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Gyms in the South East

From Crawley's 50 m pool and Guildford's lido to the South Downs and the New Forest. Gymist helps you find where to train in the South East, and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
7,979
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Places in the South East

The region's 64 council areas, each with its own page.

Training in the South East

England's most populous region, and one of its most active.

The South East is England's most populous region: 9,278,065 people at the 2021 Census, up 7.5% since 2011. It's also one of the most active. In Sport England's latest Active Lives survey (Nov 2024–25), 67.4% of adults in the region did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, against 64.6% for England. That ranges from 76.8% in Waverley to 53.5% in Slough.

The region's landmark public venues are spread out rather than gathered in one city. There are 50 m pools at K2 Crawley, Surrey Sports Park in Guildford and the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth. Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, is England's National Centre for Disability Sport, and Bisham Abbey in Berkshire is one of Sport England's three National Sports Centres. Then there are the lidos: Guildford, Saltdean, Hilsea and the Pells in Lewes, the oldest freshwater outdoor public baths in the UK still operating.

Beyond them are two national parks, the South Downs and the New Forest, and four National Trails. 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 South East

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

National centres

50 m pools and big sports centres

Lidos and outdoor pools

Find a training buddy in the South East

A lane partner for the 50 m pool at Surrey Sports Park, someone to swim Guildford Lido with through the winter, a running partner for the South Downs Way: find people near you who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a South East training group

A summer swim group at Saltdean Lido, a Saturday run on the South Downs Way out of Winchester, a rowing-lake loop at Dorney: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in the South East.

  • South Downs National ParkEngland's newest national park, designated in 2010: 1,627 km² across Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex.
  • New Forest National Parkabout 566 km² of heath, pasture and forest in south-west Hampshire, a national park since 2005.
  • South Downs Way100 miles (160 km) along the downs from Winchester to Eastbourne.
  • North Downs Way153 miles (246 km) from Farnham through Canterbury to Dover.
  • Thames Path and the Ridgewaytwo more National Trails: the Thames Path follows the river 185 miles from its source to Woolwich, and the Ridgeway ends at Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.

Getting around

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

Rail

  • the Brighton Main Line calls at Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Hassocks on the way to Brighton
  • the South Western Main Line runs from London Waterloo through Woking, Basingstoke and Winchester

High speed

  • Southeastern's high-speed trains run from St Pancras to Kent, including Dover, Ramsgate, Faversham and Margate via Canterbury West

Elizabeth line

  • runs west from London to Reading, calling at Slough and Maidenhead

Who trains here

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

  • 41Median ageBut the university cities run younger: Oxford's median age is 31, Brighton and Hove's 38.Census 2021
  • 24.5%Aged 20 to 39Nearly 2.27 million people, a little below England's 26.3%.Census 2021 (TS007A, derived)
  • 67.4%Adults active 150+ min a weekAbove England's 64.6%, and ranging from 76.8% in Waverley to 53.5% in Slough.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

South East gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in the South East?

Gymist lists 7,979 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across the South East's 64 council areas, from Kent and Sussex to Surrey, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

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

The region has no single sporting capital. Guildford has Surrey Sports Park, with a 50 m pool, and Guildford Spectrum, with three pools, a diving pool and an Olympic-size ice rink. Crawley has K2 Crawley, Portsmouth has the Mountbatten Centre, Aylesbury has Stoke Mandeville Stadium and Bisham, in Berkshire, has Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, whose gym is open to the public.

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

K2 Crawley, Surrey Sports Park and the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth all have 50 m pools; in November 2026 K2's 50 m lane swimming is running at 25 m while a fault with its boom is repaired. Guildford Lido is a 50 m heated outdoor pool. Saltdean Lido is a 40 m heated outdoor pool, Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth reopened in May 2026 after refurbishment, and the Pells Pool in Lewes has been open since 1861.

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

The South Downs National Park covers 1,627 km² of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex, and the South Downs Way runs 100 miles (160 km) along it from Winchester to Eastbourne. The New Forest National Park covers about 566 km². The North Downs Way runs 153 miles (246 km) from Farnham to Dover, and the Thames Path and the Ridgeway both pass through the region.

Which part of the South East is most active?

In Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, Waverley had the highest share of adults doing 150+ minutes of activity a week (76.8%), followed by Chichester and Oxford (both 75.4%) and Elmbridge (75.1%). The region as a whole was 67.4%.

How do I get around the South East to train?

Most of the region's rail lines run into London. The Brighton Main Line links Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill with Brighton; the South Western Main Line runs through Woking, Basingstoke and Winchester; and Southeastern's high-speed trains run from St Pancras into Kent, including Margate via Canterbury West. The Elizabeth line runs west to Reading via Slough and Maidenhead.

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

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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