Fear no more!

Enjoy being active in the water

Fear no more! Demystifying the pool environment so you can be active in the water.

Want to swim, but feel a little unsure about swimming in public? We get it. Let’s show you some workarounds.

Swimming is a great, full-body workout. It’s great for your overall wellbeing, it destresses you, relaxes you, helps to improve your sleep patterns, burns loads of calories, tones your body – and, makes you feel amazing.

But, for the vast majority of us who don’t have a private pool or waterside property, going for a swim means going to your local leisure centre or lido – and, that means swimming with other people around who you may or may not know.

Everyone has a fear of being judged, it’s human nature! And, public swimming seems to catch us at our most vulnerable – displaying a sporting technique that we may or may not be good at, in minimalist clothing, in a big open public swimming pool. We get it. But, back to the beginning – swimming is really, really good for you and makes you feel amazing.

At Places Leisure, we want to give you every opportunity to be active – and, if you want to try Lane Swimming, Family Swim, Aquafit or Just Swim - let’s make it happen. Here’s how:

Making you feel comfortable at the pool

We pride ourselves on our personal service and want you to feel completely comfortable in the pool environment. Comfort comes with confidence, and confidence comes with knowledge. So, in order to help you feel comfortable – we can start by demystifying the pool environment for you.

Simply call or visit the centre and we can arrange for a member of the team to show you around the pool area. We can show you where the changing rooms are, where the showers are, where the lockers are and where you can put your towel. We can also talk you through appropriate footwear for the poolside area and tell you about all the aquatic classes and sessions we have available and help find the best fit for you.

Other considerations:
  • Want to bring your towel and/or robe poolside? No problem! We want you to feel completely comfortable.
  • Want to swim at quieter times? Day sessions Monday to Friday as well as afternoons on the weekends are traditionally our most quiet pool times.
  • Interested in just swimming, nothing more? Learn more about our Just Swim sessions.
  • Concerned about leaving the pool, getting changed, and heading out into freezing cold temperatures in the winter with a wet head of hair? All changing rooms include hair dryers for your convenience.
  • Concerned about COVID? Swimming pool water inactivates COVID-19 in 30 seconds.
  • Want to track your progress? All of our memberships include the free use of SWIMTAG – waterproof, wearable tech that tracks your strokes, lengths and more.

Ultimately, we want you to come and enjoy a relaxing environment where you can swim at your own pace, meet new people and get the most out of your swim for both your body and mind. So give us a call, or come on in – the water’s fine, and we’re here to help!

Find your nearest centre and check out their timetables to see what we have on offer.

Find a centre

Read more blogs

Take a look at all the blogs we have for you to enjoy

Read more