Swimming is one of the best ways to exercise because it stimulates the cardiovascular system and it also makes for a low, but intense impact workout, which means great things for your joints. Hot tubs are a great way to loosen tired or sore muscles and in fact help people with a variety of health conditions. However, there is just one problem with pools and hot tubs - they have been known to make people sick!

Granted, for the most part, swimming pools are safe to swim in as long as they are properly maintained with the correct amount of chemicals in the water. However, if you swim often in a public pool with a large concentration of people, you have definitely upped your chances at infection. With hot tubs, the warm water is the perfect breeding ground for a variety of microorganisms to grow such as bacteria.

A Look at Hot Tubs

Unless you have your own hot tub, many people tend to soak in one at their fitness center, hotel or apartment complex. Using these public hot tubs ups your risk of becoming ill due to exposure to bacteria. There is a bacterium that is rather prolific in public hot tubs that causes folliculitis which is an infection of the hair follicles. It is itchy and causes a rash. The bacteria that causes Legionnaire's disease also love hot tub environments.

Ear infections are common as well as respiratory and urinary tract infections. If you have an open wound, cut or open skin irritation, microorganisms could enter your body through that route and not only make you sick but also infect that open skin irritation. The only way to avoid becoming infected is through constant monitoring of the pH levels as well as frequent disinfection and filtration. It is important to drain, clean and scrub your hot tub often as you could also develop "hot tub lung," a severe respiratory illness often caused by the slime and biofilm that develops in the pipes of the hot tub, particularly when the water just sits in the pipes between usages.

Diving into the Pool Angle

Swimming in pools introduces some risk to your health, particularly a crowded pool. When you have a large concentration of people, you don't know what microorganism they have brought into the pool. On rare occasions, swimming pools have caused outbreaks of E. coli and other intestinal problems due to migratory birds and other animals trying to make a swimming pool their home. Their droppings contributed to health problems, even after the pool was entirely cleaned.

Skin, eyes, ears, throat and nose infections could all result from swimming in pools. Colds, dermatitis, impetigo and other infections are just a few names of those infections that could be contracted with ease, especially when a lot of people are swimming. Luckily, many public and private pools are properly maintained with chlorine and pH levels are checked often. However, if you ever have any doubts, don't swim and ask the pool manager to have the water tested.