Sheffield's most popular health and fitness scheme is to be rolled out into four more sports venues across the city.

Fitness Unlimited, operated by Sheffield International Venues (SIV), will operate at Graves Tennis Centre, Springs Leisure Centre, Stocksbridge Leisure Centre and Heeley Swimming Pool from mid January.

The scheme currently allows 15,000 members to access sports facilities and classes at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Don Valley Stadium and Concord Sports Centre and the English Institute of Sport Sheffield (EISS).

The expansion of the four new venues into the membership scheme, which has been accessed by nearly a quarter of the Sheffield population over the last decade, follows the announcement by SIV in July to operate the facilities on behalf of Sheffield City Council.

SIV chief executive Steve Brailey said: "We are rolling out Fitness Unlimited into our four new venues in the city allowing even more users to access fitness at an affordable price.

"Driving participation in physical activity is one of SIV's key objectives and the quality, value for money and diversity offered by Fitness Unlimited continues to ensure that health and fitness opportunities are accessible to all in the city.

"From using lane swimming to group fitness classes, we offer physical activity for the whole community. Having access to nine venues across the city means members can take part in physical activity all day, every day at a location suitable to them."

Being a member of Fitness Unlimited also includes complimentary membership into the lifeCARD scheme offering special deals, advance bookings on major events such as music concerts, ticket offers for sports and entertainment and discounts from Sheffield companies.

Councillor Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Sheffield City Council's Cabinet Member for Business, Jobs and Growth, said: "We welcome the addition of these four new venues into the Fitness Unlimited family."

One of our key priorities is to increase participation in sport and physical activity, and this move will see people in Sheffield able to access an even greater range of excellent facilities under the Fitness Limited umbrella which can only be good news."

More than 115,000 people have been a member of Fitness Unlimited over the last 11 years since it was launched in January 2000.This is nearly 22 per cent of the Sheffield population, based on an estimated population of 534,500.

The scheme currently has over 15,000 members - nearly three per cent of Sheffield - and has attracted investment of more than £6m into the SIV facilities over the last 11 years.

There have been more than 16,000 Fitness Unlimited Corporate Memberships throughout the last 11 years with the current total standing at 3,019 members - 21 per cent of the membership mix.

Members have access to over 2,000 group fitness classes a week, two world class indoor and outdoor athletics tracks, sauna and steam rooms, kinesis walls, spin studios, running clubs, eight cardio and resistance gyms and seven swimming pools.