Let's face it - gyms can be smelly, crowded places, and many people find them distracting to work out in - be it because of the beautiful bodies around them or the pounding techno playlists most clubs choose as their soundtracks. Choosing to install a lap pool, or even an endless swimming pool, in your home can be a long term investment in your health, in your fitness, and in the long-term resaleability of your home.

The main question when it comes to lap pool designs is whether you have enough space to fit one in your backyard. The absolute minimum lap pool length is forty feet. A lap pool should also be at least eight feet wide and at least three and a half feet deep. Aside from this, everything's rosy - lap pools need much less water than your average recreational pool, and the linear, elegant look of lap pool design is much less likely to conflict with the style of your existing home.

If you don't have enough space for this kind of lap pool design, there's another option available to you. An endless swimming pool (of the Endless Pools Inc. variety) uses variously directed hose nozzles to create an adjustable current for you to swim against. It's often been called a treadmill for swimmers. The company now even produces a unit that you can install into your existing pool called 'FastLane'. The adjustable nature of the resistance makes it suitable for swimmers of all levels of fitness.

Endless pools are also hydraulically powered, which keeps their consumption of electricity down so low you'll scarcely notice the drain. While there's nothing that beats the freedom of a full-length lap pool design, this option is both a space saver and a great showpiece sure to fascinate guests and reignite your family's interest in physical fitness.