'Treadmill for swimmers' boosts health, well-being
By Kendra Hogue
5-16-02
Bookmark This Page | Send To A Friend
When contractor Bill Meals was planning to build
his family's dream home, incorporating a pool and
a spa was more of a necessity than a luxury.
His wife, Suzy--who has multiple sclerosis
and is recovering from surgeries following a back
injury--needs to swim regularly for her health. His
mother and father, who live with Bill and Suzy, have
their own medical problems that call for water therapy:
His mother has had knee replacement surgery, and regular
dips in a hot tub are beneficial for his diabetic
father.
An outdoor pool was a possibility, though it would
have been a tight squeeze in the family's Happy Valley
cul-de-sac.
Plus, Suzy noted, "the neighbors have an outdoor
pool, and they use it only three months out of the
year."
Instead, Bill Meals ordered an Endless Pool--a
small 8-by-15-foot pool that's 6 feet deep and
has a current that flows from a unit at the front
of the tank.
"Our product is a countercurrent swimming and
exercise pool that's often called a treadmill for
swimmers," said Chris Wackman, senior vice president
of sales and marketing for Pennsylvania-based Endless
Pools. "The swimmer or water jogger swims, but
doesn't go any place."
Bill Meals installed the pool indoors, where it is
surrounded by windows that look over the valley; the
space is further brightened by four skylights. An
eight-person hot tub was installed outdoors in a courtyard,
just a few steps away from the pool.
The pool's countercurrent can be turned down to accommodate
the slowest swimmers or up to a top speed of three
miles per hour for Olympic-caliber swimmers or triathletes.
Endless Pools cost $17,400* and up, plus
$1,100 to ship from Pennsylvania to Portland, said
Wackman. Although there are no dealers in the state,
about 100 Endless Pools have been purchased by Oregonians
since 1993.
Installation is an additional fee, but Bill Meals
said the kit he received included easy-to-follow instructions
and a video that covered installation and maintenance.
Wackman estimates that hiring someone to install the
unit would cost $2,000 and up, depending on the complexity
of the installation.
Suzy Meals and her mother-in-law have been
using the Endless Pool regularly since May 2001. Suzy
puts in at least an hour a day in the pool and hopes
that the exercise will help her leave her wheelchair
behind.
Bill Meals is putting the finishing touches on the
room that houses the pool--window trim and some lemon
trees that should thrive in the warm, sunny space.
Suzy, a self-described "water baby," has
one more decorating touch she wants to add. On a trip
to Key West some years ago, she got to swim with dolphins.
To remember the even, she purchased a leaping dolphin
sculpture, which she plans to display in the pool
room or the courtyard beyond the pool.
*Pricing as of 2002
>>Next
