Facilities typically include a
swimming pool, a large sports hall, and a
gym, and may include:
aerobics studios, an
indoor cycling studio,
squash courts, a
cafeteria, a licensed
bar, outdoor grass and/or artificial pitches for
football (soccer),
hockey etc., a
solarium,
sauna and/or
steam room. Some of its functions may overlap with that of a
community centre. Leisure centres are staffed by attendants who carry out a range of tasks to help and supervise the people using the leisure centre's facilities, and act as swimming pool
lifeguards, gym instructors and
coaches, offering advice, motivation, and expertise to users. Leisure centres are often operated by private companies on contract to the local authority. Some leisure centres, particularly in Australia, are called
aquatic centres, if their main facilities are pools for
swimming,
diving, and other
aquatic sports. ==Leisure centres in England and Wales==