Manchester #1 for Playing Sport
Previously crowned the best ‘Sports City’ in the world, Manchester clearly has so much more to offer than two world famous football teams.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games left an incredible legacy, Equipping Manchester with one of the most significant
collections of world-class sporting venues in the world.
Manchester Sport and Leisure Trust manage the majority of the indoor sports venues across the city, including the facilities at Eastlands situated in East Manchester; the single largest concentration of sporting venues in Europe along with the world-class Manchester Aquatics Centre on Oxford Road.
However, these great facilities aren’t just available to elite athletes. Along with a strong network of community centres such as Abraham Moss and Levenshulme Pools to Moss Side and Withington, all centres are open and accessible by the local community, underpinning their grass roots to greatness ethos.
Mancunians are fortunate enough to benefit from access to some of the best facilities and equipment in the world right on their doorstep – all at very competitive prices.
Anyone and everyone can use the facilities.
Whatever your age or ability. 7 days a week.
We know it's not easy to find exercise time in a busy schedule, but the benefits are hard to dismiss, regular exercise can help you lose weight, boost your mood and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases; add to that the sheer wealth of world class facilities on our doorstep, whether you’re interested in playing casually or as part of the great network of clubs across the city, you might just start to feel excited about the prospect of finding the time.
And if it’s inspiration you’re after, read the ‘day in the life’ feature written below by a busy mum of 2 from Ancoats – who is a regular user of the cities diverse facilities – it might just give you the encouragement you’ve been looking for:
On any given Thursday…
With the other half on the morning school run, my normal routine gets me to spinning at 7.15am at Sportcity Health & Fitness, and as a member, all my classes are included. After a well needed shower, I grabbed breakfast at Starters Orders Café in the National Squash Centre before heading into the office.
Another hectic day at work, but knew I needed to call mum as I’d had a missed call from her last night. I only got her voicemail when I called but then remembered she goes to the Manchester Aquatics Centre every Thursday lunchtime for a swim; she loves it as now she’s over 60, she gets in free – where I’m sure she does more chatting than swimming!
I was on the afternoon school run, so picked up the kids from school and whizzed straight over to Moss Side Leisure Centre as one of the kids is loving the new trampolining sessions there - while the other is in a swimming lesson that starts at the same time (4.30pm is officially manic!).
Thursdays are when the other half also thinks he’s the next Aguero and plays five-a-side over at the Manchester Tennis & Football Centre - so I dropped the kids off at mum’s after their trampolining and swimming lessons and then nipped over to Abraham Moss Leisure Centre for a game of badminton myself. I’ve started doing the No Strings badminton sessions there on a Sunday afternoon but some of the guys were keen to get some extra games in during the week, and it was great fun.
After such a hectic day, I treated myself to half an hour in the health suite at Abraham Moss after the badminton before picking the kids up on the way home...
…thank goodness it’s Friday tomorrow!
To find out more about Trust venues visit: www.manchestersportandleisure.org
or call 0161 220 3800
