The benefits of swimming as a form of exercise are well documented. And of course we all know swimming is fun as well. But for most people, having a swimming pool in their backyard or home is simply out of financial reach. Or perhaps there just isn’t enough space available. That’s where the lap pool comes in to solve both problems.

Whether you’re talking about a full size lap pool, or a smaller 5 foot version where you swim against a current, the fitness benefits cannot be denied. And chances are this is the one piece of exercise equipment you will use at every opportunity. Best of all, it can provide an almost perfect workout.

We’ll start with the cardiovascular benefits. Just like running on a treadmill, track or on the street, swimming will increase your heart rate. This will naturally burn off calories and increase your endurance and overall heart health.

But swimming is better than running because it greatly reduces your chance of getting hurt. It’s low impact, so there’s no constant pounding on your joints. That means no aching feet, knees or back. You get all the fitness benefits without all the aches and pains.

But there’s an additional benefit to swimming. The water provides resistance, and that means an increase in your strength and muscle definition. It’s similar in some ways to resistance training by lifting weights. That’s why so many Olympic level athletes now make swimming a part of their daily workout. The good news is that you don’t have to be an Olympian to get identical fitness benefits.

And while a lap pool is not cheap, it’s much less expensive than building a traditional swimming pool. And it will take up less space. Furthermore, if you get a smaller one where you swim in place, you can even put it in your home. No longer will the weather be a factor in whether or not you exercise.

If you go with a full length in ground lap pool, it can look very nice in your yard and even provide a space for entertaining. On the other hand, most above ground models are portable. If you move, you can take it with you. And both are much easier to clean and maintain, and they cost less to run than the traditional larger pool.

Put it all together and you have an almost perfect exercise machine. A lap pool gives you a low impact, cardiovascular workout with a reduced risk of injury. You get resistance training without spending money for cumbersome free weights. And it is low maintenance, reasonably priced, looks great, and won’t take up a lot of space. And best of all it’s fun. What more do you need from your exercise equipment?