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Gyms in Islington

Compact, crowded and young, Islington has seven council leisure centres, a Grade II listed bathhouse and boxing clubs from Archway to Holloway. Here's where to train and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
157
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Showing 1–24 of 157 gyms

Neighbourhoods in Islington

From Archway's hills down to Old Street.

Training in Islington

Dense, young and close to the gym.

Islington has the highest population density of any local authority in England and Wales, and one of the youngest populations: around 216,600 people at the 2021 Census, a median age of 33, and more than a quarter of residents (25.9%) aged 25 to 34. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, 66.0% of adults did 150 minutes or more of activity a week. That was a significant fall from 75.7% the year before, and it leaves Islington level with London as a whole (65.9%).

GLL, trading as Better, runs the council's seven leisure centres and eleven courts and pitches. Sobell Leisure Centre in Holloway has the widest range, including a gymnastics hall. Ironmonger Row Baths near Old Street is a Grade II listed building with a 30.5 m pool and Turkish baths. Archway, Highbury and Cally Pool & Gym all have pools, and there's Finsbury Leisure Centre and Islington Tennis Centre on Market Road too. Green space is tight: Highbury Fields, at 11.75 hectares, is the biggest open space in the borough. Around it all sit boxing clubs, chain gyms and a cluster of yoga and Pilates studios around Angel.

In a borough this crowded, there's very likely someone nearby who trains when you do. Gymist helps you find them.

Where to train in Islington

Council centres first, then the boxing clubs, independents, chains and studios.

Council leisure centres (Better)

Boxing and martial arts

Independent gyms

Chain gyms

Yoga and Pilates studios

Find a training buddy in Islington

A lane partner at Ironmonger Row, a pad holder at a Holloway boxing gym, a squash opponent at Sobell: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start an Islington training group

A Highbury Fields running group, a weekend tennis four on Market Road, a reformer Pilates crew at Angel: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Places to train in the open air in Islington.

  • Highbury Fields11.75 hectares, the borough's largest open space, with tennis courts and bookable pitches.
  • Paradise Park, Whittington Park and Barnard Parkcouncil football pitches you can book through Better.
  • Tufnell Park Playing Fields and Rosemary Gardensmore of the council's courts and pitches.
  • Parkland Walka short stretch between Crouch Hill and Crouch End Hill is in Islington; the rest heads north through Haringey.
  • Finsbury Square bowling greenopen from May to September.

Getting around

Tube, Overground, Elizabeth line, bus and bike routes to Islington's gyms.

Tube

  • 9 stations, mainly on the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, with the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines at Farringdon

Overground

  • Mildmay line at Caledonian Road & Barnsbury, Highbury & Islington and Canonbury
  • Windrush line from Highbury & Islington and Canonbury
  • Suffragette line at Upper Holloway and Crouch Hill

Elizabeth line

  • Farringdon

Bus

  • 43 daytime routes

Cycle

  • 36 Santander Cycles docking stations

Who trains here

What the census and Sport England say about the people you'll meet at the rack, in the pool and in the ring.

  • 33Median ageUp from 31 in 2011. More than a quarter of residents (25.9%) are aged 25 to 34.Census 2021
  • 66.0%Adults active 150+ minutes a weekDown from 75.7% the year before, a significant fall, and now level with London (65.9%).Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25
  • 5.1%Population growth since 2011From around 206,100 people in 2011 to around 216,600 in 2021, in a borough of under 15 km².Census 2021

Islington gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Islington?

Gymist lists 157 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across Islington, from the Better leisure centres and park pitches to boxing clubs, chain gyms and Pilates studios.

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

GLL, trading as Better, runs the council's seven leisure centres: Archway Leisure Centre, Cally Pool and Gym on Caledonian Road, Finsbury Leisure Centre, Highbury Leisure Centre, Ironmonger Row Baths, Islington Tennis Centre and Gym on Market Road, and Sobell Leisure Centre on Hornsey Road. It also runs eleven courts and pitches, including Highbury Fields, Market Road and Whittington Park.

Where can I swim in Islington?

Archway, Cally Pool and Gym, Highbury Leisure Centre and Ironmonger Row Baths all have pools. Ironmonger Row's main pool is 30.5 m, and its Spa Experience has Turkish baths and a sauna.

Where can I train outdoors in Islington?

Highbury Fields is the borough's largest open space, with tennis courts and pitches. The council's bookable pitches include Paradise Park, Whittington Park, Barnard Park and Tufnell Park Playing Fields, and a short stretch of the Parkland Walk runs through the borough between Crouch Hill and Crouch End Hill.

How do I get to gyms in Islington?

Islington has nine Tube stations, mainly on the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, five London Overground stations, the Elizabeth line at Farringdon and 43 daytime bus routes. There are 36 Santander Cycles docking stations.

How do I find a gym buddy in Islington?

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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