You’ve finally gotten your own personal swimming pool. You’ve decorated it with personalized and stylish pool art. Now, you need to use it! From a fitness standpoint, a pool is bursting with potential. It doesn’t have to just be about swimming laps. There are a number of ways for you to get in a workout that will rival or surpass anything that you’ll find at your local health club.

Keep reading for a few tips on maximizing your pool workout.

• Let’s face it, as healthy as swimming laps are, it can get a little boring. But if you’ve got kids, you can turn that concept into a fun family competition. For smaller kids, get pool toys and create a contest where they dive in the shallow end to pick up toys. Whoever picks up the most in an allotted time, wins. For older kids, focus on speed. Perhaps they race you or each other, and whoever can can swim 5 laps using the backstroke first is the victor!
• If you’re single, or you just want some solo time, do your swimming to music. Get a waterproof mp3 player, or pair your smartphone to a wireless speaker and place them away from the splash zone. Then, you can either enjoy a soothing workout to classical music, or shred the water to punk rock.
• Aquatic fitness has become wildly possible, and it’s no wonder. Not only is it a great full body workout, it’s also an excellent means of exercise for those with arthritis or those recovering from an injury. With a little bit of research online, you can find a number of workouts that compliment your fitness level and push you a little harder. Then, all you need to do is use whatever pool accessories you’ve got on hand. If you have aqua mats, balls, or noodles, you can utilize them for a fun and fat-burning 30 minute exercise.