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Gyms in Dorset

From Weymouth's pools and Portland's Olympic sailing water to the Jurassic Coast and 29 km of Chesil Beach. Here's where to train in Dorset and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
273
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Showing 1–24 of 273 gyms

Towns in Dorset

From Weymouth and Portland on the coast to the market towns of the north.

Training in Dorset

A rural county with a long coast, where many pools are run by local charities.

Dorset Council's area had around 379,600 people at the 2021 Census, up 4.0% since 2011, and it's an older place than most: the median age rose from 47 to 51. It's also an active one. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for November 2024 to 2025, 68.8% of adults here did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, up from 62.4% the year before and against 64.6% for England.

Its leisure centres are run by a mix of operators and local charities. Everyone Active runs Weymouth Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre and Blandford Leisure Centre, Places Leisure runs Ferndown Leisure Centre, and BH Live Active has a pool and gym at Corfe Mullen. Community trusts run Bridport Leisure Centre, Portland's Osprey Leisure Centre and RiversMeet in Gillingham, and Shaftesbury Town Council runs the open-air Shaftesbury Lido.

Outside is the Jurassic Coast, Chesil Beach and the start of the South West Coast Path at South Haven Point. Wherever you train in the county, it's easier with someone to train with. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Dorset

Public and community leisure centres first, then the strength gyms, fight gyms and the lido.

Public leisure centres

Community and trust-run centres

Strength gyms, CrossFit and chains

Combat and martial arts

Open water and open air

Find a training buddy in Dorset

A lane partner at Bridport or Osprey, someone to lift with in Dorchester, a running partner for the Rodwell Trail: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Dorset training group

A Saturday crew for parkrun at Moors Valley, a summer swim group at Shaftesbury Lido, a weekend walk along Chesil Beach: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Dorset.

  • Jurassic Coastmost of Dorset's coastline is part of this World Heritage Site, which runs 155 km from Studland to Exmouth, past Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door.
  • South West Coast PathEngland's longest National Trail starts at South Haven Point, at the entrance to Poole Harbour.
  • Chesil Beacha shingle bank 29 km long from West Bay to Portland, with the Fleet lagoon behind it.
  • Rodwell Trail3.5 km on the old Weymouth and Portland railway, from Westham to Ferrybridge, partly on the coast path.
  • Moors Valley Country Parkwaymarked walks, cycle routes and cycle hire at Ashley Heath, on the Hampshire border, with a parkrun every Saturday at 9 am.
  • Portland Harbourthe water used for sailing at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, beside the National Sailing Academy.

Getting around

Rail and bus routes to Dorset's gyms.

Rail

  • the South West Main Line runs from London Waterloo through Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester to Weymouth
  • the West of England line serves Gillingham and Sherborne
  • the Heart of Wessex Line runs north from Weymouth to Bristol

Bus

  • Morebus and Damory run a county-wide network linking Poole, Wimborne and the rural towns
  • First runs buses around Weymouth and Bridport, including the Jurassic Coaster along the coast and a route from Weymouth to Axminster along the A35

Cycle and foot

  • the Rodwell Trail links Weymouth town centre with Wyke Regis and Ferrybridge
  • Moors Valley Country Park has waymarked cycle routes

Who trains here

What the census and Sport England say about the people you'll meet in the pool and on the coast path.

  • 51Median ageUp from 47 in 2011 Plenty of people looking for a steady swim or class partner.Census 2021
  • 15.1%Aged 65 to 74Up from 12.4% in 2011, with another 10.2% aged 75 to 84.Census 2021
  • 68.8%Active adultsAdults doing at least 150 minutes of activity a week, against 64.6% for England.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

Dorset gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Dorset?

Gymist lists 273 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across the Dorset Council area, from the leisure centres in Weymouth, Bridport and Gillingham to CrossFit boxes, fight gyms and village sports clubs.

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

Everyone Active runs Weymouth Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre on Knightsdale Road and Blandford Leisure Centre. Places Leisure runs Ferndown Leisure Centre and BH Live Active runs a centre with a pool at Corfe Mullen. Bridport Leisure Centre is run by the Bridport and West Dorset Sports Trust, a charity, and Osprey Leisure Centre on Portland is a not-for-profit charity too. Gillingham has RiversMeet, Sturminster Newton has SturFit and Sherborne has Sherborne Sports Centre.

Where can I swim in Dorset?

Bridport Leisure Centre has a 25 m six-lane pool and a 12 m teaching pool, Osprey on Portland and RiversMeet in Gillingham both have six-lane 25 m pools, and Sherborne Sports Centre has a heated 25 m pool. Weymouth's pool and fitness centre has two pools. For open air, Shaftesbury Lido has been run by Shaftesbury Town Council since 2016, in a tank cut for the steam pumps of the town's water works, completed in 1852.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Dorset?

Most of Dorset's coastline is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, and the South West Coast Path starts at South Haven Point at the mouth of Poole Harbour. Chesil Beach runs 29 km from West Bay to Portland, and the Rodwell Trail follows an old railway line 3.5 km from Westham to Ferrybridge. Moors Valley Country Park at Ashley Heath has waymarked walks and cycle routes and a parkrun every Saturday at 9 am.

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

The South West Main Line runs from London Waterloo through Poole and Dorchester to Weymouth, the West of England line serves Gillingham and Sherborne, and the Heart of Wessex Line runs north from Weymouth to Bristol. Morebus and Damory run a county-wide bus network, and First runs services around Weymouth and Bridport, including the Jurassic Coaster along the coast.

How do I find a gym buddy in Dorset?

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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