If you were tasked with finding the main thing keeping Stockport active, you'd likely point to Life Leisure. 

It's been a stalwart of Stockport for years, providing the facilities and inspiration to keep the borough's residents supple and strong.

Life Leisure has helped to produce top athletes and sportspeople - but there's also a great deal else that goes on. Every day, thousands of customers of all ages enter one of eight hubs across the borough, with a similarly wide range of fitness goals. 

Some are looking to build muscle; others are families looking for fun activities; and then there are older residents looking to stay active. 

The eight Life Leisure hubs across Stockport borough all contain a gym with lots of different facilities, and five of the eight also contain a swimming pool. 

And as well as these facilities, there are also halls and studios where Life Leisure hosts classes and activities. There are even badminton and padel courts at some of the hubs.

Learn more about Life Leisure membership here.

As well as gyms, the Life Leisure hubs also have facilities such as sports halls, padel courts, and more (Image - Life Leisure)

There's a huge range of things to do, then - from Baby splash to HYROX to seated exercise.

Best of all, it's something which is rooted in Stockport. Life Leisure's eight locations are Brinnington, Cheadle, Cheadle Heath, Hazel Grove, Reddish, Romiley, Stockport town centre, and Woodley, so there's always one close by if you're a Stockport resident. 

Indeed, you're probably closer to one of these hubs than you think - and there's lots that goes on outside the hubs, too. 

Find your nearest Life Leisure hub here.

For example, Life Leisure is also responsible for walking groups across the borough - in May 2025 alone, they've been busy leading walkers on a string of guided strolls across the borough for National Walking Month. 

One participant, Janet, said: "It is such a friendly and mixed group of people that there is always someone to chat to and learn new things. 

"I have also found new areas to walk in. I would encourage anyone to give it a go."  

Life Leisure hosts top-quality equipment at its facilities (Image - Life Leisure)

Life Leisure makes a point of keeping this balance of accessibility and fitness in all aspects of its work - not just the walking groups. 

Certainly, their stated aim is to simply 'improve the lives of others'. 

This applies to all age groups, fitness levels, and backgrounds.

Find out more about Life Leisure's classes and sessions here.

One Life Leisure regular is Christov - he was a seven-time marathon runner and regular gym-goer before he suffered a stroke. It was Life Leisure that helped him get his mojo back.

"When I got the stroke, everything seemed down", he said.

"But I said never give up - and all the time, I tried to think positive. My coach Vinny and Life Leisure have been fantastic for me. 

"Vinny really helped me by making a special plan [...] everybody here really cares about you."

Five out of the eight centres also contain a swimming pool (Image - Life Leisure)

Similarly, another customer Daz said: "I've been coming to Life Leisure for 10 years. And it's become more to me than just training - the people here are just fantastic. Not just the people who train, but the staff, as well - they're so friendly and knowledgeable." 

"I work out with a lot of people now who've become friends of mine. Everyone is on first name terms."

There are also young visitors. Student Devika said: "It's really refreshing to come and be in a place where it's not all devices and social media.

"When I come here, there's lots of different people, with lots of different backgrounds and ages."

And it's not just the equipment and facilities - there's also a plethora of classes and sessions. 

One of which is confidence walking, designed to get older residents more comfortable moving again after operations or health issues.

As one user said: "I did start to go to a gym after one of my knee operations to restore my leg strength. But I found that going on the gym equipment was a bit tedious and not really sociable. 

"Here, you get plenty of walking in, but you're not pressured to walk any distances. You choose your own limits, and you it's also very sociable."

If you fancy joining the ranks of Life Leisure's healthy Stockport residents, find more information here.

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Life Leisure is a sponsor of Nub News. Support from local businesses such as them helps us keep our local news free and easy-to-read. If you own a local business and would like to sponsor us, get in touch at [email protected].