Along with a great line of hot tubs for relaxing and relieving sore muscles and joints, Thermospas offers the amazing Swim Spa Hot Tub. Our Swim Spa has been specially designed to provide a powerful current that keeps you in place as you swim various strokes to work out your entire body’s muscles.
With a cluster of up to ten high-powered adjustable jets, you can swim at a pace you choose without the fear of being tossed around. With the combination of the four main swim strokes, you can create a workout routine like none other. Here’s how all four basic strokes can help you.
Freestyle / Front Crawl
The freestyle which is often referred to as the forward crawl and even, more rarely, the Australian crawl is the most basic swim stroke, but also one of the most effective for cardio. As the name implies this is an open ended stroke with minimum limitations on how arms and legs must move.
The basic rule of a Freestyle is to keep one arm above the water while the other pushes you forward. A very comfortable and easy stroke, we recommend starting your Swim Spa routine on a low current to warm up the body and get the heart rate moving. An average-sized male can burn 500 calories an hour at a moderate speed.
Breaststroke
Now that your body has warmed up and you’re feeling comfortable in your swim spa, it’s time to try a different stroke that will concentrate on a variety of muscles. The breaststroke can keep your heart rate up while giving you a chance to concentrate a little more on a technique.
With this stroke, make sure to keep your shoulders at water level. Extend both arms forward, press outward with cupped hands to push forward.
Pull your elbows to the side of your body while bringing your hands to the front of your chest. While doing this, lift you head and neck above the water for a breath. Bend knees and bring your feet towards your bottom, then extend them to push yourself forward. Repeat the motions.
We like this as the second stroke because there is more difficulty to the maneuver. Hopefully you’re not too worn out from your freestyle stroke to concentrate on your body’s movements. Coordination is a great way to exercise the mind while the rest of your body feels the burn. An average male can burn anywhere from 500 to 700 calories an hour with this stroke.
Butterfly
We recommend the butterfly stroke as your third stroke in your workout routine as well as the stroke to spend the least amount of time on. The butterfly really works out your shoulders, so take this easy and build up your time with it until you feel comfortable in your technique.
Start with your arms behind you and move them up and out of the water until they reach one another over your head. Let them enter the water again and pull you forward as your legs move with a dolphin kick. Although a slightly easier technique then the breaststroke, the butterfly delivers the most intense workout with an average burn of 800 calories an hour.
Backstroke
Last, the backstroke is a great way to cool down after a good workout. Set your Swim Spa’s water pressure to low and turn so your back is facing the bottom of the Spa’s shell. Swim as you would the freestyle stroke with your nose above water to keep a constant flow of breath.
This will help lower your heart rate without drastically bringing it down too fast. As you cool down, you should still be able to burn calories at about 500 an hour, so don’t worry about losing precious cardio time.
We understand not everybody’s workout routines can be this active, but a Swim Spa is still great for a moderate routine that helps relieve arthritis and joint pain while getting some much needed exercise. The Swim Spa comes with a grab bar for simple workouts that don’t require as much cardio output. Set the water’s pressure just low enough that it keeps your body afloat, grab the bar, and swim with your legs for a simple workout that will help burn calories.
When you’re all finished move to one of the many cool down areas of the hot tub to allow your muscles the ability to relax and rebuild.
With Thermospas’ Swim Spa, you can find all the benefits of a lap pool while still getting to experience the relaxing qualities of a hot tub. Our Swim Spas, when not in use by a swimmer, can hold up to 12 people which makes it great for families and entertaining guests. If you’re interested in installing one of our Swim Spas in your home, contact Thermospas today for a free quote and brochure.
