Australians have a deep connection with the water. While Canberra is Australia’s only inland capital, locals still recognise the joys and benefits of swimming.

A new and innovative backyard technology is helping more ACT residents than ever to capitalise on aquacise: the swim spa.

In recent years there has been a steady rise in the number of swim spas in Canberra. These clever machines use current generation technology to squeeze an endless, tumble turn-free swim into a small, self-contained and fully portable pool that measures just a few metres long.

While they may seem the ultimate backyard luxury, swim spas may also represent a wise investment; one that can pay dividends in terms of health and wellness, fitness, personal relationships and property value.

The rise of the swim spa

While the swim spa concept has been around for a few decades, it has only really broken ground in Canberra in the last handful of years.

As the name suggests, swim spas are compact, portable spa pools or hot tubs that also offer swimming functionality. These compact machines usually measure a couple of metres wide and 3m-6m long.

The defining feature of a swim spa is its propulsion system: powerful jets at one end of the pool that send a strong, adjustable current down the centre for a user to swim against.

In the highest quality units this current is wider than your body, deeper than your stroke and perfectly smooth – close your eyes and it can feel like a swim in open water.

Importantly for Canberrans, the compact size of swim spas means that the water can be heated cost-effectively. Unlike a traditional swimming pool, an owner can swim comfortably every day of the year, setting the water to their preferred temperature, from refreshing to toasty.

And by providing a never-ending, tumble turn-free swim, the swimmer is able to get into rhythm, making exercise a more enjoyable experience.

Swimming: the ultimate form of exercise

There are a few reasons why swimming is the exercise of choice for amateur athletes, professional sportspeople and physical therapists alike.

Swimming is a truly unique physical activity. With buoyancy counteracting gravity, a swimmer is more or less weightless, which takes stress and strain off of the body.

In contrast to an exercise like jogging, swimming is free from jarring impacts, reducing the risk of a training injury, and opening up exercise to the less mobile, like the elderly and those living with chronic pain.

But while low impact, the cardio intensity of swimming can be as high as the swimmer chooses. The best swim spas grant the swimmer control over the current, and are capable of generating currents that move at near-Olympic speeds.

At the other end of the spectrum, you can choose to swim, walk or work against a gentle current, allowing swim spas to be used for hydrotherapy too. In fact, with its warm, moving water, a swim spa is as much a backyard hydrotherapy pool as a swimming machine.

Swim spa accessories can open up other forms of aquacise. Underwater treadmills facilitate low impact aqua-jogging, rowing kits can work the upper body, and some swim spa brands even offer underwater bikes that allow you to cycle against the current.

More than an investment in fitness

One of the reasons for the popularity of swim spas in Canberra is the fact that they are so much more than swimming machines.

As the name suggests, swim spas are spa pools too. Most models feature built-in hydromassage seating, which can be used for pre-workout warm ups, post-workout cool downs, or simply as a place to relax after a long day or week.

The health and wellness benefits of warm water immersion are well documented, and include enhanced circulation, reduced inflammation, relief from chronic pain, better sleep and lower levels of stress and anxiety.

A regular swim spa session can improve your personal relationships too. As a place of relaxation, it puts users in a good mood. And as a device-free zone, it allows users to connect with their partners, family and friends on a deeper and more meaningful level.

Finally, a swim spa is an investment in the property itself. It’s an enticing addition to an Airbnb that can earn an owner more bookings and allow them to increase their nightly rate. It’s the X-factor that can increase the resale value of a house by far more than the cost of the machine itself.

And if an owner doesn’t want to say goodbye to their swim spa when they sell their home, they don’t have to. Most models are self-contained and fully portable, so the owner can take their swim spa with them wherever they move.

Between the fitness, the functionality and the financial incentives of swim spas, it is expected that the number of Canberrans looking to invest in a swim spa machine will continue to increase over the next few years.