Fitness options in Athlone

Wait, what, no gyms?

Zen Fitness at Athlone Springs Hotel. The swimming pool is through the glass door. Picture credits: Paola Bassanese

I remember having a message exchange on Whatsapp a few years ago with a friend in Italy who was asking me if I was going to the gym in Athlone.

My answer at the time was that there weren’t traditional gyms or gym chains like those you would find, say, in London or in the rest of Europe.

Where are the gyms in Athlone?

It turned out that, back then, keep fit venues were few and if you wanted to go to a gym your best bet was to get a membership at a hotel’s fitness centre.

This is a current list of places where you can keep fit in Athlone:

• Regional Sports Centre

• Radisson Hotel gym

• Sheraton Hotel gym

• Athlone Springs Hotel gym Zen Fitness

• Crossfit Croí Athlone

• TUS gym Athlone

• House Fitness Athlone (since March 2023).

House Fitness is one of the few independent gyms in Athlone that are not part of a hotel chain.

The Regional Sports Centre was founded in 2002 and it is run in partnership with Westmeath Sports Partnership and the Health Service Executive. The venue is very well equipped with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam rooms, a fitness suite, an aerobics studio and more. Before you go you need to make an advance booking. Sometimes you can get a referral from your doctor to use the facilities free of charge for selected fitness classes because of an agreement with the Health Service.

There are also a few venues in Athlone that offer yoga, Pilates, boxing and martial arts.

In front of House Fitness at the time of their first opening in 2023. Picture credits: Paola Bassanese

I am not a gym bunny, but I do like a membership discount