Swimmers at Easington’s Peterlee Leisure Centre have a new reason to stay active thanks to the installation of an Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) Swimfit Unit.

The unit, which provides swimmers of all ages and abilities with structured swimming workouts, has been installed with funding from Northumbrian Water and the support of the national Everyday Swim initiative.

The poolside units contain a variety of swimming equipment including kickboards, hand paddles and pull buoys, which allow users to exercise different parts of their body and get the most from their workout. Waterproof workout cards are also available, which provide structured programmes at a variety of levels from beginner to competent swimmer.

Swimmers are being encouraged to use the units during early morning, lunchtime and evening lane swimming where dedicated lanes are provided and a member of staff is on hand to provide Swimfit support, advice and encouragement.

Users can subscribe to www.swimfit.com to track their progress, set challenging distance targets and access even more pool workouts. Swimfit.com also allows members to track activity on foot, on bike or in the gym, providing a one-stop workout log.

Easington Everyday Swim Coordinator Duane Newton hopes the Swimfit unit, and the benefits of a structured workout, will encourage people to incorporate swimming into their weekly routines.

“The Swimfit unit adds another dimension to people’s swimming experience at Peterlee Leisure Centre,” he said. “By having structured sessions it will encourage people to make the most out of their time in the pool and as they see and feel the benefits they are more likely to make swimming a regular part of their fitness routine.

“By having trained staff on poolside at programmed times it means users can ask for help and advice and find out what else is on offer at the centre.”

Dorothy Tait, Northumbrian Water’s Community Relations Manager, said:

“Northumbrian Water has the community at the heart of everything it does and is making a splash by supporting the ASA programme which will encourage all members of the family to be active as part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Even when in water you need to replace the water your body loses when exercising - at least eight glasses a day.”

Other swim projects supported by Northumbrian Water in the ASA North East Region include Top Ups swim sessions to help children at Key Stage 2 achieve the required 25m distance in the pool and subsidised teacher and coach education.

-ENDS-

Everyday Swim is a national pilot project, led by the Amateur Swimming Association and funded by Sport England, which aims to break down the barriers to swimming and provide best practice examples to be used across the country. Sport England has committed to invest £3m into Everyday Swim over a three-year period.

Everyday Swim pilots are taking place in Easington (County Durham), Islington (London), Kirklees (West Yorkshire), Lewisham (London), Suffolk, Telford & Wrekin, Wirral and Woking (Surrey).

Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew is the Everyday Swim Ambassador.

For more information on Everyday Swim and details of all eight programmes see www.everydayswim.org

For media information contact ASA media officer Amanda Overend on 01509 632238, 07876 652 318 or email amanda.overend@swimming.org

The Amateur Swimming Association is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,220 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

www.britishswimming.org

Sport England promotes and invests in community sport in England, with the aim of getting the nation more active in sport and physical activity. It works closely with a range of national and regional partners, including national governing bodies, to achieve its aims. Everyday Swim is also linked to Sport England’s Everyday Sport campaign. This is a national physical activity campaign that aims to encourage people to build encourage people to build physical activity and sport into their everyday lives. Further information: www.sportengland.org & www.everydaysport.com