdy, fast pace that life demands. A quiet serene dip to get your day started, at sunset with a glass of wine, or spontaneous moonlight skinny-dipping with your partner; a backyard swimming pool is a convenient and fun way to improve your mental and physical health. 

Swimming pools are an area for bonding with friends and family. It’s almost cliche at this point, but outdoor pools bring people together. Living in a day and age where connections are more important than ever, backyard swimming pools are always a great way to get friends and family together for a socially-distanced cook-out. For the parents out there, we all know when it comes to our kid’s birthday parties, they want the best, and a pool party is the best party a kid could ask for. 

Having a backyard swimming pool to cool off within summer is a great reason to go outside, breathe some fresh air, get some sun, and then cool off in the pool. The right balance of daily sunlight has numerous mood-lifting benefits. Here are a few: 

• Exposure to sunlight increases your brain’s release of the hormone serotonin by cueing special receptors in your retina, helping you stay calm and focused. Without enough sun exposure, your melatonin levels will decline. 
• The sun naturally causes your body to produce melatonin, which has a calming effect on your nervous system.
• Getting up to 15 minutes of sunlight daily boosts the levels of vitamin-D in your body, which contributes to strong bones. 
• Moderate amounts of sunlight can help prevent colon cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer. 
• Remember: Always wear sunscreen! 

Swimming and other water-related activities are excellent ways to exercise because they’re low-impact so they preserve the joints of your body and can be performed by anyone regardless of age or physical condition. Water-based exercises keep you limber, tones your muscle mass, and improves your cardiovascular endurance, effectively building your coordination, balance, flexibility, lung capacity, and circulation. Water-based exercises can also help people with arthritis by improving the use of affected joints without worsening symptoms. It’s recommended by the CDC to perform water-based exercises for at least two and a half hours per week. 

Due to the low-impact nature of water exercises you can perform in your pool, if you’re ever injured and are undergoing physical therapy, you can perform your therapy in the convenience of your own backyard! Having the ability to do this is a major convenience since person-to-person contact is currently limited due to the corona-virus. That means having your own pool helps you avoid crowded gyms or public pools, lowering your risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus, being conscientious of your safety and the safety of others while still getting the exercise and therapy you need. 

Humans are naturally captivated by clean bodies of water, it’s hard not to be aware of how important water is in our lives. The human body is 65% water, and about 71% of the earth’s surface is covered in water. Having a swimming pool in your backyard turns your house into a resort-like home experience. With the addition of a pool, your house will become to go-to “chill spot” for your friends, neighbors, and family. If you really want to create an exclusive “chill spot” and max out the full potential of your pool party fun, you can add a diving board, slide, or water walking ball to get all the fun features of a waterpark in your own backyard. Not only that, but when the party’s over, and it’s back to house chores, there’s less grass to cut, giving you more time to throw a pool party or get together with your Bro’s in your backyard chill spot! Finally when all is said and done, and you and your family move out, after all the countless pool parties and Bro hang-outs, your pool can increase the resale value of your property by nearly 8% according to houselogic.com