Spa Pools

What makes a spa pool different from a hot tub?

While both are capable of reaching temperatures of up to 104°F and massaging your body with bubblers, pool spa construction offers more flexibility with a larger area and sophisticated jet technology. A hot tub is a great intimate setting for a small party, but a spa pool can be this and so much more. Spa pools allow more room for swimming and gentle exercise while still being a relaxing spot to congregate with friends.

The surface area footprint of most hot tubs is between 49-64 square feet. Spa pool construction typically creates pools between 60-128 square feet. You can customize the jets to make your spa pool feel even larger. Gentle jet technology can create small waves of resistance in the water, allowing you to get a fuller workout through aerobics, or even simulate swimming laps.

Biggest advantages of a spa pool

If you have a smaller backyard area and want to make the most of it, you’ll want to start searching for the most versatile “pool and spa builders near me” to customize a practical oasis. A spa pool takes up less space than a traditional pool, and certainly less space than a traditional pool plus a standalone hot tub. Here are additional advantages to the modern spa pool:

• Enjoy year-round use in pleasantly warm water
• Test and upkeep only one body of water, while getting the benefits of two types of pools
• Easily add luxury touches like water features, LED lighting, or molded seats for a one-of-a-kind soaking experience

Health benefits of a spa pool

Besides creating a premium entertainment spot, the main reason many homeowners are interested in spa pool construction is all of the health benefits a “spool” offers. Exercise and rest are both essential to overall health, and a spa pool helps you get the most out of both modes.

The hydrotherapy of a hot tub is made even more functional in a spa pool since it is larger and able to accommodate gentle exercises for muscle pain and injury relief. The gentle jets of an optional swimming chamber make it possible to reap the numerous health benefits of swimming laps without the upkeep of a larger lap pool.

Hydrotherapy in a spa pool

Like a hot tub, a spa pool is designed to provide hydrotherapy with soothing, pulsating jets and comfortingly hot water temperatures. The immediate stress relief of dipping into water with jets is obvious, but hydrotherapy goes far beyond simple relaxation. Our bodies are mostly made of water. They are very responsive to its temperature and flow, and submerging your body in water eliminates the dragging effects of gravity.

People have been treating injury and disease with hydrotherapy of all kinds since the dawn of history, but medical professionals now have more knowledge about why it works so well.

“Hydrotherapy” is a broad term that also includes treatment with extremely cold water, but pulsating jets with warm water are specifically effective at relieving pain and muscle tension. Here are some of the most common health complaints that might be relieved by a dip in the spa pool:

• Arthritis: The warmth and massage from the jets can help reduce joint stiffness and improve mobility
• Chronic pain: People with back pain, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain conditions often use hydrotherapy to relax muscles and alleviate discomfort
• Muscle injuries or strains: The heat and pressure from the jets can help relax sore muscles, speed up recovery, and reduce inflammation
• Post-surgery recovery: Spa pools can aid in rehabilitation by reducing pain and encouraging gentle movement while your body is in a fragile state

For the full effects of hydrotherapy in a spa pool, you should submerge your body or injured body parts for 15-20 minutes at a time.

Stimulating circulation

Heart health and circulation affect every single part of the body, and poor circulation can cause or worsen many health problems. The combination of heat and massage in a spa pool can improve blood flow. The warm temperature of the water causes your blood vessels to expand and your heart rate to naturally rise. The massage of the jets relaxes your muscles and sends a signal to your brain to get more oxygen to them, which increases circulation even more. The overall effect makes nutrient and oxygen delivery more efficient around your entire system, contributing to overall wellness.

Boosting immunity

The circulatory system isn’t the only body mechanism supercharged by the heat and massage offered in a pool spa construction. Lymph is a liquid produced by the immune system to collect and dispose of harmful materials. Hydrotherapy invigorates the lymphatic system, delivering white blood cells efficiently around your body. This boosts immunity and may help you fend off colds and illnesses.

Nourishing mental health

In today’s hustle and bustle and constant, blaring screens, it’s not easy to find a moment to truly relax. A carefully thought-out spa pool construction creates a serene bubble of serenity. Additions like acrylic or fiberglass molded seats, ambient lighting, and water features help establish a calming atmosphere to refresh your mind, body, and soul.

Detoxifying

Working up a sweat is good for your body, even if you’re not moving a muscle. Sweat flushes out dirt and oil in your skin’s pores, regulates your body temperature and helps balance electrolytes. To safely work up a sweat in your spa pool, set the temperature to around 100-102°F, kick back, and relax.

Fitness training in a spa pool

One of the most unique advantages of a spa pool is the option to incorporate a swimming chamber, using gentle jets for resistance to create a sort of water treadmill. If you love to exercise by swimming laps, but lack the space for a larger lap pool, a spa pool can save you the commute time to the aquatics center.

Swimming is a fun, low-impact workout for people of any age. The jets in a spa pool can add resistance for swimming or walking, but if you choose to turn off the jets, the larger space is optimal for doing gentle aerobic exercises in heated water. Whether you’re swimming laps, walking, or doing aerobics, exercising in water has a wide range of health benefits. Here are a few as noted by the Cleveland Health Clinic:

• Healthier heart: Increased cardio activity improves the heart health of swimmers and reduces blood pressure, putting you at lower risk for heart disease
• Stronger lungs: Swimming conditions your body to use oxygen more efficiently, and improves lung strength and capacity
• More muscle: Working against the resistance of water helps you build muscle faster than walking, biking, or aerobics on land
• Sharper brain: Some early studies suggest that swimming helps improve cognitive function, likely because of the increased delivery of oxygen to the brain
• Tougher bones: Swimming has a positive effect on bone health, especially for postmenopausal women at risk of osteoporosis

All exercise performed in water is much easier on your joints, with the buoyancy of the water protecting them even during vigorous movement. This makes swimming and other water exercises ideal for people with arthritis, obesity, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, or muscular dystrophy.

What is spa pool upkeep and maintenance like?

Like with any backyard water feature, your spa pool will require regular attention to keep it clean, pleasant, and in working order. Here’s a short guide to the most important parts of maintenance after pool spa construction:

• Test Your Water: 2-4 times per week, check the water chemistry to ensure proper pH, alkalinity, and sanitizer levels, and adjust accordingly
• Service Your Filter: Every 1-2 weeks, clean your spa pool’s filter and replace it every year
• Clean Your Surfaces: Drain and refill your spa pool every 3-4 months, taking the chance to give a good scrub to the high-contact surfaces in the pool, like seats.
• Maintain Your Cover: If your spa pool has a cover, air it out twice per week
• Preserve Water Levels: Keep a hose close to your spa pool, because maintaining water levels is extremely important. If the skimmer begins to suck air rather than water, your pump can become badly damaged.

Is upkeep for a spa pool harder than upkeep for a hot tub?

Maintaining a spa pool is similar to maintaining a hot tub because they have similar equipment. However, a spa pool might have slightly more involved maintenance due to its larger size and additional features like specialized jets or heating elements. You'll need to monitor pH levels, sanitizer, and filter cleanliness for both, but a spa pool might demand more time for tasks like skimming debris and ensuring the water temperature remains consistent. Overall, the maintenance is comparable, but the size and complexity of a spa pool can add a bit more effort.

Most spa pool owners find the added work for maintenance to be worth it in the end because a spa pool is more versatile than a hot tub. Deciding to install a spa pool rather than a full-sized pool for swimming laps actually saves some homeowners maintenance time and effort. Large pools require more upkeep, and if you still wanted to enjoy the benefits of a hot tub, you would need to test and maintain two separate bodies of water.

Schedule an appointment to discuss spa pool possibilities

As the premiere pool builders in Atlanta, White’s Pools is constantly raising the bar. A simple “pool and spa builders near me” search might be OK for an average-looking build, but if you desire custom luxury, you need White’s.

Float any spa pool ideas by the experts at White’s, and we’ll work to make your dream a reality. Talk with us today about the array of options we have for spa-pool combos and maximize your space.