Indoor swimming for adults during the winter?

indoor pool bw flickr Thomas R StegelmannBrooks emails:

Could you help me find a place where adults can swim in the winter? I live in Colonie and I know about the Ciccotti Center, but it's way out of my price range.

Sometimes it's hard to get exercise during the winter because of the weather, but it's worth the effort -- you'll feel better for it, about yourself and about winter.

So, got a suggestion for Brooks? Please share! And sentence or two about why you're recommending a place can be a big help.

photo: Flickr user Thomas R. Stegelmann (CC BY 2.0)

Comments

North Colonie has some swimming times as part of their adult education offerings. You can download the spring courses here at the bottom of the page.

http://www.northcolonie.org/district-services/continuing-education/

To add to this question - any master's swimming clubs that practice locally that anyone knows of?

Shaker High School's pool has open swim hours available through their adult continuing education program, though it's at set times and dates. The fee is low ($35 for 10 weeks, 1 hour/week; also an early bird program that's more frequent) though, so if the schedule works for you, it might be a good option. Here's a contact phone number, pulled from the North Colonie website: 785-5989; the director of continuing ed is Edward Dopp. Might be worth a call to hear a full schedule!

We love the Y. If someone refers you there's a lifetime discount and the facilities are good.

We were going to wait until later this week to put this information up, but maybe this will help find some additional options.

http://blog.cdphp.com/health-living/desperately-seeking-summer-winter-swimming-options-in-upstate-new-york/

Vorheesville High School has open swim hours on Wed nights and Sat afternoons. $2 for adults, no need to be a resident.

http://www.voorheesville.org/domain/55

Any of the bigger high schools in the area that have pools should have times/days with community access like the AM or on weekends. The Albany JCC and Schenectady JCC have great pools and the Capital Region YMCA has great indoor pools and locations throughout the region with affordable rates.

I haven't been there nor can I confirm this information but someone posted this in a group I follow.... "Voorheesville High School pool is open for lap swim Wed 7-9pm and Sat 1-3pm. It is $2 adults ($1 kids) and you don't need to be a district resident.....They are planning on adding Mon 7-9pm as well."

Ballston Spa's pool has limited open and lap swim times ($1 for residents, $2 for non-residents): http://www.bscsd.org/High.cfm?subpage=238

I swim at the Greenbush Y but I know of community swim and lap swim available at the Cohoes Community Center and Troy Boys and Girls Club.
As for masters swimming, searching with this site found multiple local masters meet ups and good general places to swim: http://www.adms.org

Some hotels have pool clubs. I'm a member of the one at the best western on western ave across from Ualbany. It isn't Olympic size but you could get some laps in. Weekdays and early mornings are pretty quiet.

The Cohoes Community Center has adult swim times. Note that they don't put in lane lines but it is a nice old school pool. Nothing fancy and cheap
http://www.cohoescommunitycenter.org/SWIM%20CURRENT.pdf

I love the YMCA (we go to Bethlehem but they're all great). RCS high school has swimming too. It's nowhere near Colonie (10 minutes south of Glenmont on 9w) but if anyone else is in that general direction & is also wondering.

I am a coach and instructor at Voorheesville high school pool. I can confirm that we have started open swim on Mondays as well as the normal Wednesday and saturday. There is also lap swim on Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday early morning for those that sign up for it through the continuing education. The open swims are always much less crowded then any of the Y's. We tend to have just a few lap swimmers during these times so you get your own lane most days.

The Albany JCC on Whitehall is easy to get to and offers a nice and clean indoor pool facility.

A single person membership rate is $49 per month and includes full use of the facilities and classes (yoga, pilates, spin, etc.)

The Guilderland YMCA pool is my favorite among the various Y offerings. It's big and well-lit, and there's a hot tub and sauna right alongside!

I like Albany Academy open 530-730 M-F $5/dip or $50/mo. Clean, full length for more advanced lap swimmers

I went to physical therapy last winter that held their water therapy classes at the Greenbush Y. Although with my issues the swimming was a great therapy, I had to stop because of how over-chlorinated the pool was. Also, the regulars were vocal with their irritation of how "these classes" interrupted their open swim availability and it made it uncomfortable a few times. The chlorine was so bad that my eyes started burning when walking into the room and after showering there, then coming directly home and showering again both times with pool shampoo and soap, I still smelled and my skin was flaking awful. I couldn't take it anymore so if anyone knows of a pool that does salt or doesn't over chlorinate, I would like to know that! Thanks :-)

North Albany YMCA is relatively inexpensive and is almost never crowded. I usually have a lane to myself at peak after-work hours.

Many local universities also offer a gym / pool membership, although their pricing was similar to that of the Y.

Vent fitness in Guilderland (former Gold's Gym) at 20 Mall had a major renovation about a year ago. They put in a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and a steam room. The pool is also ridiculously empty in the evenings. Maybe you have to share a lane, but many times you have a whole lane to yourself. It's squeaky clean and awesome. I cannot get this kind of service for ANY amount of money in Saratoga county.

I am also looking for a salt or less-chlorinated pool. I used the hotel pool near my home (and it was almost empty at night, it was warm and glorious), but the chlorine gave me breathing problems.

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