Outdoor Lifestyle Archives - Page 4 of 20

08 Nov

Swim Your Way to Better Health!

The summer is coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean swimming has to! With access to public indoor pools and heated backyard pools, the health benefits from swimming can be accessed year-round. According to researchers, the benefits of swimming extend to all ages-it’s one of the few exercises that will give every person a full-body workout.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming all the way to better health! #Creekstone Click To Tweet

Swimming is usually thought of as a way to cool off during the summer months, but more and more, physical trainers are realizing how much of a great exercise program it can be. Compared to other exercises, aquatic exercise combines strength, flexibility, and cardio to create a routine that benefits your health exponentially.

Swim Your Way to Better Health! Creekstone Outdoor Living, Spring, TX

Exercise your heart

Get your heart rate up and work out your heart muscles with swimming! Because of the muscles used to keep your body floating, swimming is an aerobic exercise that can greatly increase your heart rate. By lowering your blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels, swimming at least three times a week can help guard against all types of cardiovascular disease.

Tone your muscles

Because water is denser than air, your muscles have to work harder to move throughout the water. Between pulling with your arms, balancing your core, and having to kick your legs, swimming is a great way to engage all of your muscle groups and build strength.

Pro Tip: Going to a public pool can be arduous and inconvenient. With a custom-designed pool in your backyard, you can have the added benefit of a pool house for year-round shade and privacy.

Improve flexibility

Swimming is a water-based exercise, and the low impact of water movement aids in the flexibility of your joints and ligaments. According to Livestrong.org, ninety-percent of your body is buoyant when swimming, which takes the stress off your joints. This is extremely beneficial for athletes who need rehabilitation and for older adults who have had surgical replacements.

Relieve stress

When you burn calories with any type of physical activity, your brain is stimulated and endorphins are released, which means good hormones are stimulated that make you feel good. This stress-reducing hormone decreases anxiety and improves your mental health for the long term. Some psychiatrists agree that swimming laps could even replace drugs like Prozac in the fight against depression.

Keep Swimming

Whether you need to recover from injuries or stay active with a low-impact exercise, the number of swimming health benefits can vary. No matter what the season, you should definitely incorporate swim training into your life.

Are you ready to start swimming? Contact us today about custom pool options to make swimming accessible in your backyard.

25 Oct

5 Ideas for the Ultimate Kid-Friendly Backyard

As Houston experiences gorgeous fall weather, it’s a good time for kids to enjoy outside. Kids of all ages love to spend time in the backyard! But is your yard up to the task? Have you created a paradise for little ones to enjoy?

Turn your backyard into the perfect kid-friendly play space with these 5 design ideas! Click To Tweet

Kid-Friendly Backyard Design

Even if your backyard isn’t designed specifically for children, you can still choose features that kids of all ages are sure to love. Whether you add new structures to your backyard or just revise what’s already there, tailor the experience to what your children will enjoy. Get started with these ideas:

Outdoor Kitchen
Custom Pool
Playhouse
Garden
Patio Cover

1) Outdoor Kitchen

With cooler weather on its way and holidays around the corner, bring the party outside by installing an outdoor kitchen. This backyard idea is great for the whole family, especially parents who might want to spend time with their kids outside. From grilling dinner on a weekend to making hot cocoa on a cool fall night, an outdoor kitchen provides families of all ages a great space to enjoy.

2) Custom Pool

You might love going to the neighborhood pool. However, it’s a whole other level of fun for your kid to have a swimming pool in their own backyard. From water slides to rock waterfalls, your new pool can be customized for your family and friends to cool off from the hot southern sun. This is a huge advantage, especially in Houston where the summer weather has a habit of lingering through the fall months.

3) Playhouse/Treehouse

Even if it’s just a swing set, children can spend hours in the backyard with toys! Playhouses or play equipment are great for sparking kids’ imagination and creating spaces where they can enjoy playing outside. From climbing walls to sand pits, the number of options available to upgrade your playhouse is endless.

And don’t forget about treehouses! Depending on the size of your backyard and availability of trees, a treehouse can create a great imaginative space for your kids. With treehouse plans ranging in size and material, your backyard will become the prime hangout spot.

4) Garden

Create a space that is kid-friendly by adding features that make your backyard inviting and fun to enjoy. That being said, think about adding flowers or an herb garden to enhance your backyard. Your kids might even want to help keep the plants alive by helping water them throughout the year, which is a help to both parents and boredom!

5) Patio Cover

If your backyard doesn’t have any trees for shade, add a patio cover or pergola to your space. This is an important feature to have, especially for families with younger children who might need a way to take a break from the heat of the sun.

Pro Tip: Is your backyard shaded? With a wide arrange of design options, a patio cover could be customized to match the style of your home or backyard space.

Give Your Kids Their Dream Space

Let your kids have fun and get some fresh air without leaving your backyard! With a few new features or a revision of what you already have, you could give your kids the perfect play area in your own space.

Connect with us to learn more about building a kid-friendly backyard with custom features.

06 Sep

5 Swimming Pool Games for Kids

What’s more fun than a swim on a hot summer day? Pool games, of course! They’re a sure-fire way to encourage your family to get outside and get in some exercise during a summer afternoon. Let’s look at a few fun swimming pool games for kids and adults alike!

Take the opportunity to host a swimming pool game day! Here are a few summer favorites. Click To Tweet

Games for the Pool

Swimming pool games can vary from uniquely pool-centered activities to slightly altered versions of old favorites. Regardless of your preference, you’re sure to find something to love in several of these popular pool games and activities:

Bucket race
Underwater hoop swimming
Balloon boat race
Cardboard boat race
Treasure hunt

1) Bucket Race

There are two variants of this game that you can try depending on your kids’ skill level: underwater and floating buckets. Either way, the core principle of collecting as many balls or toys as possible and filling the bucket in a set time applies. However, expert swimmers may appreciate the extra challenge of having to retrieve toys that sink to the bottom of the pool. Beginners, meanwhile, will prefer to grab a floating toy. Either way, this game is sure to get everyone excited and active!

Pro Tip: For a math challenge, write numbers on the balls you use for the bucket race. Whoever has the highest number at the end wins!

2) Underwater Hoop Swimming

Tie some weights to plastic hula hoops and place them strategically around your swimming pool to form a submerged obstacle course. You can challenge your kids to a race through these hoops or just see what different mazes they can construct for each other. For an added challenge, vary the lengths of the string to create some hoops all the way at the bottom and some nearer the surface.

3) Balloon Boat Race

With little balloon-powered boats like this one, set up a race in your pool. Whose boat will reach the finish line first? This has the added bonus of giving your kids the chance to customize their boats before the race starts.

4) Cardboard Boat Race

Speaking of boat races, why not build one out of cardboard and go sailing in the pool? These boats may not last long even with duct tape waterproofing, but building them is a fun experience and gives your kids the chance to go boating without leaving home. See whose boat stays afloat the longest!

5) Treasure Hunt

Toss some change into the pool, set a time limit, and see who’s the richest by the end! This treasure hunt is sure to get your kids moving fast. For an added bonus, encourage your younger kids to practice their math skills by counting the nickels, dimes, pennies, and quarters they’ve collected.

Everybody in the Pool!

Whether your goal is to liven up a party, teach your kids in a fun way, or just enjoy the end of summer, these swimming pool games are sure to provide plenty of entertainment for kids and adults alike. Combined with a custom backyard and a brand new swimming pool, these games are the perfect way to keep everyone happy.

What’s your favorite swimming pool game? Join the conversation to share yours and see what other people like to do in the pool!

30 Aug

Why You Need a Pool Cabana During Texas Summers

Houston weather is wildly unpredictable, as any Houstonian will know. One day the weather might be perfect for a long walk or swim. Meanwhile, the next day will be unbearably hot or filled with heavy rain. Too often, our enjoyment (or lack thereof) of the outdoors hinges on whether or not the weather is cooperating. That doesn’t have to be the case.

Don’t let bad weather chase you inside! With a poolside cabana, you can continue enjoying the fresh outdoor air regardless of rain or sun. Take a look at what installing a new cabana can do for your backyard!

Do you already have a cabana in your backyard to provide a shady spot? If not, here’s why you need to get one right now! Click To Tweet

Relax Outdoors in Protection

Everybody loves a little fresh air, but far fewer people love the heat they have to endure to get that fresh air in Houston. Fortunately, a cabana gives you the best of both worlds! With plenty of shade from the sun and covering from the rain, you can relax outside and enjoy the pleasant summer air without exposure to the less pleasant summer weather. Plenty of homeowners even add ceiling fans to their cabanas for a pleasant breeze!

Increase Your Storage Space & Property Value

Homes that come with a pool, outdoor kitchen, or other custom features have slightly more resale value than the neighbors’ homes would. Installing a cabana can similarly increase your property value. People love the chance to party in comfort outside!

Additionally, a cabana doesn’t have to be open on all sides. Installing even one or two partial walls gives you a little extra storage space protected from the rain. When you aren’t using your grill, bike, or other outdoor valuable, just put it under the cabana for safekeeping.

Pro Tip: Take your cabana a step further by adding a single-stall restroom, small storage closet, or even planting a garden in its shade! Impress your guests with your creativity.

Host Stylish Parties

Your guests aren’t any more thrilled about unpleasant summer weather than you are. With a cabana, you can offer to host dinners or parties in more places than just your crowded kitchen. Bring your friends outside for some fresh air and enjoy the pleasant weather in comfort and style!

Design Your New Cabana!

Your perfectly designed custom backyard just needs one more feature to be complete: a cabana to let you enjoy the outdoors without exposure to the elements. Take advantage of this versatile and stylish backyard feature to make the best of your personal space!

Connect with us to start planning your backyard upgrade.

16 Aug

Using Your Outdoor Fire Pit Safely Near Your Houston Pool

What custom backyard is complete without a fire pit? An open flame adds an exotic feel to your backyard parties and chases away mosquitoes with a light cloud of smoke. However, it’s always important to remember that at the end of the day, an open flame is still an open flame and must be handled with care. As you design your backyard features, keep fire pit safety at the forefront of your mind.

As cool as a fire pit is, if not handled correctly, it has the potential to be a dangerous addition to your backyard. Make sure that you and anyone else who will be using the firepit knows how to safely light, manage, and extinguish a fire. Use this guide to keep yourself and your partygoers safe while the fire pit is in use.

Your backyard fire pit can either be the coolest addition to your outdoor paradise, or the most dangerous. Here’s how to stay safe while using your fire pit. Click To Tweet

Remove Flammable Materials

Before lighting your fire pit, take a look at the area surrounding it. Is there anything that could potentially catch fire if sparks blew in that direction? Sweep twigs or other flammable debris out of the way to prevent the fire from spreading. A five-foot radius is a good rule of thumb. Additionally, double-check what you and others near the fire pit are wearing. Don’t wear clothing with long, loose parts (such as ties or scarves) that can hang into the fire pit if you lean too close.

Pro Tip: Many homeowners enjoy having furniture around the firepit to facilitate conversation. Make sure all the furniture you use for this is either flame-retardant or made of entirely fireproof materials.

Pay Attention to What’s Fueling the Fire

In general, there are a few flammable items that you should never use as fuel for your fire pit:

Gasoline or other flammable liquids: These can splash out of the fire pit and present a serious hazard.
Paper or trash: Burning paper has a tendency to pop and throw sparks out of the fire pit.
Soft woods (cedar, pine, etc.): Like paper, these woods can pop and spark in a fire.

Extinguish the Fire Carefully

When you’re ready to put out the fire, douse the fire pit in water and stir the ashes with a shovel to make sure every coal is extinguished. As you clean the ashes out, be mindful of their temperature and how to properly dispose of them. Ashes can still retain enough heat to start a fire if exposed to flammable materials even after a couple of days. When you dispose of the ashes, avoid packing them in a cardboard box or paper bag to prevent spontaneous combustion.

Handling an Open Flame Safely

Fire pits are constructed with basic safety precautions in mind, so the chances of something going drastically wrong are low. However, managing the fire safely also depends on you to exercise caution and keep everything under control. With a little care and regards for fire pit safety, your fire feature is a perfectly safe and enjoyable addition to your backyard.

Join the conversation to learn more about safely handling fire features in your backyard.

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Category Archives: Outdoor Lifestyle