Don’t Fear The Salt.

Many people unfamiliar with saltwater swimming pools imagine them to be as salty as oceanwater, but that simply isn’t the case. A saltwater pool is ten times less salty than the ocean, so pool owners can rest easy: a well-built saltwater pool has less than 3,500 parts per million of salt, which means most swimmers won’t be able to detect it.

Know Chlorine Is Still Necessary.

Although salt water pool systems are designed to lessen the need for chemical treatments such as Chlorine shock, Chlorine is still necessary to protect the swimming pool from harmful bacteria and algae growth. In fact, the salt naturally produces Chlorine with the help of a Chlorine Generator (pictured at right).

A chlorine generator uses a complex chemical process to generate chlorine, but don’t worry, it’s easy for pool owners to use. If used and maintained properly, it will generate just enough chlorine to negate algae growth. Unfortunately, after periods of heavy swimmer traffic or excessive rain you will need to utilize shock chemicals. So, a saltwater pool doesn’t negate the need for Chlorine entirely, but rather minimizes a pool owners need to buy it and add it with regularity.

Think About The Cost.

Re-figuring your pool as a salt water pool will require initial costs that a Chlorine-based status quo will not, but be sure to take the long-term view. For example, the up-front cost of a Chlorine Generator will be hundreds of dollars, but it will help save money and time over the long-run because fewer chemical treatments are necessary. So before you make a decision one way or the other, think about how long you intend to continue using the pool.

Consider Your Skin.

Which is better for your skin – a Chlorine or Saltwater pool? Unfortunately, there is no widespread consensus. The answer is “it depends.” Some people react negatively to Chlorine through skin irritation or red eyes, and in turn find saltwater pools cleansing. Others are the opposite. PcPools recommends testing out both types before making any final decisions about what you are going to do for your swimming pool.

Other Considerations.

• PH levels of saltwater pools may fluctuate more quickly than those in a Chlorine swimming pool. So, while many saltwater swimming pool owners say it is easier to attain and hold targeted chlorine levels, consider that you may need to vigilant about checking these levels, and whether that is something you or your family are up for.

• The saltwater may stain the area surrounding your pool with salt rings, including any concrete or dark stones.

• Some swimmers find saltwater pools to be silky soft and clear, whereas others complain about the water feeling “sticky.” Again, test out both types before making your decision.

There is no one answer that works for every swimming pool owner. PcPools recommends reading, learning, and experiencing what you can so you can make the best possible decision for you and your family.

The reality of proper nutrition has a wide set of fundamental basics, but every person will be different in what their body requires to keep up with a swimming pool workout routine. This of course depends on how many calories you are burning, but more than that, each person is different.

Some general nutrition tips are to load up on carbohydrates and lean proteins. This will provide your body the energy your body needs to make the most of your time in the pool and the “raw materials” to help your muscles recover and strengthen. This is exactly why Michael Phelps eats so much pasta, pizza, ham, and eggs. Avoid sugars and alcohol to the extent possible. These will drain your energy and inhibit muscle growth.

Here are a few other specific foods that will aid you in feeling energetic and promoting post-workout recovery: Quinoa (a gluten-free whole grain high in protein); Pomegranate (fruit seeds high in necessary vitamins and antioxidants); and Oat Groats (fiber-rich whole grains).

What about good ole fashion water? Drink lots of it. Many beginning swimmers forget this important part of maintaining their body because they fail to realize how rapidly they are losing fluids when swimming. Just because you are in a swimming pool and don’t feel “sweaty” does not mean you don’t need to drink water like you would with other forms of exercise.

To sum it up: eat carbohydrates (focusing on whole grains), lean protein, and non-processed foods high in nutritional content. Oh, and don’t forget to stay hydrated and have fun!

Margarita. A classic warm weather cocktail that can be served Frozen (blended) or on the rocks.

• Fill glass with ice.
• Add 1 ½ ounce of your favorite Tequila.
• Add ½ ounce of Triple Sec.
• Add a dash of Lime Juice.
• Add 3 ounces of sour mix.
• Add a dash of Orange Juice (optional).
• Cover and Shake.
• Rub rim of second glass with Lime and dip into Kosher salt.
• Pour contents (with ice) into second glass or add ice to second glass and strain in the contents.
• Garnish with a lime.
• Enjoy responsibly.

Long Island Iced Tea. A tasty but strong cocktail allegedly invented by a bartender on Long Island.

• Fill glass with ice.
• Add ½ ounce of Vodka.
• Add ½ ounce of Gin.
• Add ½ ounce of Rum.
• Add ½ ounce of Tequila.
• Add ½ ounce of Triple Sec.
• Add 1 ounce of Sour Mix.
• Top off with Coca-Cola or Pepsi until glass is full.
• Garnish with a lemon.
• Enjoy responsibly.

Mojito. A refreshing, minty, and sweet cocktail from Cuba.

• Add 4-10 Mint Springs to glass.
• Add a dash of Lime Juice to Mint Springs.
• Add 1 teaspoon of Sugar.
• Add crushed ice and Muddle (gently crush together the ingredients in order to release existing juices and oils) the contents.
• Add 2 ounces of light Rum.
• Fill glass with Soda water.
• Garnish with Lime and Mint Springs.
• Enjoy responsibly.

The prevalence of stress serves to highlight the emphasis men and women must place on reducing and, whenever possible, preventing it.  Though it might be impossible to eliminate stress all-together, learning to manage existing stress can improve your quality of life significantly.  When attempting to manage stress, it can help to ask yourself a few important questions:

• What is the cause of my stress?

Stress can be caused by a number of things, but for many people, the main cause of their stress is work.  In fact, a report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that 40 percent of workers found their job was very or extremely stressful.  Stress at the workplace has become even more overwhelming in recent years as the economy has sagged and workers who managed to keep their jobs were asked to do more to make up for smaller staffs.

If work isn’t what is causing you to stress out, then it might help to maintain a stress journal.  This will allow you to track stressful incidents and miscellaneous stressors in the hopes of identifying just what it might be that’s stressing you out.

• How can I manage this stress?

Stress levels can worsen depending on how you respond to stressful incidents.  For many people, effective stress management revolves around finding healthier ways to cope.  Unfortunately, it’s common to respond to stress in a host of negative ways.  Over consumption of alcohol, smoking, over or under-eating, withdrawing from friends and family, and sleeping too much are common—yet unhealthy—ways to respond to stress.

Managing and coping with stress in healthy ways involves finding solutions that benefit your emotional and physical well-being.  Drinking too much won’t accomplish either of those things, so find healthier responses such as exercising more.  Exercise releases endorphins which provide a feeling of well-being, so there is no doubt about its efficacy for managing stress.  PcPools encourages swimming laps in your swimming pool: it combines the benefits of a full-body workout with the soothing and calming sensation of water.  Whatever your choice of exercise, do something that forces you to focus on your body, which gives your mind a break.

Besides exercise, many people find physical relaxation techniques helpful.  For some, that could be a calm dip in their pool, gliding through the water at a slow pace.  Others might seek out a sauna, a hot tub, or even an afternoon at the spa.  The point is to put yourself in a position to allow your mind to get a break.  Figure out what works for you and stick with it.

If your solution to stress improves your overall health and involves something that makes you feel better both emotionally and physically, then you might begin to notice that the stress is no longer overwhelming.

• Can I prevent this stress?

Stress prevention can be difficult, though it is not impossible.  Since so many people cite work as their primary cause of stress, it may very well be impossible to eliminate stress entirely, but there are ways to alleviate unnecessary stress as well as prevent it from overtaking your life.

Recognize you have limits.  High rates of unemployment have left many working men and women feeling as though they need to keep stretching themselves at work in order to keep their job and stay afloat.  But you must learn to say “no” if stress has become overwhelming.  Don’t take added responsibilities if your workload is already full.

Avoid the source of stress.  When possible, avoid the source of the stress.  For example, if you spend ample time each day sitting in a traffic jam, consider leaving at a different time to avoid that or try an alternate route.  Public transportation, where available, may also be an effective choice.

Manage your time more effectively.  Learning to manage your time more effectively, which starts with planning ahead and not procrastinating, can help turn a hectic and stressful schedule into a far more manageable one.

Make time to relax.  Part of stress management, prevention, and avoidance is making time to relax and have fun.  Spend time outdoors and don’t skip outings with family and friends.  Use your allotted vacation time even if you just stay home and relax.  Taking time out for yourself can help your recharge and put you in a better frame of mind to cope with stress when it inevitably returns.

Stress cannot and will not ever fully go away, but employing management and prevention strategies can help you avoid succumbing to its effects and improve your overall quality of life.

Working out in water can be the perfect answer for every age of swimmer, whether you’re trying to improve your swimming technique, looking for cross-training solutions, seeking to rehabilitate an injury, trying to lose weight or just wanting to find a general, gentle exercise routine, such as when pregnant or recovering from illness.
In this article, you will find various different workout routine suggestions that make the most of water’s ability to support weight, prevent injury and keep you cool.

Steps

1. Consult your doctor to see if swimming, or other water exercise, is appropriate for your current condition. The doctor can advise you on swimming strokes that you should avoid, or equipment that might be useful.
2. Take swimming lessons, if you don’t remember how to do strokes, or if you have never swum before. This is also a great idea for anyone who is unsure of their form when swimming. Improper form can lead to imbalanced muscles, back and neck pain and uneven strokes.
   • Look for classes at a local recreational center, swim club or gym. You can either choose to take private lessons or a join large class. It may only take a few sessions to get you swimming properly.
3. Get a form-fitting swimsuit, swimming goggles and a swim cap. If you are prone to ear infections, you may also want to get ear plugs. Buy aquatic shoes, if you plan to swim in rivers or oceans.

Shallow water walking
This is ideal for those who are rehabilitating from illness, for pregnant women and for anyone who feels that exercise might cause injury after not doing any for awhile.

1. Find a pool with ankle to knee deep water. This might be the children’s pool or it could just be the shallow end of a local, regular pool. As you feel more confident, move to water that is chest deep.
2. Walk through the water.
   • Try to maintain your normal stride, and notice the resistance that the water provides. Moderate walking on land can burn about 130 calories per half hour, whereas walking in the water, against resistance, burns approximately 260 calories.
   • Make sure you are walking heel to toe, rather than just on your toes. The buoyancy of the water can make it harder to complete a normal stride. You may need to focus on foot placement when you first begin.
3. Start marching laps. Bring your knees up high with each step. Swing your arms to propel you. Flex your stomach and try to bring your thighs parallel to the water. This is a great exercise for the abdominal muscles as well as the thighs.
4. Walk sideways for several laps. Turn sideways in the water and move your legs directly sideways against the resistance of the water. After several laps, turn around and lead with the opposite foot.
5. Do forward lunges. Step forward with 1 leg and bend your knee to a 90 degree angle. Keep your hands at your sides, straighten your forward leg and then lunge forward with the opposite leg.
   • Try to do side lunges. When you are walking sideways, bend your leading knee to a 90 degree angle, rise and repeat. Make sure to do the same number of lunges on the opposite side.
6. Put on a water belt and cinch it at your waist before you move to deeper water. You can perform these same water walking motions, or you can choose to water jog. Water jogging mimics jogging on land, but the belt keeps your chest above the water’s surface.
7. Concentrate on placing your heel down and then your toe. Try alternating jogging at slow speeds, high speed and doing high knees for a few minutes each. Although you will not go very far, very fast, you can burn about 100 more calories every half hour water jogging than you would jogging on land.
   • You can alternate your water jogging routine by kicking your feet in a bicycle motion. Keep your feet flat and move them in a circular motion, as if you were pedaling a bicycle. You can also stay still and move your feet up and down as quickly as possible, as if you were running in place.
8. Continue for as long as you feel okay walking in the water. The resistance of the water on your legs strengthens them, burns calories and helps to build water confidence for harder exercise stages.

Deep water running or aqua jogging
This is a progression from the simple walking.

1. Find a suitable place to aqua jog. Many pools will set aside a lane either at a particular time or all times, for this activity.
2. Find a suitable buoyancy jacket or vest. Again, the pool might supply this.
3. Wearing the buoyancy vest, perform a free running action up and down the marked lane of the pool. The vest will keep you afloat and will prevent you from touching the bottom of the pool. Again, this builds up strength through resistance and burns a lot of calories.

Water aerobics or “aquarobics”
This method of working out in the pool offers a chance to socialize with others and to get fit through regular classes.

1. Find a class at a time that’s convenient to you. Be sure to talk to the teacher before booking, to reassure yourself that you’re choosing the right class and that everything is a good fit for you.
   • Follow the instructions. The teacher will instruct you what to do; simply follow along. Be sure to ask questions if needed.
2. After you have memorized a whole routine from the class setting, you may be able to do it on your own; however, there is a plethora of moves that are used during a water aerobics class. Inform your instructor of any disabilities, so that the exercises can be modified if need be.
3. Begin by only submerging yourself up to your waist or chest in water. After you have the water aerobic moves down, you can go into deeper water. Find the place in the pool or lake where you can comfortably perform your exercises, according to your height.
4. Do a warm up that includes 5 to 10 minutes of stationary jogging, marching (high knees), jumping from 1 foot to the other or doing jumping jacks. This cardiovascular exercise speeds up your heart and breathing for the rest of the routine.
5. Do arm circles and leg circles. Next do squats, lunges, side, front and back leg kicks and sideways walking to strengthen and tone your muscles. Add water weights or resistance gloves to increase the resistance of the water and increase the intensity of the exercise.
6. Note that many gym exercises can be modified and used in the pool. For example, you can do bicep curls, arm flies and balancing exercises in the pool.
   • Work out for 30 minutes to an hour.
   • Do a stretching routine against the side of the pool for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to hit your major muscle groups, including the calves, quads, hamstrings, biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest and neck.
7. Participate regularly. The benefits of aquarobics include strengthening your leg and arm muscles, flexibility and resistance training, especially the faster you push and pull in the water. Of course, the best benefits will come from attending regularly.
8. Read How to do water aerobics for more ideas.

Kickboarding

1. Even top swimmers use kickboard workouts to strengthen leg muscles and align their swimming posture. It’s a great way to add in extra pool laps while concentrating on your stroke and breathing methods, a well as burning up calories.
2. Grab a kickboard. Many pools supply these for users to borrow but they’re not expensive if you need to buy your own. Just be sure to put your name on it in case it gets “borrowed” by someone else!
3. Hold the kickboard out with your arms straight.
4. Kick your legs as hard as you can, doing laps up and down the pool. This exercise is fantastic for strengthening and toning legs and buttocks.

A swimming workout
This workout is good done by yourself and not with a group. It is a basic workout for a swimmer who is looking to maintain fitness through swimming.

1. Do a warm up. Do this every time before you swim a different stroke. Do 6 laps (one lap is one way in the pool) of freestyle.
2. Get out of the pool and stretch.
   • Put your right arm across your chest and link your left arm around, then do the opposite.
   • Pick up your right leg and balance on the left foot, then do the opposite.
   • Try to put your hands on the ground and stretch your legs (don’t bend them!).
   • Shake your entire body around and jump up and down.
3. Do a 100 individual medley (IM). This consists of one lap butterfly, one lap backstroke, one lap breaststroke, and one lap freestyle in that order.
4. Do a 200 IM. This consists of 2 laps butterfly, 2 laps backstroke, 2 laps breaststroke, and 2 laps freestyle in that order.
5. Continue with the following laps:
   • Do 4 laps of freestyle.
   • Do 4 laps of breaststroke.
   • Do 4 laps of backstroke.
   • Do 4 laps of butterfly.
6. Do drills for each of the strokes.
7. Do a cool down. Do this after every workout; 6 laps, 2 of each stroke – backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, and breaststroke.

Video

Tips

• In the swimming workout routine, try combining the dolphin kick from the butterfly and the crawl of the crawl. It is faster than either one.
• A combination or even all of these methods are an excellent way of introducing cross-training into your usual exercise routine.
• Any form of exercise in the pool is good for strengthening and burning up calories because water creates resistance, all while buoying you up (which helps to prevent injury).
• Water workouts are great for people with back pain or injury, arthritis, joint problems, knee problems, etc. However, be sure to verify with your doctor first before doing any water exercise.
• Always wear waterproof sunscreen if you are swimming or doing water aerobics in an outdoor pool or body of water. You may want to wear a hat and sunglasses, if you are doing water aerobics in the sun for an extended period of time.
• Make your water workouts more fun by inviting friends to join you. Play water polo or basketball instead of swimming. When played vigorously, these are also great water-based cardiovascular exercises.

Warnings

• If you can’t swim properly, ask someone to spot you until you feel safer. Let lifeguards at the pool know you cannot swim if you are working out and have nobody else to spot you. While you don’t need to avoid the water, it’s a good idea to get swimming lessons so that you can broaden your pool exercise possibilities.
• Don’t try to do too much water exercise at once. Although the motions may feel easier, because they have a lower impact on your joints, the resistance provided by the water can lead to muscle soreness. Increase the time you do your water activity slowly and always stretch after exercising.

Things You’ll Need

• A pool; ensure it is of a decent length if doing laps
• A swim cap – if your hair is down, it is harder to swim; some protection from chlorine is also good for hair if swimming regularly
• Goggles, so that you can swim underwater
• Comfortable swimwear; fashionable isn’t necessarily comfortable; put comfort and sound fit first
• Towel
• Pool shoes or flip flops
• Aquatic shoes
• Swimming belt
• Water weights
• Resistance gloves
• Sunscreen (if outside)

Related wikiHows

• How to Do the ‘Death’ Breaststroke Kick Drill in Swimming
• How to Teach Swim Lessons
• How to Exercise to Become a Better Swimmer
• How to Exercise in Water

Sources and Citations

• http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/swim-cgi/ – research source

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Work Out in the Pool. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

While it’s natural to assume that ecoscaping involves looking for ways to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, there are many additional ways homeowners can embrace the ecoscaping concept:

• Remove or abstain from planting invasive plants that are difficult to control because they are from different ecosystems and can threaten local wildlife and existing plants. Instead of choosing exotic plants that aren’t native to the area, choose native plants that are accustomed to the local climate.
• Another way to embrace ecoscaping is to develop a planting strategy wherein plants are planted in beneficial growing conditions that can eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and excessive watering.
• Employ rainwater harvesting techniques:
  • Use a rain barrel. These store water brought down by storm drains that you can later use to water your plants or grass.
  • Plant a rain garden. These are planted areas of your yard depressed below their surroundings that allow runoff. Instead of forcing rainwater down storm drains, the rainwater can soak directly into the lawn, improving the water quality and potentially cutting down on pollution.

• “De-lawn” parts of your yard by removing areas of your grass and replacing it with rock gardens, mulch, trees, rock walls, et cetera. This cuts down on your yard’s need for unnatural amounts of water or fertilizer.

Because swimming pools—whether it is an above ground pool or an in ground pool—can cover a lot of otherwise permeable space in your yard, homeowners with pools have yards that are more likely to suffer from runoff than average. Additionally, because swimming pools require a significant amount of water to fill and keep filled, these water saving techniques can be especially useful for swimming pool owners. The end result is a savings in time, money, and water. Plus, it’s not only functional, but attractive!

In the Pool Library section of PcPools.com, there is a resource article titled “How To Conserve Water In A Pool.” It briefly touches on the importance of monitoring your pool for water loss, and if detected, locating water leakage. The article does not, however, go into depth about how you can or should locate pool leaks. PcPools now has that covered.

The front page of PoolLeak.info goes into depth about the various signs that indicate a leaking swimming pool. In addition to the bucket test and Check-A-Leak detector mentioned, pool owners can also utilize another method: make a mark just above your swimming pool’s water line with a piece of waterproof tape or wax pencil, and wait two or so days. If the distance between the tape or mark and the water line has increased by more than 1/4th of an inch per day (or 1/2 of an inch if you wait two days, et cetera), then something beyond natural evaporation is likely occurring.

If you determine or suspect that your pool is leaking, the question becomes how can I find the leak? PoolLeak.info answers that question in detail, but to sum it up, you’ll want to thoroughly inspect all of your swimming pool’s equipment (e.g. pool pump, pool heater) as well as the floor and walls of your pool. If the leak is underwater—i.e. a hole in the liner or other pool surface—a colored dye can be used to identify the leak’s location.

If you identify the source of the leak and you have a vinyl swimming pool liner, a do-it-yourselfer can simply use a vinyl repair sealant. If your needs are greater than that or your swimming pool does not use a vinyl pool liner, take a look at the leak detection and leak repair products offered by Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.

If detecting the pool leak is not a project you have time to take on yourself, or you are having trouble identifying the source of the problem, PoolLeak.info can help pool owners locate a pool leak professional. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you choose to do something. If you don’t, you will end up with increased energy bills, water bills, and pool chemical bills. Moreover, leaking water could present a dangerous situation for your home and property.

Accepting that managing the temperature is going to cost something, the question becomes what temperature you require to make your pool comfortable for your purposes, and how much it costs to get it there. The American Red Cross (“ARC”) recommends a swimming pool temperature between 78°F and 82°F. While the ARC recommends 78°F for competitive swimming—which helps keep your energy bills lower—kids and older adults are likely to require something above 80°F to remain comfortable.

Whatever your needs are, and however much you are willing to spend per month to meet them, here are some quick tips to get through it all as efficiently as possible:

• Use an accurate pool thermometer. An uptick of just 1°F in your pool can increase your energy costs by 10% or more, so being able to determine the pool water’s correct temperature is a must.

• Use a pool cover. This helps retain heat, thereby directly reducing your energy bills. Depending on the level of your pool’s direct sun exposure and surrounding climate (and whether you use a solar pool cover), you may be able to save up to 90% on heating costs simply by employing this strategy. It also indirectly saves on energy costs by reducing water evaporation.

• Minimize wind exposure. To the extent possible, providing shelter for the swimming pool from wind will reduce heat loss and water evaporation, in turn reducing the burden on your heater and your wallet. Suggestions for accomplishing this include utilizing fencing, decking systems, or landscaping walls. Additionally, utilizing strategically placed shrubs, trees, and plants may help as well.

• Install a time clock on your heater. There is a common misconception that it takes more energy to re-heat a pool up to a certain temperature than it does to maintain it at that same temperature. This is not true, so there is no reason to pay to heat your swimming pool when it is not in use. If you know you are not going to use the swimming pool in the immediate future, it’s best to simply turn off the heater altogether.

• Minimize Fountain or Waterfall Use. Using a spraying or falling water display in your pool enhances the look, atmosphere, and fun of your swimming pool, but it also exposes additional pool water to the surrounding air, thereby accelerating heat evaporation. Consider minimizing or eliminating use of these features while you are actively heating your swimming pool.