Home aquatic therapy?
September 28, 2020 2:19 PM Subscribe
Does this exist? Before, I used to go to a heated therapy pool and do gentle resistance exercises. That’s gone now. I would like to replicate this experience at home with a hot-tub like thing where the water is shoulder high when I, a 5’ tall person, am standing, and where there’s enough room to stretch my arms out. Doesn’t have to have jets, doesn’t have to have seats, doesn’t need to fit a crowd, just needs to be deep and warm and sanitary. Surely this must exist. What is it called?
The physics of water make it hard to have a deep pool without it being in-ground. I found one but it's like double your budget.
posted by GuyZero at 2:52 PM on September 28, 2020
posted by GuyZero at 2:52 PM on September 28, 2020
The general term you are looking for is "swim spa", but (to my knowledge) they are typically above your price range by quite a bit.
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:02 PM on September 28, 2020
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:02 PM on September 28, 2020
There's a couple manufacturers of therapy pools that are almost as deep as what you want, but cost at least twice as much. It requires a lot of engineering to get deeper than a couple feet in a freestanding device, and the construction is so expensive that you might as well put in a larger pool than that if you wanted in-ground.
You have to have circulation/filtration systems and a saline or chlorinating/brominating system if you want to use the same water more than a couple days at a time. It's a good bit of work to keep a small-medium volume of water disinfected and clear, even indoors, if you have an indoors place to put it.
There ARE inflatable hot tubs in your price range. My pool guy recommended them if we ever move somewhere without one, and some friends of ours got one on that recommendation and are pleased with it. They are not as deep as you want, though.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:15 PM on September 28, 2020
You have to have circulation/filtration systems and a saline or chlorinating/brominating system if you want to use the same water more than a couple days at a time. It's a good bit of work to keep a small-medium volume of water disinfected and clear, even indoors, if you have an indoors place to put it.
There ARE inflatable hot tubs in your price range. My pool guy recommended them if we ever move somewhere without one, and some friends of ours got one on that recommendation and are pleased with it. They are not as deep as you want, though.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:15 PM on September 28, 2020
It requires a lot of engineering to get deeper than a couple feet in a freestanding device, and the construction is so expensive that you might as well put in a larger pool than that if you wanted in-ground.
Interesting physics fact: The amount of force required to hold back a wall of water (or any substance) depends only on the depth of the water, not on the size of the pool. Which means that a small pool has to be just as strong as a large pool of the same depth, and therefore nearly as expensive.
posted by mekily at 3:31 PM on September 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
Interesting physics fact: The amount of force required to hold back a wall of water (or any substance) depends only on the depth of the water, not on the size of the pool. Which means that a small pool has to be just as strong as a large pool of the same depth, and therefore nearly as expensive.
posted by mekily at 3:31 PM on September 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
If you are handy you might take a look at an IBC hot tub. It might fall short on your movement requirements but should meet your budget and depth needs.
posted by The Violet Cypher at 3:32 PM on September 28, 2020
posted by The Violet Cypher at 3:32 PM on September 28, 2020
this is a thing in Japan. Maybe some mefite in Japan can help with the right search terms.
posted by mumimor at 3:38 PM on September 28, 2020
posted by mumimor at 3:38 PM on September 28, 2020
Interesting physics fact: The amount of force required to hold back a wall of water (or any substance) depends only on the depth of the water, not on the size of the pool.
Which is true as far as that goes, but retaining that force gets harder as the container gets larger.
posted by sjswitzer at 3:42 PM on September 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Which is true as far as that goes, but retaining that force gets harder as the container gets larger.
posted by sjswitzer at 3:42 PM on September 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Try searching for "plunge tub" (and ignore the ads for plungers).
posted by nkknkk at 4:32 PM on September 28, 2020
posted by nkknkk at 4:32 PM on September 28, 2020
Wild speculation here - there are lots of plans for DIY pools made from stock tanks, which are about two feet deep. Would getting two stock tanks, sinking one into the ground, and using the other to somehow extend the sides two feet above ground be a physically feasible way of getting the required depth?
posted by yeahlikethat at 10:59 AM on September 29, 2020
posted by yeahlikethat at 10:59 AM on September 29, 2020
Needs to be cheap
Calculate what the increase on your electric bill will be for heating all that water before you buy anything.
posted by yohko at 5:16 PM on September 29, 2020
Calculate what the increase on your electric bill will be for heating all that water before you buy anything.
posted by yohko at 5:16 PM on September 29, 2020
Response by poster: Yeesh. Well, after checking out all of these links and going down several related rabbit holes, I have concluded that I'm SOL until the pool reopens. Thank you so much for your help--if nothing else it was entertaining to see what's out there.
posted by HotToddy at 3:19 PM on September 30, 2020
posted by HotToddy at 3:19 PM on September 30, 2020
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posted by HotToddy at 2:21 PM on September 28, 2020