Which swimming pool works best for you is a matter of convenience and personal preference. Ideally, you swim often to reap the benefits of consistent aerobic exercise so a pool must be readily accessible. You might prefer shorter lap pools because you swim slowly or enjoy water walking. Longer pools let you swim higher yardage workouts without feeling like an aquatic yo-yo. You can customize your workout to get the most out of pools of different dimensions and depth.
Short Course
Some college and competitive swimming pools measure 25 m in length. The so-called "short course" pools fit better into limited spaces and budgets than full-length "Olympic" pools. Short-course pools with a depth of at least 6 feet are good for swimming laps because there is less "reflective" wave turbulence off the bottom of the pool than in shallower pools. Painted lines and floating lane markers help you swim straight and keep safely out of the way of other swimmers. Standard-size pools make calculating your distance and times a matter of simple math. The shorter length means you perform more flips or open turns during a workout. Pushing off the wall builds leg strength and speed in the water.
Long Course
Olympic-size pools measure 50 m by 25 m. You can swim crosswise or lengthwise for either short or long course workouts, so the pools are versatile. Long course Olympic pools train competitive swimmers for international competition and build fitness swimmers' aerobic endurance and cardiovascular fitness. The length from one end of the pool to the other might daunt beginning swimmers, but once you master an efficient stroke, swimming greater lengths with fewer turns more closely approximates the continuous workout you get in open water swimming.
Shallow Pools
Shallow pools are not ideal for lap swimming because you might scrape against the bottom of the pool swimming freestyle, or bump your head performing a flip turn. Instead, they are ideal for young children and learn-to-swim classes. Arthritis sufferers and people with restricted mobility benefit from water aerobics workouts. Classes ideally take place in shallow pools where participants can stand supported by the water.
Artificial Currents
Swim-in-place pools have motors that create a current against which you swim. As small as 8 feet in length, the pools fit well where space is extremely limited and work well in residential settings. You can swim or walk against the current. Swimming in place provides a close simulation of open-water swimming despite the constricted dimensions of the pool because you need not ever turn around to swim in the opposite direction.
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