Healthy Swimming Year-Round

Stay healthy and avoid recreational water illnesses (RWIs) when you swim or use the hot tub/spa by following a few simple steps.

Even though it is frequently associated with summer, swimming is a physical activity many people enjoy all year long. Indoor pools, hot tubs, and even outdoor pools in warm climates are popular year round.

Swimming is a fun activity for people of all ages and offers many health benefits; however, recreational water (water from pools and hot tubs) can also spread germs that cause recreational water illnesses (RWIs). The germs that cause RWIs are spread by swallowing, breathing in the mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can also be caused by chemicals in the water or chemicals that vaporize from the water and cause indoor air quality problems.

Stay Healthy in the Pool

The best way to prevent RWIs is to take an active role in stopping the spread of germs by following the steps of healthy swimming.

To help protect yourself and your family and friends from germs, here are a few easy and effective steps all swimmers can take each time we swim:

Keep the pee, poop, sweat, and dirt out of the water!

Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea.
Shower before you get in the water.
Don’t pee or poop in the water.
Don’t swallow the water.

Every hour—everyone out!

Take kids on bathroom breaks.
Check diapers, and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area–not poolside–to keep germs away from the pool.
Reapply sunscreen.
Drink plenty of fluids.

Check the free chlorine level and pH before getting into the water.

Pools: Proper free chlorine level (1–3 mg/L or parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) maximize germ-killing power.
Hot tubs/spas: Proper disinfectant level (chlorine [2–4 parts per million or ppm] or bromine [4–6 ppm] and pH [7.2–7.8]) maximize germ-killing power.
Most superstores, hardware stores, and pool-supply stores sell pool test strips.

Think Healthy. Swim Healthy. Be Healthy!

**Remember that swim diapers and swim pants are not a replacement for frequent diaper changing and regular trips to the bathroom. Swim diapers and swim pants are not designed to keep diarrhea (the most serious water contaminant) from leaking into the pool. Parents should never allow their children to enter the water when they are ill with diarrhea, even if they are wearing swim diapers or swim pants.

For more information, check out the Triple A's of Healthy Swimming: Awareness, Action, and Advocacy.

Stay Healthy in the Hot Tub

The germs that cause RWIs can also be spread in hot tubs. To stay healthy while soaking in the hot tub, follow these HOT steps!

Heed… rules for safe and healthy use.

Exclude children less than 5 years of age from using hot tubs.
If pregnant, consult a healthcare provider before using hot tubs, particularly in the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Observe... the hot tub and its surroundings.

Hot tub temperature should not exceed 104°F (40°C).
Check hot tub water; CDC recommends maintaining free chlorine at 2–4 parts per million [ppm] or bromine at 4–6 ppm, and pH at 7.2–7.8. Pool and hot tub test strips are available at local home improvement stores, discount retailers, and pool–supply stores. If you want to practice using them at home, check out our Pool & Spa (Hot Tub) Test Strips Home Test Instructions.

Talk…to hot tub owners/staff and other hot tub users.

Are chlorine or bromine levels and pH checked at least 2 times per day?
Are they checked during times when the hot tub is most heavily used?
Talk to hot tub staff and users about RWIs and share these tips with them.

Helpful Resources

To help spread the message about RWI prevention, CDC's Healthy Swimming Program has developed a variety of health promotion materials, including:

Healthy swimming brochures, available for free in English and Spanish
Fact sheets on frequently-asked RWI questions in English and Spanish
Videos that remind swimmers to play it safe and stay out of the water when ill with diarrhea
Podcasts on preventing illness and injury while swimming
Posters on preventing RWIs and chemical injuries
A mobile app for healthy swimming information on the go