How to Plan Your Perfect Backyard Wellness Space

A backyard wellness space can be as simple as a quiet spa tucked into a private corner, or as involved as a complete outdoor retreat with a swim spa, sauna, ice bath and entertaining area.

Not sure which combination fits your space and routine? Use this guide to match your lifestyle goals with the right equipment, ideal layouts, and landscaping considerations.

Choose the wellness features that match your goals

Here’s a quick cheat sheet to narrow down what belongs in your backyard.

• Relaxation: Spa pool, infrared sauna
• Fitness: Swim spa
• Post-workout recovery: Swim spa, ice bath
• Hot and cold therapy: Infrared sauna, ice bath
• Family time: Spa pool or swim spa
• A complete wellness retreat: A combination of separate hot, cold, exercise and relaxation zones

Best combinations

To give you a starting point, we’ve grouped our most popular features into setups that work naturally together.

Whether you’re creating an at-home hydrotherapy setup, a dedicated fitness and recovery zone, or simply somewhere to relax, here are the combinations we think work best.

For training and recovery

Combination: Swim Spa + Ice Bath

A practical train-and-recover setup that pairs active exercise with targeted cold therapy for post-workout recovery.

Swim spa

Use it for swimming, resistance exercise and low-impact movement. Choose from compact options like the mySwimgym 4.0m for smaller outdoor spaces, or larger myLapswim and myWorkout 4.5–6.0m models if you have more room. Our Australian-made Sapphire Swim Spas have adjustable swim jets, letting you change the intensity to suit your fitness level.

Explore swim spas

A recessed swim spa turns the backyard into a space for exercise, recovery and relaxation.

Ice bath

Add a Solace or Sapphire Ice Bath nearby for a dedicated cold-water option after training, with different colours available to complement your outdoor setup.

Explore ice baths

Tip: Keep your ice bath close to the swim spa so you can step straight from your workout into cold water while your muscles are still warm. Non-slip paving or decking with adequate drainage will be important to prevent slipping and keep the pathway safe when wet.

For relaxation and hydrotherapy

Combination: Spa + Infrared sauna

Turn a quiet corner of your yard into a dedicated sanctuary for slowing down, unwinding, and leaving the day behind.

Spa

Make the spa the centre of the space, with warm-water hydrotherapy and targeted massage jets to help you relax and unwind. This could be installed above ground, partially recessed, or seamlessly built into custom decking - depending on the look you want.

Infrared sauna

Position an infrared sauna nearby to add another warm, relaxing experience to your backyard routine. Infrared heat provides a deep, warming experience that can help relax tired or sore muscles. mySpa has different sauna sizes available, including compact one-person options, so this combination doesn’t necessarily require a huge backyard.

Explore infrared saunas

Tip: Privacy will help the space feel more like a dedicated retreat. Use thoughtfully placed planting around the spa to create a sense of seclusion from the rest of the backyard and neighbouring properties.

Surrounded by lush greenery, this spa feels like its own private retreat.

For hot and cold therapy

Combination: Infrared Sauna + Ice Bath

Pair an infrared sauna with an ice bath to build a dedicated contrast therapy setup at home.

Infrared sauna

Your dedicated heat zone to loosen up tight muscles, warm the body, and sweat out tension.

Ice bath

The cold shock. Step into the ice bath for cold-water immersion right after your sauna session to help flush inflammation and boost circulation.

Tip: A little space between the sauna and ice bath can be useful for sitting, cooling down or resting between hot and cold sessions. Consider adding a bench seat or a small outdoor shower to rinse off between transitions.

For family time and entertaining

Choose your centrepiece: Spa, swim spa or both

Transform your backyard into the ultimate social hub with a water feature designed to bring everyone together.

• Spa: Best for sitting, soaking and spending time together.
• Swim spa: More space to move, play and enjoy the water.
• Swim spa + spa: If you have the space and budget, a spa and swim spa work really well together, giving you a dedicated area for swimming and play alongside a separate spa for soaking and relaxing.
  
  

A swim spa, regular spa, and sheltered seating area come together to create a space for family time and entertaining

Outdoor entertaining

Build the surrounding area around how you like to entertain. mySpa can integrate timber or composite decking, paving, seating areas, planting, outdoor lighting and custom gazebos or pergolas around your spa, plunge pool or swim spa.

If you’re using a spa, consider adding a SpaCaddy or Smart Bar to keep drinks, snacks and valuables within reach, or a spa umbrella for shade over the water.

Tip: Plunge pools are another great option if you want a family-friendly water space without the exercise focus of a swim spa. They can be heated for year-round use, with optional swim jets available on some models.

For an all-in-one backyard retreat

Multiple zones brought together through landscaping.

A larger backyard retreat can combine the experiences that matter most to you, without trying to squeeze every wellness product into the design.

That could include:

• Fitness zone: Swim spa for swimming and low-impact exercise.
• Recovery zone: Ice bath for a dedicated cold-water option.
• Relaxation zone: Spa or infrared sauna for slowing down.
• Entertaining zone: Seating, shelter and outdoor living areas for family and friends.

Bringing it all together

The landscaping is what can make these individual areas feel like one retreat. Through integrated decking, paving, planting, privacy screening, and custom lighting, you can connect each zone to create an effortless flow across your yard.

Discover Landscaping ideas to complement your spa pool

Of course, bringing a multi-zone layout to life takes solid groundwork. Installing a new spa, swim spa, sauna, or ice bath often involves site excavation, engineered concrete slabs, heavy-duty electrical work, and custom structural builds.

To keep the process simple, the mySpa team can handle the entire project through our end-to-end landscaping and installation service, including any required council approvals.

The mySpa team at work, using a crane to get a swim spa into a tricky-access backyard 

Let mySpa take care of the details

Have a setup in mind?

Talk to the mySpa Sydney team about creating a backyard retreat that works around your wellness goals, budget, and outdoor layout.

We can help bring your ideas together, whether you’re starting with a blank canvas or adding a new feature to your existing setup.

Call 02 88506550 to talk about your plans.