Hydrotherapy Pool

A spa hydrotherapy pool is a warm pool, usually 33 to 36°C, fitted with underwater jets, air-bubble loungers, swan-neck water cascades and massage stations positioned for the back, shoulders and legs. Moving between the stations gives the muscles a firm, continuous water massage, and the warm water takes weight off the joints. Some spas use the term for outdoor vitality pools and hot tubs as well.

It is a different thing from clinical hydrotherapy, which is physiotherapy carried out in a warm pool under a physiotherapist and is used in rehabilitation for arthritis and injury, sometimes on the NHS. Wellness centres in this directory list spa hydrotherapy pools; a few also host private aquatic physiotherapy sessions, which the listing will state.

Access usually comes with a facilities pass or spa day, around £25 to £60 for a few hours; a private 30-minute clinical session costs about £50 to £80. Keep sessions to 15 to 20 minutes at a time in the warmest pools, and check with your doctor if you are pregnant, have low or high blood pressure or a heart condition.