Health, fitness and leisure centres
Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, back pain and osteoporosis. It can also improve your mood and help you to manage stress and anxiety.
For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week.
However, if you are unable to do this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.
If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Beginning at a slow pace will allow you to become physically fit without straining your body. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do more strenuous activity.
Abergavenny Leisure Centre
Old Hereford Road, Abergavenny NP7 6EL, Wales, tel 01873 857444,
Open daily except bank holidays, Mon–Fri 7am–10pm, Sat–Sun 8.15am–6pm
Facilities include:
- swimming pool
- advanced fitness suite
- four court multi-purpose sports hall
- full size astro turf four court outdoor multi-use games area
- two squash courts
- multi-purpose gymnasium
- various outdoor pitches
Brecon Leisure Centre
Penlan, Brecon, LD3 9SR, Wales, tel 01874 623677
Open Mon–Fri 6.45am–10pm, Sat–Sun 9am–5pm, bank holidays 10am–2pm
Facilities include:
- swimming pool
- learner pool
- fitness suite
- main sports hall
- activity hall
- indoor green bowls
- ten pin bowling
- squash courts
- athletics track
- astro turf pitch
- meetings and courses
- tennis courts
- coffee shop, Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Wed 9am–6pm, Thu–Fri 9am–5.30pm, Sat 9.30am–5pm, Sun & bank holidays closed
Cefn Coed Community Centre
New Church St, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 2NA, Wales, tel 01685 389717
Facilities/classes include:
- yoga
- kick boxing
Crickhowell Sports Centre
New Road, Crickhowell NP8 1AW, Wales, tel 01873 810997
Facilities include:
- all-weather hockey pitch
- artificial cricket wicket
- sports hall, marked and equipped for:
- badminton
- five-a-side football
- volleyball
- basketball
- badminton
- short tennis
- netball
- fitness room, Mon–Fri 6–10pm, Sat closed, Sun 10am–1pm
Gwernyfed Sports Centre
Three Cocks, Brecon LD3 0SG, Wales, tel 01497 847740
Facilities include:
- fitness suite
- sports hall
- multi-purpose pitch
Hay Swimming Pool
Oxford Road, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5BT, Wales, tel 01497 820431
Please leave a message as staff are quite often busy lifeguarding or teaching.
Open Mon–Thu 6–10pm, Fri 6–9pm
Manor Hotel
Brecon Road, Crickhowell NP8 1SE, Wales, tel 01873 810212
Facilities include:
- heated pool, 8m x 4m
- sauna
- steam room
- jacuzzi
- gym
Peterstone Court
Llanhamlach, Brecon LD3 7YB, Wales, tel 01874 665387
Facilities include:
- spa
- jacuzzi
- sauna
- heated outdoor pool, closed during winter months
- gym
Sennybridge Sports Centre
Sennybridge, Brecon, LD3 8RS, Wales, tel 01874 636512
Ystradgynlais Sports Centre
Glanrhyd, Ystradgynlais SA9 1AP, Wales, tel 01639 844854
Closed Sun.
Facilities include:
- fitness suite
- multi activity sports hall
- full-size astro turf pitch available for hire, evenings and weekends
- sauna
- swimming pool, 25m