Relaxing in or at the swimming pool is the ultimate form of luxury. After a long day, there’s nothing like taking a refreshing dip in a crystal clear swimming pool to relieve the pressure of the day. Whether you’re at home, the spa, or on vacation, there are so many activities you can do while you’re enjoying the water, even if you’re enjoying it alone.
Here are 9 ways you can enjoy a swimming pool alone:
- Catch up on your reading list.
- Listen to a trending podcast series or music.
- Meet fellow pool-goers.
- Enjoy solo games in the water.
- Float in the sun.
- Take the time to practice mindfulness and meditation.
- Do pool exercises to keep you active.
- Journal your thoughts.
- Enjoy your favorite cocktail or mocktail.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been more accustomed to doing things alone, and even though getting out and enjoying yourself with other people is fun, sometimes you just want to do things by yourself. For example, going to a swimming pool alone can still be one of the best decisions you make. Keep reading to discover how you can still have plenty of fun while lounging solo at the pool.
1. Catch Up on Your Reading List
Lounging by the pool with the perfect book or magazine and a towel is a great way to bask in the sun alone. Whether it’s the pool in your backyard or floating on a raft in the hotel pool, a good novel can make any day feel like a personal retreat from the real world.
Reading is also associated with many great benefits, including:
- Stress reduction
- Increased vocabulary
- Improved memory
- Better writing skills
The next time you’re alone at the swimming pool, make sure to find your favorite book or explore a new title.
Whether it’s a mystery, suspense, non-fiction, or true-to-life memoir, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Amazon has a wide range of top annual reads you can purchase to get you started.
2. Listen to a Trending Book, Podcast Series, or Music
Everyone has heard of pool reads, but what about pool listens? I find that one of the best ways to get my reading in, without actually flipping the pages is to listen to an audio recording on Audible.
Audible has the biggest selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and meditation guides. Click here for a 30-day free trial of Audible, even if you cancel the membership, you’re still able to keep the 1 audible credit on your account!
Listening to podcasts is the perfect activity when you’re at the pool alone. You can sit back, close your eyes, and bask in the sun as the audio hosts take you on a ride for a thrilling story, interview, roundtable, monologue, or whatever catches the mood.
With podcasts being around for nearly two decades, they’ve continued to trend upward, with over two million types of podcasts to date.
Aside from Audible, you can stream or download a whole library of podcast episodes on apps like Amazon Music or Spotify. Additionally, if podcasts aren’t really your thing, you could always use these apps to listen to your favorite summer jams, instead.
3. Meet Fellow Pool-Goers
Public pools are great for people-watching. However, it’s also a great place to make new acquaintances, as a swimming pool provides a relaxing environment where you can genuinely destress and be yourself.
For some, making new friends isn’t easy. However, sometimes when you’re at the pool, you want to initiate a conversation with a nearby swimmer. Making small talk about the weather or a TV show is a great way to start.
If you’re in your private swimming pool, it’s always fun just hopping on Facetime or Zoom to catch up with a friend or family member.
4. Enjoy Solo Games in the Water
Being alone doesn’t have to be boring with the perfect game at hand. If you have a mobile device, there are tons of apps that you can download, such as the famous Candy Crush or Angry Birds.
Crossword puzzles, word cross, or sudoku keeps your mind engaged. If you want a real challenge, bring along a smooth-turning puzzle toy such as the Shengshou Puzzle Cube (available on Amazon) and see how long it takes you to solve it. This cube is inexpensive and won’t be destroyed if you accidentally drop it in the water.
Related: The 4 Best Above Ground Pools for Kids: A Mini Buyers Guide
If you’re a gamer at heart, bring your handheld Nintendo Switch so that you can jump into your favorite games even at the pool. If you want to keep things spicy in the pool, try the easy-to-use iGeeKid Cornhole Pool Game (available on Amazon) to keep things fun. This pool game brings the fun of cornhole to the water with the ability to inflate and deflate with ease.
5. Float in the Sun
After relaxing near the pool, there’s a slight chance you want to get in the pool but don’t want to get thoroughly soaked. You may be looking for a more relaxed approach to chill at the swimming pool, which calls for a pool float.
Here are some pool floating devices available on Amazon:
- Jasonwell Unicorn Pool Float – This float is designed to make you the star in any pool and is great for your tanning moments.
- Poolmaster Pool float Lounge – This one is easy to adjust and comes with a reclining backrest and oversized shape.
- Topsung Inflatable Arm Rings – These arm rings are made from non-toxic PVC material and should last for a long time.
- Oodles Pool Noodles – These are made from a proprietary foam compound that’s denser than others for improved buoyancy and stiffness.
The sky’s the limit for what you can sit or lay back in while you are in the water, soaking up the sun.
6. Take the Time To Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
A growing body of evidence suggests mental health is associated with:
- Increased productivity and resilience
- Improved physical and emotional health
- Improved sleep quality
Practicing meditation and mindfulness is simple, and it can minimize stress, increase clarity and calmness, and boost happiness. To meditate, all you have to do is float on your own or on your floatation device. Then focus on your breathing – in through the nose and out of the mouth. As you continue to breathe, it will help you focus on tuning out the outside world and being present in that moment.
Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.
Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati
Similar to meditation, mindfulness is the essential human ability to be fully present, and aware of where you are and what you’re doing. It is to calmly acknowledge and accept your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Swimming can also be a gratifying opportunity to practice mindfulness. Swimming mindfully can transform regular lap sessions into the simple practice of moving meditation.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Begin by going into the pool and start swimming to focus and be fully present in the water, rather than just focusing on swimming laps.
- As you begin swimming, concentrate on each stroke, your breaths, how the water feels, and how you feel moving through the water.
- As you complete your swim, be grateful for your ability to merge mind and body, moving like water.
7. Do Pool Exercises To Keep You Active
If you’re alone in the swimming pool, why not dive into an aquatic exercise routine?
Exercising in a pool or any body of water can provide a great full-body workout. It offers extra support for your muscles and joints due to the buoyancy of water. It also makes it challenging enough to keep you engaged. Some activities include:
- Swimming laps: Enjoying some laps in the pool is a great way to get the heart rate up and enjoy some cardio! Laps in the pool will give you a chance to enjoy the water, swim at your own pace, and burn calories.
- Leg lifts: By using the resistance of the water, leg lifts work all the muscles in the legs while also helping with balance. To do this exercise, make sure you’re standing in the pool and try to raise one leg out to the side and move it back down. Repeat until your leg feels tired, then perform the exercise on the other leg. If you want to spice things up, try the routine with water weights.
- Standing water push-ups: Water push-ups are a great way to build strength in the arms, chest, and shoulder, without putting too much pressure on the joints. To do this exercise, you must stand along the side of the pool and place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart at the edge of the swimming pool. Bend your arms and lean in toward the wall, then push yourself back out like a regular push-up.
- Water Tai Chi: This form of exercise involves graceful, slow movements for stress reduction and meditation.
Learn more about water tai chi with this YouTube video:
8. Journal Your Thoughts
Being at the swimming pool alone also gives you time to jot down any thoughts or ideas you have on paper. Journaling can help improve your mood by giving you a healthy outlet to express yourself.
Journaling can also lead to a short story idea or a new project at work. Remember to add pen and paper to your swim bag, as your next great idea can happen at the pool.
9. Enjoy Your Favorite Cocktail or Mocktail
If all else fails, one activity that’s sure to improve your mood if you’re alone by the pool is having your favorite cocktail or mocktail while sunbathing on a perfect day. If you enjoy mimosas or other alcoholic beverages, remember to #DrinkResponsibly and use the proper SPF while sunbathing.
Why A Swimming Pool All To Yourself Can Be Nice
Swimming in the pool by yourself doesn’t have to be intimidating. As you just learned, there are multiple ways to keep yourself active and have fun. Plus, as you don’t have to worry about entertaining anyone but yourself. This is the perfect time to lounge by the pool, put your swimming skills to the test, or create some well-deserved me-time.
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