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Gyms in Yorkshire and The Humber

Nearly five and a half million people, 15 council areas, 50 m pools in Leeds and Sheffield and three national parks within reach. Gymist helps you find where to train in Yorkshire and The Humber, and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
6,002
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Council areas in Yorkshire and The Humber

Fifteen council areas, from the Dales to the Humber, each with its own page.

Training in Yorkshire and The Humber

Young cities, big venues and three national parks within reach.

Yorkshire and The Humber is home to 5,480,774 people (Census 2021), up 3.7% since 2011. Its median age is 40, the same as England's, but its big cities run younger: Leeds, Bradford and Hull all have a median age of 36. In 2024/25, 67.0% of adults here did 150 minutes or more of activity a week, just behind England's 68.0%.

The region's biggest public venues are in its two largest cities. Sheffield has Ponds Forge, with a 50 m pool and diving platforms up to 10 m, the English Institute of Sport with its indoor 200 m track, and the two Olympic-size rinks at iceSheffield. Leeds has a second 50 m pool and diving at the John Charles Centre for Sport. Outdoors, you can swim at Ilkley Lido, Hull's rebuilt Albert Avenue lido and the heated open-air pool at Helmsley, and climb on the gritstone edges just outside Sheffield.

Then there's the landscape: the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and the Peak District edges, the coast, and long traffic-free trails between the cities. It's a lot of ground to cover on your own. Gymist helps you find the gyms near you and the people who train like you do.

Where to train in Yorkshire and The Humber

The region's landmark public pools and arenas, its lidos and its climbing walls.

Landmark public venues

Lidos and outdoor pools

Climbing walls

Find a training buddy in Yorkshire

Someone to swim with at Ponds Forge, climb with in Leeds or Sheffield, or walk the Three Peaks with. Find people near you who train when you do.

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Start a Yorkshire training group

A summer swim group at Ilkley Lido, a Trans Pennine Trail cycling group, a weekend fell-walking crew in the Dales: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

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Train outdoors

Free places to train in Yorkshire and The Humber.

  • Yorkshire Dales National Park2,178 km² of limestone and fells, including the Yorkshire Three Peaks: Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside (736 m).
  • North York Moors National Park1,436 km², with the Cleveland Way running 109 miles from Helmsley to Filey Brigg along the moors and the coast.
  • Peak District edgesgritstone on Sheffield's boundary; Burbage is about 20 minutes from the city centre.
  • Trans Pennine Trail207 miles from Southport to Hornsea, through Penistone, Doncaster, Selby and Hull, with a north to south route from Leeds to Sheffield.
  • Way of the Rosesa coast-to-coast cycle route from Morecambe to Bridlington, via Settle, Pateley Bridge, Ripon and York.
  • Humber Bridgea foot and cycle path on both sides of a 1,410 m main span between Hessle and Barton.

Getting around

Rail, tram and cycle routes across the region.

Rail

  • the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh runs through Doncaster and York
  • the Wakefield line runs from Doncaster to Leeds via Wakefield Westgate

Tram

  • Supertram serves 51 stops across Sheffield and Rotherham, including a tram-train to Rotherham Parkgate

Cycle

  • Trans Pennine Trail: National Cycle Network routes 62, 65 and 67
  • Way of the Roses: National Cycle Network route 69 from Morecambe to Bridlington

Who trains here

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

  • 36Median age in Leeds, Bradford and HullJoint lowest in the region, against 40 for Yorkshire and The Humber and for England.Census 2021
  • 3.7%Population growth since 2011To 5,480,774 residents. Slower than England (6.6%), but Leeds grew 8.0%.Census 2021
  • 67.0%Adults active 150+ min a weekJust behind England (68.0%), and up from 66.3% the year before.OHID Fingertips (Active Lives), 2024/25

Yorkshire and The Humber gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Yorkshire and The Humber?

Gymist lists 6,002 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across the region's 15 council areas, from Leeds and Sheffield to Hull, York, North Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire.

Which are the biggest cities to train in?

Leeds and Sheffield have the region's biggest public venues. Leeds has 16 council centres under the Active Leeds name, including the John Charles Centre for Sport. Sheffield's council venues, including Ponds Forge, the English Institute of Sport and iceSheffield, have been run by Everyone Active since January 2025. Bradford, Hull and York each have their own pages too.

Who runs the leisure centres?

It depends on the council area. Leeds City Council runs its centres as Active Leeds. Everyone Active runs Sheffield's council venues. In Hull, Hull Culture and Leisure runs eight sport and leisure sites, including Albert Avenue Pools and Fitness, Woodford Leisure Centre and Hull Ice Arena. York Sport Village is run in partnership with City of York Council. Each council area page lists its own centres.

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

There are 50 m pools at Ponds Forge in Sheffield and the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds. For outdoor swimming, Ilkley Lido opened for its 2026 summer season on 9 May, Albert Avenue in Hull has a heated outdoor lido that reopened in 2023, Helmsley has a 25 m heated open-air pool run by a charity, and Ingleton's community-run outdoor pool sits on the edge of the Dales.

Where can I train outdoors for free?

The Yorkshire Dales National Park covers 2,178 km² and includes the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The North York Moors National Park covers 1,436 km², with the Cleveland Way running 109 miles from Helmsley to Filey Brigg. The Trans Pennine Trail crosses the region to Hornsea, and Sheffield's western edge runs onto the Peak District gritstone.

How do I get around the region to train?

The East Coast Main Line runs through Doncaster and York, with the Wakefield line on to Leeds. In Sheffield and Rotherham, Supertram serves 51 stops. For cycling, the Trans Pennine Trail (National Cycle Network routes 62, 65 and 67) links Leeds, Wakefield, Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster, Selby and Hull, and the Way of the Roses crosses to Bridlington via York.

How do I find a gym buddy in Yorkshire and The Humber?

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.

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