Are you on a new health kick, need a total detox or fancy learning a new sport? Do not fret; there are many opportunities to do that, no matter the city.

Active UK cities

Whether you're thousands of miles away from home, or a short train journey away, we've found the fittest cities to help you maintain your healthy habits.

New data reveals the top 10 fittest cities in the UK

Leeds has the highest number of SportsDirect stores in the UK

Get your kit on in Leeds! Data shows that students in Leeds will never be short of activewear as it's the city with the highest number of SportsDirect stores.

Ranking	City	Number of SportsDirect Stores
1	Leeds	6
2	Bristol	5
3	Glasgow	5
4	Manchester	4
5	Leicester	3
6	Edinburgh	3
7	Liverpool	3
8	Sheffield	2
9	Birmingham	4
10	London	19

Edinburgh has the most university varsity teams

Whether you're looking to join a new sports team or carry on the sports legacy you left in your home town – Edinburgh is the perfect place to do precisely that, as it's the city with the most university varsity teams.

Ranking	City	Number of sports teams at cities main university
1	Edinburgh	69
2	London	65
3	Leeds	63
4	Sheffield	57
5	Glasgow	56
6	Birmingham	56
7	Leicester	52
8	Liverpool	47
9	Manchester	42
10	Bristol	37

Manchester has the highest number of searches for 'gyms near me'

Do you need a break from studying? Why not take a visit down to your local gym? They are a great way to relieve stress and get happy hormones pumping through your body. With almost 10,000 monthly searches but a population of just over half a million, Manchester is definitely most gym-crazy city!

Ranking	City	Total of Monthly search for 'gyms near me'	Number of Searches per 100,000 people
1	Manchester	9,900	1,787
2	Bristol	8,100	1,416
3	Leeds	6,600	1,312
4	Birmingham	14,800	1,287
5	London	110,000	1,222
6	Liverpool	6,600	1,140
7	Glasgow	6,600	1,078
8	Edinburgh	5,400	1,063
9	Leicester	4,400	934
10	Sheffield	4,400	804

Bristol has the highest number of searches for 'personal trainers near me'

Are you a beginner in the gym, or need someone to help motivate you during your fitness journey? It looks like you're not the only one, as Bristol ranks number one as the city for the most searches for personal trainers.

Ranking	City	Total of monthly searches for 'personal trainers near me'	Number of Searches per 100,000 people
1	Bristol	320	56
2	Leeds	260	52
3	Glasgow	320	52
4	Manchester	260	47
5	Birmingham	480	42
6	Edinburgh	210	41
7	London	3,600	40
8	Leicester	140	30
9	Liverpool	170	29
10	Sheffield	140	26

Manchester has the highest number of searches for 'swimming pools near me'

Over 2,900 people search the internet in Manchester for 'swimming pools near me' every month – setting the cosmopolitan city to rank number one for the highest number of searches, maybe they’re going for a dip after their gym sesh?

Ranking	City	Total of Monthly searches for 'swimming pools near me'	Number of Searches per 100,000 people
1	Manchester	2,900	524
2	Bristol	2,900	507
3	Leeds	2,400	477
4	Glasgow	2,400	392
5	Birmingham	4,400	383
6	London	33,100	368
7	Liverpool	1,900	328
8	Edinburgh	1,600	315
9	Leicester	1,300	276
10	Sheffield	1,300	239

London has the highest number of searches for 'tennis courts near me'

As London is home to arguably the most famous tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon, it's clear that many people living in the city also feel inspired to play a spot of tennis as there are over 50,000 searches for local tennis courts very month!

Ranking	City	Total of monthly Searches for 'tennis courts near me' *	Number of Searches per 100,000 people
1	London	54,000	600
2	Bristol	210	37
3	Manchester	170	31
4	Leeds	140	28
5	Birmingham	260	23
6	Liverpool	110	19
7	Edinburgh	90	18
8	Sheffield	90	17
9	Glasgow	90	15
10	Leicester	70	15

Results: Leeds is the most active city in the UK

Leeds is officially the most active city in the country! Our data analysts concluded this by weighting out the metrics involving searches by the population for each city. And the weighted results were then averaged out to create a final ranking.

The vibrant city ranks in the top three of all categories and takes the top spot on the leader board for the highest number of SportsDirect stores for the size of population. So if you're looking for a new gym outfit to help motivate you to get on the treadmill or a new varsity kit – you'll never run out of fitness outfit ideas over here in Leeds.

As the most active city in the UK, find yourself surrounded by tennis courts, swimming pools, personal trainers, and gyms.

Search UniDays and your local gyms for great membership prices exclusive for students. Everything you need to stay fit while studying!

Methodology

We have used online search data to determine the number of SportsDirect stores in each city. We have chosen SportsDirect as it's the most common sports shop. Google Ads tools were used to find search volumes weighted based on populations.

Revealed: The Most Active Cities in the UK