What is a lap pool?
Not everyone could cope with the training regime of 2016, 10k Open Water Marathon Olympic gold medal winner, Sharon van Rouwendaal. During lockdown in 2020, she came up with a novel way to train, swimming 90km over ten, three-hour sessions a week in a paddling pool filled with cold water. Even Sharon had to admit that swimming with a belt around the waist of her wetsuit, which was connected to a pole using a piece of rope to keep her stationary, was painfully cold.
For those of you considering installing a swimming pool that will be used primarily for exercise or swimming training, and possibly limited space, one attractive option is a lap pool. A lap pool is designed to allow you to swim lengths rather than for groups of people to bathe in and is therefore narrower than a regular swimming pool. It is the popular choice for those that are focused on their health and fitness.
If you opt for a concrete pool, you will be able to choose your own dimensions for your pool, but typical lengths are 12.5m, 15m, 20m or 25m, depending upon both the size of your property and your budget. The standard width of an Olympic swimming lane is 2.5m, and lap lane widths tend to range from just below to just above this size. The normal depth for a lap pool tends to be at least 1.2m but if you wish to dive in, the depth will need to be around two metres.
To ensure the safety of children and pets around the lap pool, it is wise to consider safety measures including a pool alarm (though a responsible adult should always be present if children are near a pool) and/or fitting an enclosure around the pool. Not only does this afford security and help heat the pool by around 9 degrees Celsius through a combination of heat retention and the greenhouse effect, but it also minimises pollution from external sources. This will also help reduce the amount of pool servicing and cleaning chemicals required to maintain the pool.
The use of pools for maintaining fitness dates back to the Roman Empire when pools were known as piscinas because some emperors kept fish in them. These days, doing laps in a lap pool is known to promote fitness because it provides excellent aerobic exercise, combining both stretching and strengthening. Also, with the current focus on mental well-being, lap swimming can help reduce stress by making you focus on your breathing and your progress in the pool. It is also claimed to lower blood pressure, improve flexibility, aid weight loss, reduce the risk of falls, and even sharpen your thinking. What better way to start your day than with a few lengths in your lap pool?
