On Top of the World Residents Take a Dip...For Fitness! by Ray Cech

Whether cooling down, taking in some exercise or just chatting with a friend, one of the five On Top of the World Communities' pools is the perfect venue. The indoor Arbor Club pool even sports an electronic roof that can be opened or closed depending on the weather. The pool itself is some 78 feet long and heated to maintain a relaxing 84 degrees. Adjacent to the indoor pool is an equally large, "walking" pool that is an even 4 feet deep allowing for exercise routines of all kinds.

Just about any day of the week, you can join some kind of water aerobics class at one of the five pools. For example, there are the Aqua Belles who on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday perfect their aquacise routines. And from Monday through Friday, there's water walking, lap swimming, and both shallow and deep-water fitness classes.

At each of the pools, there is a schedule of activities. One of the longest running classes is the aerobics class at the Health & Recreation (H&R) pool, which has been running consistently for more than 10 years. "It is some of the best exercise ever! There's little or no stress on the joints and ligaments and yet when it's all done, you can really feel and see the benefits. By the way...it's also a great way to see old friends and meet new ones too," says Jo Swing, a resident turned aqua fitness instructor.

If it sounds like the pools at the Arbor Club, H&R, Candler Hills and Indigo East are just for fitness, that's just not the case! The five pools are also there for sunbathing on a deck chair, cooling off with a short swim and chatting with friends poolside.

Ray Cech is a resident of On Top of the World and a World News writer.