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Gyms in Gateshead

The south bank of the Tyne, from the international stadium at Felling to the Derwent Walk and Chopwell Wood. Here's where to train in Gateshead and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
172
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Showing 1–24 of 172 gyms

Neighbourhoods in Gateshead

From the Team Valley and Low Fell to the Derwent valley villages.

Training in Gateshead

An international track, five 25 m pools and a lot of riverside and woodland.

Gateshead is home to around 196,200 people (Census 2021), down 2.0% since 2011, and its median age is 42, up from 40. One resident in five (20.8%) is aged 50 to 64. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, 62.1% of adults here did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, a little above the North East's 61.2%.

Better runs five public centres in the borough: Gateshead International Stadium in Felling, with its eight-lane 400 m track, plus Blaydon, Heworth and Dunston, each with a 25 m pool, and Birtley. Two pools are run by their communities: Gateshead Leisure Centre, run by the charity Gateshead Active since June 2024, and Birtley Community Pool. Around them sit 24-hour strength gyms near the MetroCentre, wrestling and jiu-jitsu in Blaydon and Swalwell, and a boxing CIC in Greenside.

Then there's Saltwell Park, the Derwent Walk and 360 hectares of Chopwell Wood, with three Saturday parkruns between them and Windy Nook. Whether you're new to Gateshead or have trained here for years, it's easier to keep going with the right company. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Gateshead

Better's public centres first, then the community pools, the strength gyms and the fight gyms.

Public leisure centres (Better)

Community-run pools

Strength and chain gyms

Combat and martial arts

Find a training buddy in Gateshead

A lane partner at Heworth, someone to share the sled track at truGym, a rolling partner at Blaydon Grapplers: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Gateshead training group

A Saturday crew for parkrun in Saltwell Park, a weekend ride along the Derwent Walk, a trail running group in Chopwell Wood: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Gateshead.

  • Saltwell Parka 55-acre Victorian park with a four-acre boating lake and tennis courts; Gateshead parkrun and Saltwell junior parkrun are held here.
  • Chopwell Wood360 hectares of mixed woodland near Rowlands Gill, with paths for walking and cycling and its own Saturday parkrun.
  • Derwent Walkthe old Derwent Valley Railway from Swalwell towards Consett, now a country park and part of the Sea to Sea cycle route, over the Nine Arches Viaduct.
  • Keelmans WayNational Cycle Route 141, 11.2 km along the south bank of the Tyne from Wylam Bridge past Ryton and Blaydon to Derwenthaugh.
  • Windy Nook Nature Parka nature reserve on high ground south-east of the town centre, home to Windy Nook parkrun.

Getting around

Metro, rail, bus and bike routes to Gateshead's gyms.

Metro

  • stations at Gateshead Interchange, Gateshead Stadium, Felling, Heworth Interchange and Pelaw
  • Gateshead Interchange was used by 3.202 million passengers in 2024/25, with a bus station on its upper level

Rail

  • the Tyne Valley Line stops at Dunston, MetroCentre and Blaydon
  • Heworth Interchange is also a National Rail station

Bus

  • routes 93 and 94 serve Gateshead International Stadium
  • route 47 links Chopwell Wood with Newcastle and the MetroCentre

Cycle

  • the Keelmans Way (NCN 141) runs 11.2 km along the south bank of the Tyne
  • the Derwent Walk carries the Sea to Sea route from Swalwell up the Derwent valley

Who trains here

What the census and the activity survey say about the people you'll meet.

  • 42Median ageUp from 40 in 2011, as the borough's population ages: plenty of people at the stage when a regular training partner keeps you going.Census 2021
  • 20.8%Aged 50 to 64Up from 19.0% in 2011. A big group for swimming, classes and walking, where company makes the difference.Census 2021
  • 62.1%Adults active 150+ min a weekSlightly above the North East's 61.2%, but below England's 64.6%.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

Gateshead gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Gateshead?

Gymist lists 172 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across the borough of Gateshead, from the Better centres and the two community pools to strength gyms, fight gyms, dance schools and sports clubs.

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

Better runs five: Gateshead International Stadium on Neilson Road, Blaydon Leisure Centre on Shibdon Road, Heworth Leisure Centre on High Lanes, Dunston Leisure Centre on Dunston Bank and Birtley Leisure Centre on Durham Road. Gateshead Leisure Centre on Alexandra Road is run by the charity Gateshead Active, and Birtley Community Pool on Durham Road is run by its community as a not-for-profit.

Where can I swim in Gateshead?

Gateshead Leisure Centre has a 25 m pool, a 12.5 m teaching pool and a 12 m small pool. Blaydon, Heworth and Dunston leisure centres each have a 25 m pool and a learner pool, and Heworth has a splash area for children under 8. Birtley Community Pool is a community-run pool on Durham Road.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Gateshead?

Gateshead parkrun is held in Saltwell Park, a 55-acre Victorian park with tennis courts and a boating lake, and there are also Saturday parkruns at Windy Nook Nature Park and Chopwell Wood. Chopwell Wood is 360 hectares of mixed woodland near Rowlands Gill, with paths for walking and cycling. The Derwent Walk follows the old Derwent Valley Railway from Swalwell towards Consett, and the Keelmans Way runs along the south bank of the Tyne.

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

The Tyne and Wear Metro stops at Gateshead Interchange, Gateshead Stadium, Felling, Heworth Interchange and Pelaw, and Gateshead Stadium station is named after the international stadium. Gateshead Interchange has a large bus station above the Metro platforms. The Tyne Valley Line stops at Dunston, MetroCentre and Blaydon, and buses 93 and 94 serve Gateshead International Stadium.

How do I find a gym buddy in Gateshead?

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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