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Gyms in Waltham Forest

Ice rinks and hockey pitches in the Lee Valley, wetlands and forest on either side, and a borough built for cycling in between. Here's where to train in Waltham Forest and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
27
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Showing 1–24 of 27 gyms

Neighbourhoods in Waltham Forest

From Leyton's marshes to the edge of Epping Forest.

Training in Waltham Forest

Lee Valley venues, forest trails and a cycling network.

Waltham Forest is home to around 278,400 people (Census 2021), with a median age of 35, up from 32 in 2011. A quarter of residents are aged 35 to 49. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for November 2024 to 2025, 66.8% of adults did 150 minutes or more of activity a week, in line with London as a whole and 15th of the capital's 32 boroughs.

Better runs eight centres here, led by the Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre on Chingford Road, with pools, a gym, an athletics track and Clip 'n Climb, plus pools at Leyton, Leytonstone and Chingford. The Lee Valley side of the borough has the rebuilt Lee Valley Ice Centre, with two Olympic-size rinks and a gym, and the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre at Eton Manor. CrossFit boxes, boxing and jiu-jitsu clubs and Pilates and yoga studios fill the gaps in Walthamstow and Leyton.

With Walthamstow Wetlands to the west and Epping Forest to the east, the borough is made for long runs and rides, and they're easier to keep up with someone to go with. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Waltham Forest

Council centres first, then the Lee Valley venues, CrossFit boxes, fight clubs and studios.

Council leisure centres (Better)

  • Waltham Forest Feel Good CentreWalthamstow · Pools, gym, studios, spa, athletics track, Clip 'n Climb, sports hall
  • Leyton Leisure CentreLeyton · Pools, gym, women-only gym, studio, health suite
  • Leytonstone Leisure CentreLeytonstone · Pools, gym, studio, sports hall, sauna
  • Chingford Leisure CentreChingford · Pools, gym, studio
  • Walthamstow Leisure CentreWalthamstow · Gym, studio, squash, sports hall
  • Peter May Sports CentreWalthamstow · Sports hall, studios, outdoor pitches, indoor cricket

Lee Valley venues

CrossFit, boxing and jiu-jitsu

Chain gyms and health clubs

Studios

Find a training buddy in Waltham Forest

A skating partner at the Ice Centre, a lane buddy at the Feel Good Centre, someone to run Epping Forest's trails with on a Sunday: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Waltham Forest training group

A morning run round Walthamstow Wetlands, a ride out to Chingford, a weekend tennis four at Eton Manor: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Waltham Forest.

  • Walthamstow Wetlands211 hectares of reservoirs and paths, one of the largest urban wetland nature reserves in Europe, free to enter since 2017.
  • Epping Forest2,400 hectares of ancient woodland stretching north from Chingford, run by the City of London, with Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge at the forest gateway.
  • Wanstead Flats135 hectares of open grassland and football pitches on the Leytonstone side, shared with Redbridge.
  • Lee Valley Regional Parkthe River Lea's marshes and towpath along the borough's western edge, part of 26 miles of regional park.

Getting around

Tube, Overground, bus and cycle routes to Waltham Forest's gyms.

Tube

  • Victoria line at Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road
  • Central line at Leyton and Leytonstone

Overground

  • eight stations on the Weaver line to Chingford and the Suffragette line through Walthamstow and Leyton

Bus

  • 37 daytime routes

Cycle

  • Cycleway 23 along Lea Bridge Road
  • Cycleway 24 from Tottenham Hale past Walthamstow Wetlands to Blackhorse Road
  • Cycleway 25 from Stratford through Leyton to Leytonstone
  • Cycleways 60 and 61 from North Chingford to Walthamstow

Who trains here

What the census and Active Lives say about the people you'll meet on the ice, in the pool and on the trails.

  • 35Median ageUp from 32 in 2011, and a quarter of residents are 35 to 49: plenty of people fitting training around work and family.Census 2021
  • 66.8%Adults active 150+ min a week15th of London's 32 boroughs. 24.5% do less than 30 minutes a week.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25
  • 7.8%Population growth, 2011 to 2021Around 278,400 people now live here, up from around 258,200 in 2011.Census 2021

Waltham Forest gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Waltham Forest?

Gymist lists 27 gyms, leisure centres, studios and sports venues in Waltham Forest, from the Lee Valley ice and hockey centres to CrossFit boxes, boxing and jiu-jitsu clubs and Pilates studios in Walthamstow and Leyton.

Which leisure centres are in Waltham Forest?

Better runs eight: Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre, Leyton Leisure Centre, Leytonstone Leisure Centre, Chingford Leisure Centre, Walthamstow Leisure Centre, Peter May Sports Centre, Score Leisure Centre in Leyton and Better Gym Walthamstow Stadium. Lee Valley Ice Centre and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, owned by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, are also in the borough.

Where can I go ice skating in Waltham Forest?

Lee Valley Ice Centre on Lea Bridge Road reopened in 2023 after a £30 million rebuild. It has two Olympic-size rinks for public skating, hockey and figure skating, plus a gym and fitness classes.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Waltham Forest?

Walthamstow Wetlands is a 211-hectare nature reserve with free entry, Epping Forest runs north from Chingford, and Wanstead Flats offers open grassland on the Leytonstone side. Lee Valley Riding Centre on Lea Bridge Road is there if you want to try riding.

How do I get to gyms in Waltham Forest?

There are four Tube stations, on the Victoria line at Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road and the Central line at Leyton and Leytonstone, eight Overground stations and 37 daytime bus routes. Cycleways run along Lea Bridge Road, past the Wetlands to Blackhorse Road, and from Chingford to Walthamstow.

How do I find a gym buddy in Waltham Forest?

Join Gymist free, add your gym and when you usually train, and see who's nearby. If there's no group for your kind of training yet, start one and we'll help locals find it.

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