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Gyms in Bradford

A young district that runs from the city out to Keighley, Bingley and Ilkley, with council pools from Bowling to a 1935 lido and moorland on the doorstep. Here's where to train in Bradford and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
561
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Showing 1–24 of 561 gyms

Neighbourhoods in Bradford

From Low Moor and Bowling in the south to Keighley and Ilkley up the valleys.

Training in Bradford

A young district with council pools in every corner and moorland close by.

The Bradford district is home to around 546,400 people (Census 2021), up 4.6% since 2011. It is young: the median age is 36, up from 34, and 9.0% of residents are aged 10 to 15. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for November 2024 to 2025, 60.0% of adults here did 150 minutes or more of activity a week, against 64.5% across England.

Bradford Council runs its own pools and sports centres: Sedbergh Sports and Leisure Centre in Low Moor with an 80-station gym, Eccleshill Pool with a 33.5 m main pool, Shipley Pool with a diving pool, Bowling Pool, The Leisure Centre, Keighley and Ilkley Pool and Lido, opened in 1935. The University of Bradford's Unique Fitness adds a 25 m pool and a climbing wall open to the public, and around them sit The Climbing Hub, Sambo and jiu-jitsu gyms and strength gyms from Queensbury to Shipley.

Much of the district is moor and valley, from Ilkley Moor to the canal at Bingley. It's easier to keep training here with the right company, and Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Bradford

The council's pools and sports centres first, then the university, strength gyms, fight gyms and climbing walls.

Council pools and sports centres (Bradford Council)

University and pay-and-play

Strength gyms and chains

Combat and martial arts

Climbing

Find a training buddy in Bradford

A lane partner at Eccleshill, someone to share the rack in Queensbury, a belay partner at The Climbing Hub: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Bradford training group

A Saturday crew for Lister Park parkrun, a Sunday run up to the Cow and Calf, a towpath ride from Shipley to Bingley: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Bradford.

  • Ilkley Moorrises to 402 m; the Cow and Calf, a gritstone outcrop and boulder above Ilkley, is known for its rock climbing routes.
  • Lister Park22.25 hectares on Manningham Lane, with tennis and basketball courts and Bradford parkrun, a free 5 km every Saturday at 9am.
  • Leeds and Liverpool Canal23 km through the district, past Saltaire and up the Five Rise Locks at Bingley, the steepest flight in the UK.
  • Dales Way84 miles from the Old Bridge in Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere.
  • Roberts Park, Saltaire14 acres on the north bank of the Aire, with a BMX skate park and a cricket ground.
  • Spen Valley Greenwaya paved route on the old railway from Low Moor towards Dewsbury, part of National Cycle Route 66.

Getting around

Rail, bus and bike routes to Bradford's gyms.

Rail

  • Bradford Interchange: 2.359 million passengers in 2024/25, the district's busiest station
  • the Airedale line runs through Shipley, Bingley and Keighley, and the Wharfedale line runs to Ilkley, both from Bradford Forster Square
  • Ilkley has about 35 trains a day to each of Bradford Forster Square and Leeds

Bus

  • Bradford Interchange bus station reopened in January 2025
  • First West Yorkshire and Arriva Yorkshire are the main operators at the Interchange bus station, with Keighley Bus Company and TLC Travel

Cycle

  • the CityConnect cycle superhighway runs just over 14 km from Church Bank in Bradford to Leeds city centre
  • the Spen Valley Greenway, part of National Cycle Route 66, starts at Low Moor

Who trains here

What the census and Active Lives say about the people you'll meet in the pool, on the mats and on the moor.

  • 36Median ageUp from 34 in 2011, and joint lowest in Yorkshire and The Humber with Leeds and Hull.Census 2021
  • 60.0%Adults active 150+ min a weekAgainst 64.5% across England, so plenty of people here are still building the habit.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25
  • 17.4%Aged 50 to 64Up from 16.4% in 2011. A swim or class partner makes it easier to keep going.Census 2021

Bradford gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Bradford?

Gymist lists 561 gyms, leisure centres, pools, climbing walls, studios and sports venues across the Bradford district, from the council's pools and sports centres to strength gyms, fight gyms and village sports grounds in Keighley, Bingley and Ilkley.

Which leisure centres are in Bradford, and who runs them?

Bradford Council runs its centres itself, with ClubActive gyms at several of them. They are Sedbergh Sports and Leisure Centre on Cleckheaton Road, Low Moor; The Leisure Centre, Keighley in Victoria Park; Shipley Pool and Gym on Alexandra Road; Eccleshill Pool on Harrogate Road; Bowling Pool and Gym on Flockton Road; Ilkley Pool and Lido on Denton Road; Manningham Sports Centre; Thornton Recreation Centre; Marley Activities and Coaching Centre in Keighley; and Wyke Community Sports Village.

Where can I swim in Bradford?

Eccleshill Pool has a 33.5 m main pool, a learner pool, a 20 m waterslide and diving boards. Shipley Pool has a 25 m pool and a separate diving pool with two high boards and two springboards. Bowling Pool's 25 m deck-level pool is heated to 32.5ºC. In the city centre, the University of Bradford's Unique Fitness has a 25 m pool you can use without being a member. Ilkley Lido, opened in 1935, is closed until its 2027 season; the indoor pool beside it stays open.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Bradford?

Bradford parkrun is a free 5 km every Saturday at 9am in Lister Park, which also has tennis and basketball courts. Ilkley Moor rises to 402 m, the Dales Way starts at Ilkley's Old Bridge, and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs for 23 km through the district, past the Five Rise Locks at Bingley. The Spen Valley Greenway starts at Low Moor and runs south on the old railway line.

How do I get to gyms in Bradford without a car?

Bradford Interchange is the district's busiest station, with 2.359 million passengers in 2024/25, and its bus station reopened in January 2025. The Airedale line serves Shipley, Bingley and Keighley and the Wharfedale line runs to Ilkley, both from Bradford Forster Square. By bike, the CityConnect cycle superhighway runs just over 14 km from Church Bank in Bradford to Leeds.

How do I find a gym buddy in Bradford?

Join Gymist free, add your gym and when you train, and browse members nearby. If there isn't a group for your kind of training yet, start one.

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