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.

One possibility of which you may not even yet be aware (if you're not a big infomercial watcher) is that of the endless pool, created by the eponymous Endless Pools Inc., the company that's been installing them for over a decade. People have called endless pools 'the treadmill for swimmers' and that's a fairly accurate description, although the endless pool can simulate swift swimming far better than a treadmill can the action of hard running. In fact, a well-installed Endless Pool can help you improve your endurance power in swimming to levels you never dreamed of. For those who already have a pool, the company's 'Fastlane' unit can bring all the benefits of an endless pool to just about any pool. So long as your hot tub is long enough for you to stretch arms and legs out in, you can have the best of both worlds.

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.