To celebrate National Fitness Day, on Wednesday 18 September 2024 visitors can enjoy FREE access to gym and swim sessions at BH Live Active centres across the city.

Participating centres include the Mountbatten Leisure Centre, Pyramids, and Charter Community Sports Centre.

Visitors will be able to access free sessions by either signing up in advance with a free one-day guest pass, or by quoting ‘National Fitness Day’ at centre reception desks when booking gym or swim sessions on the day.

National Fitness Day is the UK’s biggest celebration of health and fitness to raise awareness of the benefits of staying active. Created by ukactive, the UK’s largest leisure trade body, last year’s campaign saw more than 10 million people engage with physical activity.

This year’s theme is ‘Your Health Is For Life’, a message carried over from last year’s campaign to sustain awareness on the importance of creating healthy, long-term habits for life.

BH Live is a registered charity and social enterprise, whose charitable aims include encouraging more individuals to participate in regular sport and physical activity.

As well as participating in national awareness campaigns such as this, BH Live continues to offer free taster sessions and concessions on activities to eliminate barriers to sport and leisure.

Under 12s can currently enjoy free swimming when accompanied by a fully paying adult at BH Live Active centres in Portsmouth (facilities and opening times vary per centre – visit the BH Live Active app or bhliveactive.org.uk for full details and class timetables).

On behalf of BH Live, Rob Cunningham, Director of Leisure and Business Development, shared;

“Let’s get active together on National Fitness Day – the most active day of the year! We’re delighted to raise awareness of our fantastic facilities and the importance of staying active. By offering free gym and swimming, we hope to show that it’s never too late to start creating healthy habits for life. We hope everyone has a fantastic time exploring their local leisure centre and learning more about the benefits of participating in regular physical activity.”

Cllr Lee Hunt, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Leisure & Sport said:

“It’s great to see BH Live encouraging our residents to get active for free this National Fitness Day. Encouraging healthy lifestyles in our communities, and promoting positive physical health is important to us, so we are thrilled BH Live are able to offer free gym and swim sessions.”

The Mountbatten Leisure Centre, Pyramids, and Charter Community Sports Centre are owned by Portsmouth City Council and operated in partnership with BH Live.

A full list of centre opening times, class timetables, and facilities can be found at bhliveactive.org.uk