Skip to content
Sign in

Gyms in the North East

From the region's only Olympic-standard pool in Sunderland and the velodrome in Middlesbrough to the Cheviot hills and the Northumberland coast. Gymist helps you find where to train in the North East, and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
2,447
Join Gymist freeFind a training buddy

Popular gyms in North East

See all 2,447 gyms in North East →

Council areas in the North East

Twelve council areas, from Berwick to the Tees, each with its own page.

Training in the North East

Big public venues on the Tyne, Wear and Tees, and some of England's emptiest hills.

The North East is home to 2,647,013 people (Census 2021), up 1.9% since 2011, against 6.6% for England. Its median age is 42, two years older than England's, and 20.4% of residents are 65 or over. Newcastle is the exception, with a median age of 34. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, 61.2% of adults here did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, below England's 64.6%. That ranges from 67.0% in Northumberland to 50.6% in Middlesbrough.

Some of the region's biggest public venues are spread along its rivers. Sunderland has the Sunderland Aquatic Centre, with a 50 m pool and a separate diving pool, and a 160 m dry ski slope at Silksworth. Gateshead International Stadium has an eight-lane 400 m track. On Teesside, Middlesbrough Sports Village has a 250 m velodrome, an athletics track and a 1 km road circuit, and the Tees Barrage International White Water Centre has a 300 m white water course.

Then there's the outdoors: Northumberland National Park, the least visited in England and Wales, the North Pennines, 40 miles of protected Northumberland coastline and Hadrian's Wall Path from Wallsend. It's a big region to train in on your own. Gymist helps you find the gyms near you and the people who train like you do.

Where to train in the North East

The region's landmark public venues, its white water course and its climbing walls.

Landmark public venues

Climbing walls

Find a training buddy in the North East

A lane partner at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre, someone to ride the velodrome with in Middlesbrough, a bouldering partner at The Valley or Rock Antics, a walking partner for the Cheviots. Find people near you who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a North East training group

A weekend Hadrian's Wall Path walking group from Wallsend, a C2C cycling crew finishing at Tynemouth, a paddling group at the Tees Barrage: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in the North East.

  • Northumberland National Parkmore than 1,050 km² of hills and moorland, rising to The Cheviot (816 m), and the least visited national park in England and Wales.
  • North Penninesa National Landscape of about 2,000 km² across Teesdale and Weardale, with Cross Fell (893 m) and High Force on the Tees.
  • Northumberland Coast40 miles of protected coastline from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Coquet estuary, past Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles and Lindisfarne.
  • Hadrian's Wall Pathan 84-mile National Trail from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway.
  • Pennine Way268 miles from Edale, crossing Hadrian's Wall and the Cheviots to finish at Kirk Yetholm.
  • Kielder Waterthe largest artificial lake in the UK by volume, surrounded by Kielder Forest.

Getting around

Rail, Metro and cycle routes across the region.

Rail

  • the East Coast Main Line calls at Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed
  • the Durham Coast Line links Newcastle, Sunderland, Seaham, Hartlepool, Stockton and Middlesbrough

Metro

  • the Tyne and Wear Metro has 60 stations on 77.5 km of track across Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland, and reaches Newcastle Airport

Cycle

  • the C2C (Sea to Sea) route runs from Whitehaven or Workington to Sunderland or Tynemouth
  • Hadrian's Cycleway (National Cycle Route 72) follows the Tyne to South Shields
  • the Teesdale Way crosses the Tees Barrage on a foot and cycle bridge

Who trains here

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

  • 42Median ageTwo years older than England, but Newcastle's is 34: plenty of people at the age when a training partner keeps you going.Census 2021
  • 20.4%Aged 65 and over540,559 people, against 18.4% for England. Swimming, walking and group classes are where many of them train.Census 2021 (TS007A, derived)
  • 61.2%Adults active 150+ min a weekBelow England's 64.6%, and ranging from 67.0% in Northumberland to 50.6% in Middlesbrough.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

North East gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in the North East?

Gymist lists 2,447 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across the North East's 12 council areas, from Northumberland and Tyneside to County Durham and Teesside.

Where are the biggest places to train in the North East?

Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside. Sunderland has the Sunderland Aquatic Centre and the Silksworth ski slope, Gateshead has Gateshead International Stadium, and Newcastle's council centres, including the City Baths, are run by Better. On Teesside, Middlesbrough Sports Village has a velodrome and athletics track, and Stockton has the Tees Barrage International White Water Centre and Billingham Forum, with its ice rink and three pools. In County Durham, Thrive Leisure runs 15 leisure centres, including Freeman's Quay in Durham.

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

The Sunderland Aquatic Centre has a 50 m pool, which can be split into two 25 m pools, and a separate diving pool. It is the only Olympic-standard pool in North East England. For outdoor water, the Tees Barrage International White Water Centre offers rafting and white water kayaking on its 300 m course, and kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding on its flat water lake. Stanhope's heated open-air pool in Weardale is closed for renovation.

Where can I train outdoors for free in the North East?

Northumberland National Park covers more than 1,050 km², rising to The Cheviot (816 m), and the Pennine Way ends just beyond it at Kirk Yetholm. The North Pennines National Landscape covers about 2,000 km², with Cross Fell at 893 m and High Force on the Tees. The Northumberland Coast National Landscape protects 40 miles of coastline from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Coquet estuary, and Hadrian's Wall Path runs 84 miles from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway.

How do I get around the North East to train?

The East Coast Main Line calls at Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The Durham Coast Line links Newcastle, Sunderland, Seaham, Hartlepool, Stockton and Middlesbrough. The Tyne and Wear Metro has 60 stations across Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside and Sunderland, and reaches Newcastle Airport.

How do I find a gym buddy in the North East?

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

Train in the North East? Join Gymist

Free to join. Save your gyms, share when you train, and connect with people training near you, from Berwick to Hartlepool.

Join Gymist free

Nearby areas