Cross Training, Cabanas, Pools and Pastimes

Cross training is an important part of any athlete’s success and for the equestrian finding time to ditch the boots and breeches and take off to do another sport can be difficult. The advantages of cross training include reduced risk of injury as different muscle groups and joints are activated and strengthened to those we use when we ride. With the added benefit of an improved overall level of fitness comes better staying power and endurance, plus additional weight loss can be helpful to riders who constantly fight weight gain.

Low impact activities such as swimming, elliptical training or cycling can all provide great benefits to your overall health. Amazingly they can all be done in one place, at the family pool! If you are fortunate enough to own a swimming pool, then don’t overlook the benefits of swimming and riding daily. You can add a workout on a few pieces of equipment to enhance your training regime and include resistance training and a stationary bicycle for additional cardiovascular health with the investment of a cabana structure poolside to house your home gym.

During my career, when I was heavily involved in competing abroad, my Swiss trainer FEI coach Greta Kemmer, would always encourage her students to take a cycle for 20 minutes on the stationary bike she had parked in the tack room before schooling a horse. This worked very well to help loosen up and warm my legs and ankles. It was not however, as beneficial as my routine at home where I would swim before and sometimes after training horses.

Each morning during good weather warmer months, our radiant heated pool would beckon as I marched to the stableyard to complete the morning chores. When the horses were fed, watered, mucked out and turnout routines were completed, I would set to grooming those horses that were up for morning training sessions. As soon as the work was finished I would strip down to my swimsuit that I wore beneath my shorts and T-shirt and dive in the pool to take my daily swim. It was bliss! Back and forth I would swim and take laps in different strokes to work different muscle groups. I’d follow up by floating on my back looking at the sky above and trees alongside the pool and channel peace and quiet to focus on my lesson plans for the day.

Cool, calm and collected I’d head in for a quick shower and change into my riding gear before heading out to get started with the horse schooling schedule. It would have been excellent to have a home gym and a place to shower and change poolside. A regime of a quick workout on the machines, followed by a swim and then straight into the saddle would be the perfect set up for the long day ahead. The simple addition of a cabana would have been an ideal solution.

The word ‘cabana’ means small hut. Usually three solid sides with an open front or porch area, the cabana today is offered in an amazing variety of designs that can be anything from small functional spaces for changing clothes to full blown guest houses.

In days gone by, folks would use water in rivers, lakes and ponds to bathe and change out of their daily clothes behind the bushes. Today skinny-dipping might not be in the plans with neighbors close-by, and certainly the need for bathing can be better accomplished in the home than in the lake or pool! The development of a pool house provided much needed privacy, and pool houses are everywhere. Their origins as a tiny hut have long disappeared, as resorts welcomed larger structures to provide bathroom facilities and secure storage for people’s possessions while they enjoyed the delights of a pool, lake or beach. As a homeowner, the pool house or cabana is a capital idea to create an extremely functional environment to better enjoy the water.

To keep your pool perfectly pH balanced and clean often requires the use of chemicals and as we know children and chemicals don’t mix, so a safe storage spot for pool supplies in the cabana can be useful. The structure can also be used to hide pumps and ugly machinations that run the pool.

With a pool in place you probably already have a water and electric supply close-by, so the inclusion of a bathroom in the cabana makes a lot of sense. It not only offers the convenience of use for your visitors, it avoids dripping wet friends and family needing to utilize your home. No more chlorine stains on the sisal carpets or accidents by tots in the pool!

The use of modern materials in the design of the cabana has enhanced its radiant appeal and minimized maintenance requirements for the building. Bright white vinyl is an extremely popular choice in a cabana purchase, as it complements the blue water of the pool beautifully with its reflection of light. Features such as skylights, cupolas, screened windows and even hot tubs have become popular additions and even folks that have no pool enjoy a pool house or cabana for entertaining folks and enjoying outdoor living.

While the cabana is revered for the privacy it provides, large windows can be incorporated to improve the light and ability to keep an eye on the occupants of the pool if you head inside for a sit in the shade or to take a phone call. For commercial enterprises the pool house can make a super shady spot for guests to enjoy a spa treatment and provide much needed added value to the appeal of your business and boost the bottom line.

For safety pool toys and inviting floating devices can be stored away, limiting the temptation for pets and young children to try and navigate the fence around the pool. When winter arrives storage of pool furniture and pool toys can be handily accomplished in the cabana.

You may not be in need of a swim for crosstraining purposes, and perhaps swimming is a family pastime that you simply enjoy to relax after a hard week of work. Whatever the case, the cabana is a structure to consider. It will enhance your enjoyment of the water whether it is a lake or a pool, and provide a great gathering spot to make memories with friends and family and allow you to maintain privacy in your home.

There are many options to consider when choosing the cabana that fits your needs and wants, and it is best to consult an expert who has sincere experience in the structure building process such as Stoltzfus Structures. This company offers quick and efficient delivery and set up, and has financing available so you can have your cabana in place for the season right away and not have to wait another year. You can choose from their wide array of designs or their team of Amish craftsmen will customize the structure if they don’t have one already built on their lot for purchase that you like.

If it’s time to capitalize on the use of your pool, give them a call at 610-595-4724.