With summer right around the corner, it’s time to get ready for BBQs, water guns, and of course, the swimming pool. No summer is complete without at least one dip in crystal clear blue water and it’s not just because pools are so much fun or because they’re a great source of exercise.
Pools are considered the #1 summer happiness hack because of how well they relieve stress. Don’t believe us? Then keep reading to see all the happiness facts.
Afterward, we promise you’ll be grabbing your cleaning gear, water hose, and a few foam noodles to get your pool back into action for the summer.
1. Positive Endorphins
When you exercise, your brain releases a heavy dose of positive endorphins. While many people jog, it’s hard to do that in the summer heat. That’s why swimming is the perfect summertime alternative.
Swimming is one of the best exercises that you can take part in because you’re working all of your muscles without even realizing that you are. So, go ahead and beat the heat and grab some of those feel-good endorphins.
2. You’ll Have More Confidence
Besides releasing happy chemicals in your brain, the exercise associated with swimming can also give you a bit more confidence. This confidence only increases as you get older.
You see, as you age, your risk of falling jumps up. Swimming fixes this problem by helping to strengthen your core muscles. You’ll be able to walk with your head held high and confidence in your heart.
3. It’s Amazing Stress Relief
When you’re doing yoga and other muscle relaxation techniques there are certain stretches that you have to do coupled with breathing patterns. The end goal with these practices is to make you less stressed and it works.
Swimming emulates these stretches and breathing patterns to give you all the relaxation benefits of yoga. It’s also really hard to stay stressed and mad when you’re tossing a huge beach ball around the pool.
4. You’ll Sleep
If you notice, when you exit a pool you’re not only starving but also kind of tired. Again, it’s because swimming is causing you to exert all this energy while you’re completely unaware.
If you couple the exercise with the relaxation that a pool can bring you, it’s a perfect medicine for sleep. So, if you’re suffering from insomnia go for a dip in a pool.
Taking your children for a swim will also make it way easier for you to get them to go to bed at night during the summer. This makes for a little bit more relaxation time for mommy and daddy.
5. You’ll be Able to Create an Awesome Staycation
When you weigh a pool remodel cost vs the cost of an entire vacation, chances are the pool remodel is going to be a little cheaper depending on what you need to get done to it. While you can’t put a price on the family memories that you’ll make on a vacation, you can make just as many memories right at home.
Not everyone can afford a huge family vacation every summer but a family staycation in a pool, that’s a little more reasonable and can be just as fun.
6. Stay Fit
When the kids are out of school for the summer, it can be more than tempting for them to spend the entire thing indoors. This will do no wonders for the physique because when they’re cooped up inside they’ll get bored and when they get bored they’ll raid the pantry.
Having a pool will actually give them a reason to want to go outside and play. They’ll have a blast and exercise at the same exact time.
7. Higher Brain Power
People who swim actually have a chance of having more brain power than those who don’t. While it can’t make you suddenly know all that there is to know in the world, swimming can give you a little boost in brain power.
Exercises like swimming get your heart pumping which gets your blood going. This blood circulates through your body and flows through your cerebral arteries. Not only will this boost your vascular health but it also improves your cognitive function.
Again, you’ll be no Einstein but you’ll find that your mind is a little sharper and you have an easier time remembering things.
8. Social Benefits
There are a ton of social benefits that come with having a pool. For one, it allows you to set any distractions to the side and spend time with your family by coming up with new games and just goofing off. For another, you’ll have something to do when your extended family comes over.
It’s a known fact that people are social creatures. Interactions with others make us happier so this extra time that you’ll be able to spend with your family will help ward off any depressive feelings that you’ve been having.
9. Immediate Satisfaction
Unlike a lot of other forms of exercise, you see your results almost immediately with swimming and not just in the form of a flatter tummy. There is a certain technique that goes with swimming.
For example, say you’ve decided to spend the summer perfecting your breaststroke, each day in the pool you’ll be able to see how much you’ve improved which will motivate you to keep coming back.
Sure you can do that with running but it’s a slower process. While you may be able to run further each time you go out, that’s less likely then perfecting strokes.
Pools are the Ultimate Summer Happiness Hack
While having a pool is a great way to have fun during the summer, there are deeper benefits of them than that. They also help ease stress, allow you to connect with your family, get fit, sharpen your mind, and gain confidence. As you can see, they’re definitely called summer’s happiness hack for a reason.
Swimming in the pool isn’t the only way you can have fun during the summer. You could also grab the family and head out on the road. Keep reading for a few great family road trip tips.