CDC's Health Benefits of Water-based Exercise

Health Benefits of Water-based Exercise

Swimming is the fourth most popular sports activity in the United States and a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity 1. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling, or running can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses 2, 3. This can also lead to improved health for people with diabetes and heart disease 2. Swimmers have about half the risk of death compared with inactive people 3. People report enjoying water-based exercise more than exercising on land 4. They can also exercise longer in water than on land without increased effort or joint or muscle pain 5, 6.

Water-based Exercise and Chronic Illness

Water-based exercise can help people with chronic diseases. For people with arthritis, it improves use of affected joints without worsening symptoms 7. People with rheumatoid arthritis have more health improvements after participating in hydrotherapy than with other activities 8. Water-based exercise also improves the use of affected joints and decreases pain from osteoarthritis 9.

Water-based Exercise and Mental Health

Water-based exercise improves mental health. Swimming can improve mood in both men and women10. For people with fibromyalgia, it can decrease anxiety and exercise therapy in warm water can decrease depression and improve mood 11, 12. Water-based exercise can improve the health of mothers and their unborn children and has a positive effect on the mothers’ mental health 13. Parents of children with developmental disabilities find that recreational activities, such as swimming, improve family connections 14.

Water-based Exercise and Older Adults

Water-based exercise can benefit older adults by improving the quality of life and decreasing disability 15. It also improves or maintains the bone health of post-menopausal women 16.

A Good Choice

Exercising in water offers many physical and mental health benefits and is a good choice for people who want to be more active. When in the water, remember to protect yourself and others from illness and injury by practicing healthy and safe swimming behaviors.

References

  1. US Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012. Arts, Recreation, and Travel: Participation in Selected Sports Activities 2009    [PDF - 2 pages]
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: Be active, healthy, and happy! In Chapter 2: Physical Activity Has Many Health Benefits. Last verified on December 23, 2009.
  3. Chase NL, Sui X, Blair SN. 2008. Swimming and all-cause mortality risk compared with running, walking, and sedentary habits in men. Int J of Aquatic Res and Educ. 2(3):213-23.
  4. Lotshaw AM, Thompson M, Sadowsky S, Hart MK, and Millard MW. 2007. Quality of life and physical performance in land- and water-based pulmonary rehabilitation. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehab and Prev. 27:247-51.
  5. Broman G, Quintana M, Engardt M, Gullstrand L, Jansson E, and Kaijser L. 2006. Older women’s cardiovascular responses to deep-water running. Journal of Aging and Phys Activ. 14:29-40.
  6. Cider A, Svealv BG, Tang MS, Schaufelberger M, and Andersson B. 2006. Immersion in warm water induces improvement in cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail. 8(3):308-13.
  7. Westby MD. 2001. A health professional’s guide to exercise prescription for people with arthritis: a review of aerobic fitness activities. Arthritis Care and Res. 45(6):501-11.
  8. Hall J, Skevington SM, Maddison PJ, and Chapman K. 1996. A randomized and controlled trial of hydrotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Res. 9(3):206-15.
  9. Bartels EM, Lund H, Hagen KB, Dagfinrud H, Christensen R, Danneskiold-Samsøe B. 2007. Aquatic exercise for the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 4:1-9.
  10. Berger BG, and Owen DR. 1992. Mood alteration with yoga and swimming: aerobic exercise may not be necessary. Percept Mot Skills. 75(3 Pt 2):1331-43.
  11. Tomas-Carus P, Gusi N, Hakkinen A, Hakkinen K, Leal A, and Ortega-Alonso A. 2008. Eight months of physical training in warm water improves physical and mental health in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. J Rehabil Med. 40(4):248-52.
  12. Gowans SE and deHueck A. 2007. Pool exercise for individuals with fibromyalgia. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 19(2):168-73.
  13. Hartmann S and Bung P. 1999. Physical exercise during pregnancy—physiological considerations and recommendations. J Perinat Med. 27(3):204-15.
  14. Mactavish JB and Schleien SJ. 2004. Re-injecting spontaneity and balance in family life: parents’ perspectives on recreation in families that include children with developmental disability. J Intellect Disabil Res. 48(Pt 2):123-41.
  15. Sato D, Kaneda K, Wakabayashi H, and Nomura T. 2007. The water exercise improves health-related quality of life of frail elderly people at day service facility. Qual Life Res. 16:1577-85.
  16. Rotstein A, Harush M, and Vaisman N. 2008. The effect of water exercise program on bone density of postmenopausal Women. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 48(3):352-9.

Swimming Pool Games of the Summer

1 – WATER POLO

It’s the standard swimming pool game, the official Olympic waterball sport.  If you swim or swam in California, you probably played the game. A few elite swimmers have achieved notable success in water polo. 11-time Olympic medalists Matt Biondi won an NCAA Team Title for his role on the Cal Golden Bears water polo team. Terry Schroeder is USA Water Polo’s resident icon, and 4-time Olympian Tony Azevedo is the sports biggest star. Internationally, Hungary is the water polo beast. Period.

- 7 players on each team
- two goals on either side of the pool
- an invasion game, one team strives to get their ball in the opposing team's goal

1a. Murderball. Like water polo, but without much in the way of rules. One variation involves a standard water polo goal, others involve putting the ball in the gutter and holding it there for a 5-7 second count. Best saved for post-season, though, as this one can get a little rough.

2 – SWIMMING BATTLEBALL

Swimming Battleball is like water polo, but with more teeth and grit. Played in the 1970s and 1980s during first weeks of fall practice, this two hour marathon of war is an ideal way to get swimmers’ their feel for water back fast.

- Divide your swim team up, no matter how big.
- Split the pool in half. The deep end, if you have one, is the playing field. The back field is for two swimmers only from each team.
- Time on the clock? You play the entire workout, treading water the entire practice.
- The goal is a plywood board into which you cut a large hole.
- This is a two-ball game, ideally big balls, beachball-sized. The objective: get your big ball through the hole. Keep your opponent's ball shutdown, or in the back field.
 - You can dunk the person holding the ball.
- Once your team scores, one swimmer from the goal-scoring team, jumps out, grabs the ball, throws it to their player in the back field. Repeat.

3  – SHARKS AND MINNOWS

Sharks and Minnows is as old as swimming. Cavemen painted it on walls… Ok, maybe it’s not that old, but swim teams and summer leaguers have been playing it since the 1950s  You know the rules, but why not make the rules work for your development and success. 


- Always play the length of the pool, not the width, preferably in a 50 meter pool to test your skill.
- Pick your shark, the best swimmer on the team.
- Staying underwater isn't enough for the shark not to get you. You have to stay in a tight steamline position as you kick underwater to the other side. No streamline, you're shark bait.

4 – WHALE

Whale is nothing more than running on deck and jumping over the swimmer in the pool. We’re not a fan of this game. It’s popular, but it is not safe, and, frankly, most swimmers, hardcore swimmers, aren’t that agile on land.  Whale is #4 on our list, but we if you play this game, be very, very careful.

5 – BEAN

Bean is famous…was made famous by SwimSwam co-founder and former floswimming reporter Garrett McCaffrey, when he actually captured it on video many, many years ago… meaning 2007. The Rules? I don’t know the rules. They’re lost to time and the suckhole of the web. I know elite swimmers played it. I know Michael Phelps played it. I know it resembles a watery form of tag, though passive and sneaky, often executed during warmup or long distance sets. 

6 – MARCO POLO

After enormous research, the evidence is fairly clear. This games suffers from more cheaters than any other in the world.  You know the rules. One person is it. They have to close their eyes and try to find the other players. They shout “Marco” while the other players are supposed to shout “Polo” in response, but that’s rarely the case. If someone’s close to the person yelling “Marco,” they stay silent. Moreover the person yelling “Marco” tyically sneaks a peek. This game is lame, though wildly popular, which is why it comes in at #6.

7 – CAPTURE THE CHANGE

This is easy and always a winner with kids.  Throw a few hundred dollars in change in a pool, and let your swimmers work on their underwater speed scooping all of it up.

8 – CAPTURE THE GOLDFISH

This game is even better for working on underwater speed, though peta might not approve. I played it at my summer league banquet party every year, and always got several goldfish for my fish tank.

9 – GREASED WATERMELON FOOTBALL

If you haven’t played this, or watched it, you’re missing out on a simple pleasure in life.  Lather up a watermelon with Vaseline and throw it in the pool. The first people to get it out is the winner. The game always gets bogged-down in a twist of arms, a pile of people, and typically the watermelon slips out and someone quickly rushes it to the edge of the pool or shoreline for the win.

8 Pools Everyone Should Experience

The only thing that's more relaxing than lounging poolside or soaking in the water on a sunny day is doing it at one of these incredible destinations. 

From luxurious infinity pools with unbeatable views to natural pools teeming with marine life, these pools around the world deserve to be on everyone's bucket list. 

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore has a stunning infinity rooftop pool on the hotel's 57th floor, where guests can swim and admire the Singaporean skyline.

Berlin's Arena Badeschiff pool floats inside of the River Spree, where visitors can swim in clean water and enjoy views of the surrounding city. Food, drinks, music, and lounge chairs are also available from open to close.

Indonesia's Hanging Gardens in Ubud has one of the most famous pools in the world, with a dual-layered infinity pool set facing the surrounding jungle.

Rio de Janeiro's Hotel Fasano has a rooftop pool deck overlooking Sugarloaf mountain and Ipanema beach. It's in the center of Rio's hottest area.

The pool at San Alfonso del Mar in Chile is the largest in the world. With nearly 66 million gallons of water, guests can even navigate the pool in small boats.

Laucala Island Resort in Fiji has an epic pool within a pool, with an above-ground glass lap pool embedded inside the larger, more natural-looking pool.

Maldives resort Huvafen Fushi is set up for gorgeous evening swims, with colored lights twinkling beneath the surface.

At The Nam Hai in Vietnam, you'll hardly have to choose between the pool and the beach considering the extravagant pool leads right to the sand.
 

The Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti in Tanzania lets you swim while watching elephants at a nearby water hole.
 

The Perivolas Hotel in Greece has the ultimate infinity pool, with blue water that seems to spill out right into the Mediterranean.
 

10 Pool Maintenance Tips

Keeping your pool sparkling clean doesn't have to be as cumbersome as you might think. All pools are different, and so are their maintenance needs. However, they all share one commonality: The secret to pristine pool health is regular, routine care. if you choose to handle common problems like murky water or broken pumps on your own, make sure to always consult manufacturers' manuals before fixing or using equipment. No matter if you rely on a service company to take care of your pool, you still need to do a few things on your own to ensure your pool stays in good condition for years.

Skim Debris and Clean out Baskets

Skimming the pool's surface by hand every few days is one of the fastest and easiest ways to keep your pool clean. Floating debris will eventually sink, becoming harder to remove. Use a long=handled net called a hand skimmer or leaf skimmer to remove leaves, bugs and other unwanted items. Skimming significantly increases the efficiency of the pool's circulation system and lowers the amount of chlorine you'll need to add to your pool. Cleaning out strainer baskets attached to the side of above-ground pools and in the pool deck of in-ground pools. Simply remove the plastic basket and shake it out; spraying the inside with a hose can help dislodge stubborn objects.

Vacuum the Pool and Brush Walls and Tile

A pool should be vacuumed every week to keep water clear and reduce the amount of chemicals you need to add to it. There are many types of pool vacuums. If you have a manual design, work it back and forth all over the surface of the pool like you would if vacuuming carpet. It's good form to slightly overlap each stroke. Check the filter each time you vacuum, and clean it if necessary.

But vacuuming isn't the only maintenance that should be done once a week. Brushing the walls and tile helps minimize algae buildup and calcium deposits so they don't fester and become larger problems. The material your pool walls are made of dictates what kind of cleaning tools you should use. Select a stiff brush for plaster-lined concrete pools and a softer brush for vinyl or fiberglass walls. For tiles, use a soft brush to prevent scratching or degradation of grout. A pumice stone, putty knife or a half-and-half mixture of water and muriatic acid can also work well.

Clean the Pool Filter

There are three kinds of pool filters: cartridge, sand and diatomaceous earth. While there are different maintenance procedures for each type, all require periodic leaning depending on the type of filter and how often a pool is used. Cleaning the filter more often than recommended can actually hinder the filtration process. A clean filter is less efficient than one with a mild amount of dirt in it because the dirt helps trap other particles, which removes debris from the water. However, you don't want to let the filter get too dirty. A sign that it's time to clean is an increase in flow between the pressure gauge and flow meter. Clean filter when the difference reaches 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilograms per square inch.

Professionally Service the Heater

Pool heaters typically require the least maintenance of all pool equipment. Gas heaters can work fin without being serviced for a couple years, and electric ones can last even longer. Consult your manufacturer's manual for specific care instructions. Sometimes, calcium scales build up inside the tubes of a heater and restrict flow, preventing the water from heating adequately. If this happens, recruit the help of a professional because the heater may need to be disassembled and have its tubes cleaned out with a wire brush or acid. Hiring someone to service your pool can cost $100 or more per month, depending on the maintenance your pool requires.

Check and Maintain Water Level

A lot of water will be lost throughout the swimming season largely because of evaporation and normal wear and tear, such as swimming, splashing and exiting the pool. When you remove debris with your skimmer throughout the week, that's also a good time to check the water level. Ensure it doesn't fall below the level of the skimmer, otherwise the pump could be damaged. If the water is low, use a garden hose to bring it up to safe levels.

If you drain your pool to perform maintenance or once the swimming season has passed, be careful to not let the pool sit empty too long. As a general rule, it's best to leave water in a pool throughout the winter because the weight of the water counteracts with forces from the ground pressing up against the pool from below.

Maintain the pH Level

Pool water should be tested regularly to make sure it's clean and healthy. The pH scale is a measurement of acidity or alkalinity that runs from 0 to 14. A reading between 7.2 and 7.8 is ideal; this range is safe for swimmers and helps sanitizers work at top efficiency.

You can monitor your pool's pH level with a testing kit. There are many kinds of testing kits available; however, most homeowner versions are either reagent kits or test-strips. Reagent kits aren't too difficult to use. You take a sample of pool water, then add liquids or tablets to it. The water changes color, indicating its chemical balance. Test-strips work differently. When you submerge them in the pool for a few seconds, dyes they contain cause them to change color. Next, match up the strip to a color chart to determine the pool's pH level. Use this information to gauge what kind and how much of the chemicals your pool needs.

Supercholorinate Water

Organic contaminants like ammonia or nitrogen build up in a pool over time. Massive amounts of such contaminants can interact with a pool's chlorine to form chloramines, which give off that potent chlorine smell that many people associate with pools. To get rid of this harsh odor, it's necessary to superchlorinate -- or shock -- pool water back to normal chlorine levels. While it may seem counterintuitive, adding a large amount of chlorine to a pool can make the undesired odor go away. Some pools should be shocked once a week, while others can go a significantly longer time. Follow manufacturers' instructions before superchlorinating your pool to get the best results.

Find and Repair Leaks

Sometimes it's difficult to determine if low water levels are due to evaporation or a leak. You can discover leaks in your pool by conducting a simple bucket test. Fill a plastic bucket three-quarters full of water. On the inside of the bucket, mark the water line. Place the bucket in the pool, then mark the water line on the outside of the container. (If the bucket has a handle, remove it to allow for better stability while floating.) Let it float for two or three days. If the water inside and outside the bucket has gone down the same amount, your pool is losing water due to evaporation. However, if the pool water level has gone down more than the water inside the bucket, your pool has a leak. That's your cue to call a professional to have it patched.

Winterize Your Pool

Where you live determines whether or not you should winterize your pool. If your location experiences temperatures that drop below freezing, you'll need to take steps to ensure that your pool stays healthy. Residual pool water left in pipes can freeze and cause damage. To prevent this from happening, use an air compressor to blow water out of the pool's plumbing when swimming season is over. Also, drain as much water as possible from the filter and heater. Any remaining water can be eliminated using nontoxic antifreeze (caution: this is different from antifreeze for vehicles). Disconnect the heater, pump and chemical feeders, the latter of which should be cleaned and stored.

Finally, clean the pool: skim, brush walls, vacuum, empty skimmer baskets, close skimmer line valve, lower water level to approximately 18 inches (45 centimeters) below the coping and supercholorinate. Lastly, cover the pool to keep out debris.

Open Your Pool for Swimming Season

If a pool is properly winterized, it can easily be reopened come swimming season. Most importantly, don't remove the pool cover until you've cleaned the area around the pool. Sweep or hose away debris to prevent it from getting into the pool. Next, use a garden hose to fill the pool to its normal water level. Reconnect everything that was disconnected. Water will need to flow through the circulation system, so open the skimmer line valve. Test the water for its pH level, then shock the pool. It'll take a week or more before the pool gets balanced and becomes swimmable. Leave the pump running 24 hours a day, and reduce the run by only an hour or two each day until the water is balanced.

New Website!

ADI Pool and Spa has launched a new website on 7/15/15 with a lot of useful information and pictures to assist you in your pool contractor selection. The new website featrues interactive galleries of various residential and commercial projects we have completed, as well as answers to questions and guides to the pool construction process.

Feel free to contact us at 336-674-7665 for any questions or to set up a consultation. Also, follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Houzz and Twitter to find the latest information and pictures on our upcoming projects as well as pool and spa tips!

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