Benefits of an at-home swimming pool

What do you think of when you hear “swimming pool”?  Do you think of warm weather, relaxation, swimming, exercise, fun, laughter, parties, games…etc?  If so, it sounds like you have a strong and positive connection to outdoor fun, and that is a great association to have!

Being a landscape design/build firm, we have clients reach out to us at all times of the year to create beautiful and functional outdoor living spaces for their families, and swimming pools are becoming more and more popular on the wish lists we receive.  We prefer to go over the pros and cons of inground swimming pools, because once in a while we find clients that are on the fence of including a pool in their plan, and we don’t suggest installing backyard features unless our clients intend to use them to their fullest!  If a client thinks that a pool is too much maintenance or not sure it will be used often, we suggest reallocating the investment into other features they absolutely know that they would love and use.

On the flipside of that coin, there are clients that are so excited to get started with their pool design, the kids already have their floaties blown up before the plans have even hit the table!  For sun and fun-loving families a swimming pool is an absolute must, but besides cooling off and ear-to-ear smiles, what other hidden benefits can an inground swimming pool provide for your family?

Physical Fitness

Swimming and hours of splashing is a great form of full-body exercise for people of all ages!  The low-impact water activity puts less strain on the body and less pressure on the muscles and joints which is a sheer benefit for those who want to exercise but don’t enjoy the roadwork or swollen feet and achy joints.  For kids, you will see a transformation from being huddled inside all winter to finally being able to spend hours upon hours outside moving and playing in the water and bright sunshine!  In the winter, we are inclined to reach for snacks for something to do because it is too cold to enjoy the outdoors, but when the weather warms up and we can finally turn our focus outward, energy levels shoot through the roof which should make our scales and families a lot happier.

Mental Health

Studies have shown that enjoyable physical activity goes farther than fitness and health benefits, it can also stimulate the brain and improve motor and cognitive performance!  Exercise is proven to lighten a person’s mood and outlook, enhance the ability to learn, stimulate the birth of new neurons and boost the brain’s neurotrophis levels that are responsible for growth and development.   Swimming is also known to increase blood flow to the brain, which helps to improve memory, clarity, focus and sharpen motor skills.

Socialization and Interaction

Its important for kids to learn valuable social and interactive skills and a swimming pool is the perfect place to hang out, play, foster friendships and interact in a light and friendly environment!   This is also a great atmosphere to teach your children about positive competition and being helpful to others.  While the kids are off being kids, don’t dismiss the importance a swimming pool can play in the lives of the parents and adults!  Just like kids, adults need to socialize, interact and relax with other adults, it really is what keeps our sanity sometimes!  Owning a swimming pool will transform your home into the perfect location for events, parties and simple get-togethers, which will create more of an at-home opportunity to reduce stress and create life-long memories.

Education

You can’t get swimming lessons closer to home than in your backyard!  This is the environment children are most familiar and comfortable in which can lessen their anxiety and grant the ability to learn more readily and efficiently.  Whether you choose to personally teach or hire a private swim instructor, you can feel confident that your children will learn a critical skill and learn to respect this water feature by learning the do’s and don’ts.  Teaching at-home swimming pool safety skills and rules will be instinctively valuable not only for swimming at home but when your children are in the care of others as well.

Quality Time

It’s hard to enjoy an iPhone or an Xbox in a swimming pool, isn’t it?  Including a swimming pool into your outdoor living space should seemingly cut the cord that tether your family members to their electronics!  In between soccer practice, baseball games, dance recitals and whichever multitude of activities your family has going on at any given time, it would be a shame for everyone to be tied up or go their separate ways when there is actually down time on the horizon!  This is here the beauty of swimming pool ownership most definitely comes into play.  Everyone sticks around, and there are hardly any distractions!  Smiles, games, laughter all lead to stronger family relationships and staying closer together.  Being outside enjoying nature and each other’s company is truly a gift to cherish.

In a perfect world, people wouldn’t need a reason or excuse to spend time together, but in a world full options and technology, we seem to be disconnected from each other more than we should be.  A swimming pool in your backyard can provide that much needed impetus to break from our distracted routines and cultivate our relationships and friendships while benefiting our minds and our bodies.  No travel, annual dues or reservations required, your backyard is waiting!!

For those in the Poconos, Lehigh Valley through the Main Line of Philadelphia and western New Jersey considering a backyard transformation and would like to discuss all available options for their space, family and lifestyle, reach out to MasterPLAN Outdoor Living!  Specializing in beautiful and functional outdoor living spaces custom fit to serve your family best and to enhance your life’s enjoyment is our passion and our promise.   When you are ready to open a conversation about transforming your outdoor dreams into your reality, we would love to chat and welcome you into the MasterPLAN family!