Pool and spa pros have become adept at selling the family togetherness benefits of their products. Jumping in the water or gathering around the pool and spa are great ways to hang out and have fun with small groups and large ones.
But there’s another key benefit to pools and spas that experts say too many pros often miss in their sales pitches—health and wellness.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dedicates an entire section of its website to the benefits of water and swimming.
“Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling or running, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses. This can also lead to improved health for people with diabetes and heart disease. Swimmers have about half the risk of death compared with inactive people. People report enjoying water-based exercise more than exercising on land. They can also exercise longer in water than on land without increased effort or joint or muscle pain.”
Specifically, studies show that being in the water helps with arthritis, mental health, diabetes, insomnia and general stress reduction. Young or old, those are the biggest scourges facing people today. In the U.S., nearly 40 million people suffer from diabetes, while nearly 60 million struggle with arthritis and nearly 70 million have a sleep disorder. All of these health issues have come to the fore even more since the pandemic.
No wonder the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) named “wellness” one of the most important trends in the past several years, especially as a result of the pandemic.
“Wellness as a trend has been on the rise for several years, and we finally feel that the average consumer is starting to connect the dots relative to daily use of our products and the wellness benefits that are derived from that,” said Steve Stigers, vice president of marketing at Watkins Wellness and chair of the International Hot Tub Association (IHTA). “Whether it’s stress relief, better sleep, improved family connections, faster athletic recovery—those are all things that our products offer to their users.”
Hot water especially has been shown to offer numerous benefits over regular pool water, according to Healthline.com. “Regular soaking in a hot tub may provide several health benefits, such as muscle relaxation, pain relief and improved sleep.”
What’s more, just being near water is a palliative, according to a recent Wall Street Journal lifestyle feature.
“Neuroscientists say that spending time near oceans, lakes, rivers and other blue spaces can provide a range of benefits including reducing anxiety, easing mental fatigue and rejuvenating us,” the article said.
So, it’s worth asking yourself the following three questions:
- When was the last time you mentioned health and wellness benefits in one of your sales pitches?
- Do you offer potential customers handouts showing the benefits of water? For example, PHTA offers a printable handout that highlights hot tub benefits.
- Does your website have a section highlighting the many health benefits of water like this one from Aqua Living Factory Outlets?
If your answers to these questions are “no,” it’s time to update your pitch—and take full advantage of the health and wellness benefits of pools and spas.
