Making a splash

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Hectic lifestyle? No time to un-wind? Dream of having five minutes to yourself? If your answers are yes, yes, yes, then an investment in a home hot tub or swimming pool may be just what you need.

Water therapy has undoubted benefits for the mind and body. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for an all-over body workout. Pools also provide fantastic family entertainment, as well as new opportunities to entertain. And it's not as scary a process as you may think to have one installed.

Modern pool construction methods have slashed both the time they take to build – and the cost. The choice on the UK market is now huge, ranging from above ground models – a bit like grown-up paddling pools – starting at around £3,000, through to fully tiled, reinforced concrete pools, which could cost anything from £25,000 upwards.

If you fancy building your own pool, try a DIY panel version. For around £5,000, you get a galvanised steel or composite plastic pool, pump, filtration and pipe work.

An estimated 3,000 new in-ground swimming pools are built in the UK every year, according to the industry watchdog, the Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association (SPATA). With so much choice, think long and hard about what you want to achieve, and research the market before committing yourself. SPATA offers the following advice:

• Set a budget, and then think about who is going to use the pool, how it will be used and when.
• Consider the size and location of your pool. Get professional advice about heating and filtration, including energy-saving methods such as heat pumps and pool covers.
• For comprehensive advice contact a SPATA member, who will be trained in all aspects of water purification and pool maintenance. Visit www.spata.co.uk or call 01264 356210.

For a really impressive pool, there are add-on features such as underwater lighting, automatic pool cleaners, ladders, diving boards, slides and flumes, swim jets, bubble systems, water falls, misting effects, landscaping, and more.

If you fancy something bespoke, the Skypool panel system, from Astral UK, means your pool can be almost any shape or size you want.

Brian Andrews, managing director of Heritage Pools, recommends that if you have a small space but still want to install an exercise-based pool, then a small pool with integrated swim jets that provide a current to swim against is a good compromise.

Endless pool
The Endless Pool measures 8ft by15ft and includes a range of options for both swimmers and those seeking therapeutic relief. Its modular design makes it adaptable to any location or installation.

Although, of course, you can heat your pool, or build one inside so you can use it year-round, we think a much better idea is to get a hot tub installed. Just imagine padding through your garden, after a tough day at work, and slipping into a warm, bubbly tub, perhaps with a glass of wine in one hand. Put your head back, look at the stars, and let the massage jets pummel all your tension away...

More than 100,000 Britons have already invested in this lifestyle as installing and looking after a hot tub is easier and cheaper than you may imagine, says Keith Helme, Nordic’s hot tub specialist.

He adds: "All that is required for a hot tub installation is a concrete or paved hard-standing (100mm deep), a designated 30-amp electrical supply with an isolator and a cold water feed to fill the hot tub.

You fill and empty the tube via a hose pipe (every 12 weeks on average). The water is then maintained by the in-built filter and ozone system. Chlorine or bromine is also added to help sanitise the water.”

at a cost of less than 75 pence a day to run, a home hot tub is a value-for-money investment.

Hot tub prices generally start at under £4,000, with some smaller models now as low as £3,000. And at a cost of less than 75 pence a day to run, a home hot tub is a value-for-money investment.

Huw Chivers, managing director of HotSpring Spas comments: "Big for 2007 will be automatic sanitising systems and new chlorine/bromine free sanitising solutions. There will be much more emphasis on good hydrotherapy."

If the massaging action of the pressurised water jets isn't quite enough to float your boat, how about some special add-ons? Fibre optic lighting will create a wonderful effect when bathing under the night sky. Have a sound system installed, so you can be surrounded by your favourite tunes, or even hook up a plasma screen so you can never need miss your favourite programme.

But the hot tub isn't just about sitting in an oversized bubble bath relaxing with friends and family. It does serve an invigorating and therapeutic purpose. When you immerse your body in water you soothe and revitalise joints and tired muscles.

Health benefits
The warm water and massage invigorates the skin surface and increases blood circulation, and can relieve painful symptoms of arthritis and migraines. The massaging effect of the water is even said to help reduce cellulite.

If you want to combine the luxury of a swimming pool with the benefits of a home spa, then Hydropool’s Aqua Trainer may be the answer. It can be installed indoors or out, set into the ground, above ground or somewhere in between.

It is manufactured as a one-piece reinforced acrylic shell featuring a variable resistant current stream, allowing you to swim ‘against the tide’, and has two contoured hot tub seats with eight hydrotherapy jets. Prices start around £13,995.