If you participate in any form of sport either for leisure or competitively it can increase your level of fitness and help to improve your overall feeling of well-being.

Whats in this Section

• Sports for all
• Access to sports
• Sports & Fitness Centres
• Professional Clubs

In this section we have brought together information about healthy eating, accessing sports, and new GP incentives, there is even a place to discuss your sporting legends.

Sports for all

Everyone can take part in and enjoy sport from active participants aiming for glory to fervent fans at home in their armchairs there is a place in sport for everyone. Locally, there is a wide range of sporting activities that are available for everyone, whatever their level of fitness, mobility and energy. Your local sports centre, phone directory or council will have details of the many sporting and fitness opportunities in your area.
Being active and taking part in regular fitness and sporting activities can be beneficial to your overall health.

It can make you feel more active, and better about yourself as well as being very enjoyable and giving you a place and people to socialise with. By building up to half an hour of moderate activity each day, such as a brisk walk, health experts say you can improve your sense of wellbeing and fitness. You should try to do activities that you enjoy and it may become a regular part of your everyday life.

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Access to sports

There is a wide range of sporting activities that are available for everyone, whatever their level of fitness, mobility and energy. Many different organisations exist to promote and provide opportunities for people of all abilities to take part in sports in their area.
Local councils will be able to provide details of facilities, clubs and sporting opportunities in their areas. Local libraries or sports centres will be able to provide information and guidance about opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and interests.

Sport England operates the Active Places database, which includes information on a wide range of sports facilities. Active Places lets you search for facilities by location and/or type of facility. It's a good way to find things such as your nearest fitness centre, swimming pool or athletic track. There is accessibility information for every facility.

But don't forget, getting fit and active doesn't have to be all about gyms, some forms of exercise won't cost you a penny, and most types can easily be slotted into a busy lifestyle without having to find an extra few hours in your day.
 
Working in the garden, taking the stairs rather than a lift or walking to the shops instead of using the car can all add up to achieving the recommended 30 minutes a day of active leisure. If you are older and want to become more active, it is important that you take advice from your doctor when considering the level of activity that is suitable for you.

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Sports & Fitness Centres

Most local sports facilities provide exercise options tailored for older people, and will offer dedicated timeslots for women to exercise. The range of activities offered by sport and fitness centres is expanding all the time but will usually include facilities for exercise classes such as aerobics and yoga, gym facilities, swimming pools, and outside sports areas.

Professional Clubs
Alternatively, national, regional or local sports organisations will be able to help and will have websites giving all the information you need to get started.
Leisure Passes. Many councils provide leisure passes to residents or concessionary rates for older people which allow pass holders to use specified facilities at a discounted rate. 

GP Referral schemes
In many areas, local councils and health services join up to offer GP referral schemes for fitness for those people who will benefit from a more active lifestyle. Each scheme will differ as to what is offered and the criteria for eligibility but will usually start with an assessment by your GP leading to a referral to your local leisure centre for an exercise consultation which will provide advice and support to help you become more active. Your local council or your GP will be able to advise whether a scheme is operating in your area.

Sports & Fitness Centres
Exercise is good for you, even a little amount of exercise taken regularly can make you feel better about yourself, boost your confidence and can reduce the risk of developing serious illness. 30 minutes a day of physical activity is recommended to improve your overall fitness and wellbeing. This can be taken in a number of ways from gardening and walking through to more vigorous exercise such as squash and aerobics.

Benefits of improving your fitness include;

• Losing weight or preventing weight
• Increasing your energy levels
• Increasing your self-motivation and confidence 
• Improving your sleep pattern 

One of the best ways to improve your fitness is by taking a look at what your local sports or fitness centre has to offer. Generally a sports or leisure centre can be found in most towns and are easy to locate through advertisements in local papers, libraries, local councils or through searching on the NHS Choices or the Active places website.

Sport England's Active Places Database.
 
This database includes a wide range of information on a large number of sports facilities, and allows you to search by location and / or type of facility. Sports and fitness centres tend to have more of an emphasis on gym based workouts and fitness classes whereas leisure centres offer a wide range of sporting activities and classes including squash, tennis and keep fit classes for the whole family. However, each is different and worth exploring individually.

In many areas local councils and NHS Trusts work in partnership with national, regional and local sports organisations to run sporting initiatives to encourage participation and the learning of new skills. In addition some local councils and NHS Trusts offer schemes to encourage involvement in physical activity by the issuing of discounted passes which can be used at specific facilities and times.

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Professional Clubs

One of the best ways to improve your fitness and to meet new people and form new friendships is to join a professional sports club. There are lots of different club options available to you. Nowadays clubs span a range of different sports, from trampalining to horse riding, golf, football, bowls, tennis, squash or ten pin bowling. Whatever your interest you are sure to find something that suits your tastes and abilities, and that fits into your schedule!

You often find that professional clubs run for a term at a time, so it is advisable that you join a club at the beginning of the term so that you get the best out of the club...and out of the subscription fees! Term times tend to work around holiday periods, so a new club term will start after the Christmas / New Year Period, then again after Easter and then again after the summer holidays; around September time.

Professional clubs can be associated with sports centres, and so this is a good place to start when looking to find a professional club to join.

Even if your local sports centre doesn't have the club you're looking for associated with it, it can point you in the right direction. But you'll also find that your local community centre, church, school or village hall will also have information about local sports clubs, as will local newspapers or newsletters.

Professional clubs usually ask for a subscription fee or a member's fee so that the costs of running the club can be covered. However you may find that your local council or NHS Trust offers schemes to encourage involvement in physical activity by issuing discounted passes which can help pay the required subscription fees.

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