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Gyms in the East of England

From Luton's 50 m pool and Cambridge's year-round lido to the Broads and the Norfolk coast. Gymist helps you find where to train in the East of England, and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
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Places in the East of England

The region's 45 council areas, each with its own page.

Training in the East of England

Growing faster than England as a whole, from its university cities to the Broads and the coast.

The East of England had 6,335,074 people at the 2021 Census, up 8.3% since 2011, faster than England's 6.6%. In Sport England's latest Active Lives survey (Nov 2024–25), 63.9% of adults in the region did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, just below England's 64.6%. That ranges from 75.0% in South Cambridgeshire to 53.4% in Luton.

The region's big indoor venues are spread across its towns. There are 50 m pools at Inspire: Luton Sports Village, Basildon Sporting Village and the University of East Anglia's Sportspark in Norwich, and the Lee Valley White Water Centre at Waltham Cross, the London 2012 canoe slalom venue, offers rafting and kayaking to anyone. Then there's the water outside: Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge, 91.4 m long and open all year, the heated 50 m lidos at Peterborough and Hitchin, and Beccles Lido, heated through the winter.

Beyond them are the Broads, the Norfolk Coast Path, Thetford Forest and Epping Forest. Wherever you train in the region, it's easier with someone to train with. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in the East of England

The region's landmark public venues, from its Olympic legacy to its 50 m pools and lidos.

Olympic legacy and big sports centres

50 m pools and big pools

Lidos and open water

Find a training buddy in the East of England

A lane partner for the 50 m pool at Inspire in Luton, someone to swim Jesus Green Lido with through the winter, a running partner for Epping Forest: find people near you who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start an East of England training group

A Saturday run in Thetford Forest from High Lodge, a winter swim group at Beccles Lido, a Sunday walk on the Norfolk Coast Path: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in the East of England.

  • The Broads303 km² of rivers, broads and marsh in Norfolk and Suffolk, with more than 200 km of navigable waterways and a status similar to a national park.
  • Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Patha National Trail: the Peddars Way runs 46 miles from Knettishall Heath to Holme-next-the-Sea, and the coast path 112 miles along the whole Norfolk coast.
  • Thetford Forestmore than 19,000 hectares on the Norfolk–Suffolk border, the largest lowland pine forest in Great Britain, with cycle hire at High Lodge and mountain bike trails.
  • Epping Forestabout 2,400 hectares of open woodland, 12 miles north to south, where runners have trained since the 1870s.
  • Lee Valley Regional Park26 miles along the River Lea from Ware in Hertfordshire to the Thames, about 10,000 acres in all.

Getting around

The main rail routes to the region's towns and gyms.

Rail

  • the Great Eastern Main Line runs from London Liverpool Street through Shenfield, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich to Norwich
  • the West Anglia Main Line runs from Liverpool Street through Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow and Bishop's Stortford to Cambridge, with branches to Stansted Airport and Hertford East
  • the East Coast Main Line calls at Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, Hitchin, St Neots, Huntingdon and Peterborough

Thameslink, c2c and the Elizabeth line

  • Thameslink runs through London to Bedford, Luton, St Albans City, Cambridge and Peterborough
  • c2c runs from Fenchurch Street through Basildon and Southend Central to Shoeburyness
  • the Elizabeth line's eastern branch ends at Shenfield, via Brentwood

Busway

  • the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, the longest guided busway in the world, runs 16 miles between St Ives, Cambridge and Trumpington, with a bridleway alongside parts of it

Who trains here

What the census and Sport England say about the people you'll train alongside.

  • 19.6%Aged 65 and over1,243,124 people, against 18.4% across England.Census 2021 (TS007A, derived)
  • 31Median age in CambridgeThe youngest in the region. North Norfolk's 54 is the highest of any council area in England.Census 2021
  • 63.9%Adults active 150+ min a weekJust below England's 64.6%, and ranging from 75.0% in South Cambridgeshire to 53.4% in Luton.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

East of England gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in the East of England?

Gymist lists 3,577 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across the East of England's 45 council areas, from Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire to Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Where are the biggest places to train in the East of England?

Luton has Inspire: Luton Sports Village, with a 50 m competition pool, diving facilities and a 20 m community pool. Basildon Sporting Village has an eight-lane 50 m pool, a 400 m track, a 112-station gym and a climbing wall. In Norwich, UEA Sportspark has a 50 m pool, a 400 m track and a gym with more than 130 stations. Ipswich has Crown Pools, with an eight-lane competition pool, and Cambridge has Parkside Pools, with a diving pool, and the Cambridge Ice Arena.

Where can I swim in a 50 m pool or outdoors in the East of England?

The indoor 50 m pools are at Inspire in Luton, Basildon Sporting Village and UEA Sportspark in Norwich. Outdoors, Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge is 91.4 m long, unheated and open all year. Peterborough Lido and Hitchin's lido are heated 50 m pools open in summer, and Beccles Lido is heated and open all year.

Where can I train outdoors for free in the East of England?

The Broads cover 303 km² of Norfolk and Suffolk, with more than 200 km of navigable waterways. The Peddars Way runs 46 miles from Knettishall Heath to Holme-next-the-Sea, and the Norfolk Coast Path 112 miles from Sutton Bridge to beyond Hopton-on-Sea. Thetford Forest covers more than 19,000 hectares, and Epping Forest about 2,400 hectares, open to the public and managed by the City of London Corporation.

Which part of the East of England is most active?

In Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, South Cambridgeshire had the highest share of adults doing 150+ minutes of activity a week (75.0%), followed by St Albans (74.3%), East Hertfordshire (73.0%) and Brentwood (71.3%). The region as a whole was 63.9%.

How do I get around the East of England to train?

The Great Eastern Main Line runs from London Liverpool Street through Shenfield, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich to Norwich, and the West Anglia Main Line through Cheshunt, Harlow and Bishop's Stortford to Cambridge. The East Coast Main Line calls at Stevenage, Hitchin, Huntingdon and Peterborough, Thameslink runs to Bedford, Luton and St Albans, and c2c runs from Fenchurch Street through Basildon to Southend and Shoeburyness. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway links Cambridge with St Ives.

How do I find a gym buddy in the East of England?

Join Gymist free, add the gyms you use and when you train, and browse members in your town or city. If there isn't a group for your kind of training nearby, you can start one.

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