Not many things in life are free. But in Wales you can swim for free if you're aged 16 and under, or 60 and over. So you'd be daft not to. Swimming pools run by your Local Authority provide free sessions for

• children and young people aged 16 and under, during school holidays and weekends;
• people aged 60 and over, outside school holidays (and some Local Authorities offer this all year round).

Most pools cater for a variety of tastes and abilities, with women-only sessions and lane swimming. Some pools offer free activities including water polo and life saving.

Contact your local pool to see what's on offer.

Olympic silver medallist David Davies thinks it's a great idea.

'Swimming is excellent for providing all-round fitness because it tones your entire body and gets the heart rate pumping. It is a sport that is accessible to people of all ages and - whether you do it for fun or competitively - the benefits are huge. There are so many excellent facilities around every local authority in Wales so I would encourage everyone, young and old, to take advantage of Free Swimming and get in.'

Backed by £3.5m of annual funding from the Welsh Government, this Free Swimming initiative aims to increase participation in physical activity and improve the health and well-being of the nation. The first initiative of its kind in Europe, Free Swimming is managed by Sport Wales, supported by Swim Wales and delivered by partners in local authorities.