A “Non-Swimmer’s” Guide to the Swimspa

This piece was written by third generation Austin family member and Guest Services Director, Jonathan Bellingham

If you are like me (an aging person who wants to maintain some sort of fitness), finding an exercise option that is productive, good on the joints, and fun is an important ingredient to personal health and happiness.  As a runner who does not particularly like to swim or bike, I was looking for something different than your basic indoor exercise room or wellness center.  Well, the good news is, the Swimspa at the Hygeia Bath House and Spa is just the place for anyone wishing to keep an active lifestyle!

First, it might be helpful to explain what the Swimspa is… Heated to a comfortable 88°, the Swimspa is a 7’ x 15’ wide, 4½’  deep personal splash pool.  Three jets create a current of water that allows for swimming or exercising in place.  To be honest, when the spa opened in 2006, I was not immediately drawn to this aquatic gym.  I tried to swim against the steady jetted current a number of times, but the early results for this balance-challenged athlete were not encouraging.  However, through trial and error, and by utilizing the water dumbbells provided on the Swimspa deck– I was able to develop a series of four controlled water resistance exercises that take advantage of the wonderful benefits of jetted hydro action.  The result is a solid workout that is simple, flexible, and fun!

The beauty of these water exercises is that they can be adapted for anyone– no matter the level of fitness.  Because you can select between two sets of floating dumbbells (or none at all), adjust the time for each component, regulate the level of resistance from the jets and, of course, monitor your own effort, there is a tremendous amount of adaptability to individual needs.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

To start: Take a nice warm rinse off shower, using the great spa products available. Pick out one of the two sets of floating dumbbells provided that is appropriate for you.  Once you ease into the Swimspa, head to the far end to open the jets to your comfort level of flow (start with jets on, but valve fully closed).  Then move to the center of the Swimspa facing away from the jets.

A few things to keep in mind:

• For all exercises, breathe through your nose as much as possible to maintain a relaxed focused mindset. Remind yourself throughout the workout to relax your shoulders and hands.
• Especially when you are first starting, move at a place that is comfortable for you. As you get further along, you can increase your pace and length of time for each exercise.
• Always maintain good posture and consistent rhythm. This is not meant to be an intense workout, but a steady exercise that over time will build up your muscular and cardiovascular fitness.  You might not feel like you are working hard, but your muscles will be sore the next day.

1^st exercise: Warm up with 10-15 minutes of light walking or jogging.  Use your normal gait and rhythm with a gentle foot strike and push off about 2-3 inches from the floor.  Make sure your wrists are loose and not locked in a bent position- instead push them forward to a full extended position with each step.  Your entire foot should touch the bottom of the pool, so you are not striking and pushing off with just the ball and toes.

2^nd exercise: Place dumbbells on side shelf of Swimspa.  Rest both hands on one of the ladder rungs for balance (starting at the third rung from top) while you stretch your body out as long as you can behind you.  Lock your knees but bend your ankles, flicking them smoothly like your wrists in the first exercise.  Your feet should be as close to the surface as you can.  Try to be as horizontal as possible, relaxing your back and tightening your lower abdomen.  Do this for 3- 8 minutes.  The areas of focus are to both build core and ankle strength- two important areas for preventing lower back and leg-related injuries.

3^rd exercise: Pick up dumbbells and move to far end, centering yourself with the middle jet.  Place yourself about 2-3′ from the jets, with a slight lean into the pressure.  Still maintain as an upright posture as possible, moving your arms and legs in as quick but controlled tempo for about 3- 8 minutes.  This time wrists are locked and you are only pushing off with the balls of your feet and toes .  Consider this a strong tempo run/walk.   While it is the fastest pace of all the exercises, it is not a sprint. You should be able to push yourself without getting out of breath.

4^th exercise: Release dumbbells, turn around and face away from the jets as you move to the center of the Swimspa.  For 5-10 minutes do a bounding exercise by pushing off the bottom one foot at a time with strong but medium cadence, exaggerating the height of your knee lifts to about hip height.  Your motion goal is to be like a piston with your arms relaxed with open palms on the surface of the water moving in a level back and forth motion in rhythm with the opposite leg.  While this is considered a “warm down,” you may find this provides as much cardio/breathing effort as the previous quicker exercise. Finish up with 10-20 vertical jumps by pushing straight off the bottom of the Swimspa with both feet, attempting to get as much of your body out of the water as possible. Try to land as gentle as possible before pushing off again.

To finish: Head back to the jets to top off your experience with a relaxing Capon water pressure massage for 3-5 minutes as close to the jets as comfortable.  Don’t forget to let that Capon water massage your entire back and neck as well as your legs.  Finish with a gentle “deadman” float back to the ladder as the jets carry you to the other end.  Note: make sure your hands are in front of you, so they are the first thing that reaches the wall- not your head!  Then, rinse off one more time in the shower, preferably with a cold spritzer, which has been proven to improve circulation and give a boost to your immune system.

As you return to the “real world”, enjoy the confidence and peace of mind that you have done something good for yourself that day.  Nothing left to consider but to look forward to the next session!