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Gyms in Ards and North Down

A 50 m pool in Bangor, an eight-lane track at the Sportsplex and Strangford Lough on the doorstep. Here's where to train in Ards and North Down and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
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Showing 1–24 of 218 gyms

Towns in Ards and North Down

From Holywood on Belfast Lough to Newtownards and Comber at the head of Strangford Lough.

Training in Ards and North Down

An older, active borough with a 50 m pool and two loughs.

Ards and North Down had 163,700 residents at Census 2021, up 4.5% since 2011, and it has the oldest population mix of the 11 council areas: 22.1% of residents are 65 or over, the highest share in Northern Ireland, and 17.0% are children aged 0 to 14, the lowest. It's also one of the most active. 63% of adults took part in sport in the past year, second only to Lisburn and Castlereagh and well above the Northern Ireland figure of 51%.

The council runs seven leisure sites. Bangor Aurora has three pools, among them the first FINA-standard 50 m pool in Northern Ireland, plus leisure waters with flumes and waves. The Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex in Newtownards has a pool, gym and spa, Bangor Sportsplex has an eight-lane athletics track, and there are smaller centres in Comber, Holywood and Portaferry. Around them sit weightlifting and CrossFit gyms in Newtownards, 24/7 and small-group gyms in Bangor, and MMA and jiu-jitsu academies.

Whether you've just retired or just moved here for the train to Belfast, training is easier with the right company. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Ards and North Down

The council's leisure centres first, then the strength gyms and health clubs, and the fight gyms.

Council leisure centres

Strength gyms, CrossFit and health clubs

Fight gyms and martial arts

Find a training buddy in Ards and North Down

A lane partner in Aurora's 50 m pool, a lifting partner at Asylum Strength in Newtownards, someone to roll with at Hybrid Devils in Bangor: find people nearby who train when you do.

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Start an Ards and North Down training group

A weekend ride on the Comber Greenway, a morning walk up Scrabo, track sessions at Bangor Sportsplex: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

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Train outdoors

Free places to train in Ards and North Down.

  • Comber Greenway7 miles (11 km) of traffic-free path on the old Belfast and County Down Railway line, from Comber to Dee Street in east Belfast.
  • Scrabo Country ParkScrabo Hill rises 160 m above Newtownards, with woodland walks through Killynether Wood and 122 steps to the top of the tower.
  • Ward Park37 acres in Bangor with 10 tennis courts and a duck pond.
  • Strangford Lough150 km², the largest inlet in the British Isles, almost enclosed by the Ards Peninsula.
  • Castle Espiea Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve on Strangford Lough, three miles south of Comber.

Getting around

Rail, bus and bike routes to the borough's gyms.

Rail

  • the Bangor line to Belfast Grand Central, generally every half hour, with up to six trains an hour at peak times
  • stations include Holywood and Bangor West
  • Bangor Bus and Rail Centre, a combined station and bus interchange opened in its current form in 2000

Bus

  • frequent buses from Comber to Belfast and Newtownards

Cycle

  • the Comber Greenway, a traffic-free National Cycle Network route from Comber to east Belfast

Who trains here

What the census and the household survey say about the people you'll meet in the pool, on the track and on the lough shore.

  • 22.1%Aged 65 or overThe highest share in Northern Ireland, against 17.2% overall. Plenty of people here have time to train in the daytime.NISRA Census 2021
  • 63%Adults who played sport in the past yearSecond only to Lisburn and Castlereagh (65%), and well above the Northern Ireland figure of 51%.Continuous Household Survey 2024/25
  • 2.30People per householdAmong the smallest households in Northern Ireland (average 2.44). Lots of people here train without a ready-made partner at home.NISRA Census 2021

Ards and North Down gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Ards and North Down?

Gymist lists 218 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across Ards and North Down, from the council's leisure centres to strength gyms, fight gyms, yoga studios, and sailing, rugby and tennis clubs.

Which leisure centres are in Ards and North Down, and who runs them?

Ards and North Down Borough Council runs Bangor Aurora on Valentine Road, Bangor Sportsplex on the Old Belfast Road, the Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex on Dairy Hall Lane in Newtownards, Comber Leisure Centre on Castle Street, Queen's Leisure Complex in Holywood, Portaferry Sports Centre on the Cloughey Road and the pitches at Londonderry Park in Newtownards.

Where can I swim in Ards and North Down?

Bangor Aurora has three pools, including Northern Ireland's first FINA-standard 50 m pool, and leisure waters with flumes. The Ards Blair Mayne complex in Newtownards also has swimming. Bannatyne Health Club Belfast, at Mertoun Hall in Holywood, has a 20 m pool for members, and Kerrs Road Pool outside Bangor hires out a private 10 x 5 m indoor pool.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Ards and North Down?

The Comber Greenway runs 7 miles, traffic-free, from Comber to east Belfast. Scrabo Country Park above Newtownards has woodland walks through Killynether Wood, and Ward Park in Bangor covers 37 acres with 10 tennis courts. Strangford Lough, the largest inlet in the British Isles, runs the length of the Ards Peninsula.

How do I get to gyms in Ards and North Down without a car?

The Bangor line runs from Bangor through Holywood to Belfast Grand Central, generally every half hour, with up to six trains an hour at peak times. Bangor Bus and Rail Centre combines the station with the bus interchange, and buses run frequently from Comber to Belfast and Newtownards.

How do I find a gym buddy in Ards and North Down?

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