Just because the days are starting to get shorter and the temperatures outside are dropping doesn’t mean it’s time to put your swimsuits up.  In fact, swimming during the fall and winter is a great way to keep your spirits up and your body in shape.  According to medicinenet.com, “Swimming burns a lot of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently you swim and how buoyant you are.”  Now I’m not suggesting you uncover your neighborhood pool and do the polar bear plunge daily, but I am recommending you read on about a great neighbor you have had for decades who has a pool they would love for you to use. Locally owned and operated since 1975, Sportsclub Greenville is celebrating their 40^th anniversary and they’re “on a mission to provide the best health club experience in the Upstate.” They are achieving this mission by offering a wide variety of exercise choices including the following:

• a tennis center
• Yoga and Pilates classes
• a walking track
• a vast array of cardio equipment
• supervised strength straining
• 250+ weekly group exercise classes
• Aquatics Center which re-opened Labor Day

General Manager Gina Skenteris-Smith and Erin Carlisle, Director of Membership and Corporate Wellness, were gracious enough to show me around and give me the scoop. The therapeutic pool at Sportsclub Greenville is a salt-water, chlorinated system which is kept at a comfortable 88 degrees. The salt water creates softer water which causes less irritation to your skin and hair. Sportsclub Aquatics has something for everyone. Do you have a little one? How great would it be if they could learn to swim this winter, so when summer time comes around again they are prepared to hit the pool with you? When Spring comes bouncing back how would it feel to be eager to shed those extra layers of clothes to bare a toned physique? Are you suffering from joint pain or an injury that has left you sidelined? Sportsclub Aquatics can help on all fronts! First, they offer both group and private lessons for children of all ages. Their Little Duckies program is for infants and toddlers six months through three years-old, and their Ocean Adventures program is for children 3-12. Aqua Fitness and Aqua Zumba are water aerobics classes occurring Monday-Friday.  Fluid Motion is a joint and physical therapy class which addresses flexibility and controlled movements.  They have also launched P.R.E.P Aqua which stands for Physician Referred Exercise Program.  In this program a physician writes a prescription for 60 days which costs you $1 a day!  You will work with a nurse and a medical fitness specialist two times per week in small group sessions AND you will have a fitness membership to Sportsclub during the 60 days which allows you “to enjoy the indoor amenities at Sportsclub Fitness and Wellness Centers.”  Click here to view the Greenville pool schedule. Remember, swimming is great exercise for all ages and can be a family affair, and now you know you have a neighbor who will gladly be your host.  As their website says, “We don’t just want you to join, we want to be part of the reason you’re able to achieve your healthy goals week after week, year after year!” Go see Gina and Erin at 712 Congaree Rd.- Tell them I sent you! www.sportsclubsc.com.