What to expect…

Members share their experiences of the Dead Sea Salt Therapy pool

Last month we unveiled our Dead Sea Salt therapy pool allowing you the opportunity to float upright, effortlessly supported by 160 tonnes of salt.

The salt water provides greater resistance and so creates a unique environment for movement. We are encouraging all users to perform gentle, no impact movements including walking and cycling motions.

We are thrilled to have received wonderful feedback from you. Please take a moment to read reviews from two members who relished the opportunity to use the pool.

Robin has been using the pool regularly to perform gentle rehabilitation exercises,

“This is a fantastic addition to the facilities at Nirvana Spa – I believe it’s the first of its kind in the country. For someone like me who has just had hip joint replacement surgery, the combination of the depth of the pool, the buoyancy from the added salt and the heated water, means it is a great and safe environment for my rehabilitation exercises, including running. This has enabled me to gain fitness, strength and flexibility. It has also allowed me to move the joint in a more advanced way than was possible on land. Also, the buoyancy provided by the salt means there are no awkward floats and buoyancy aids required so my movement is more fluid and comfortable as a result. I highly recommend it to anyone recovering from surgery or who has joint issues which cause pain or suffering.”

Emma was delighted to access the Dead Sea Salt Therapy pool using our state of the art Pool Pod.

“I was both excited and terrified to be the first person to use the Pool Pod to enter the Dead Sea Salt pool. I needn’t have worried; thanks to the friendly and confident staff and the incredible pool pod machine the whole experience was magical.

I know what you’re thinking, it’s just getting into a pool, hardly magic. But for those of us with mobility constraints access to pools is difficult.

On arrival, staff took the time to explain that I would transfer from my wheelchair to the pool pod wheelchair, attach safety straps and then be wheeled into the pool pod lift.

Once on the pool pod lift, the wheels of my chair were locked by the staff and they checked I was ready to be lowered into the water. A member of staff was in the water waiting for me and two more were on the pool edge operating the lift. The mechanism of the lift was extremely smooth and I felt secure.

As soon as my legs entered the water they started floating, the Dead Sea salts were a lot more buoyant than I’d imagined. By the time the lift was at its lowest position, with the water at chest height, all I could think was how nice the water felt on my body, how soft it was on my skin and how light my body felt.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of weightlessness as I entered the water. I immediately floated upright. Upright without pain. Upright without fear. Upright in water and free to move. It was such a great feeling to be moving without pain, I’m sure I squealed!

I was in the water for 30 minutes, and enjoyed every moment of freedom; moving my legs, hips and back. I walked, I swam, I bounced, I stretched in ways I haven’t for years and it was heavenly. Again, not something you can understand unless you can’t stand, sit or even lie down without some sort of pain.

At the end of the session I was a little worried how I’d get back into the pool pod chair but it was surprisingly easy and before I knew it I was back under the weight of gravity and out of the pool. Gravity is not my friend.

It’s important to wash off the salts after this treatment and I was worried I’d have to go to the disabled changing to do so. But the pool pod chair wheeled into the showers where a hand held shower was easy to use. I was even thoughtfully offered extra towels to keep my chair dry when I transferred back.

The whole experience was rejuvenating for body and soul. An hour later I’m still in less pain than I was, I feel so much more relaxed and, perhaps even more importantly, I feel hope that I can do this again and that my days of enjoying the water are back.”