Christina Gough
Research expert covering sports and video gaming
Fitness industry in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts
The revenue of the fitness industry in the United Kingdom stood at an estimated 3.56 billion euros in 2021. Following the disastrous impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which forced the closure of many gyms across the country, the industry is slowly showing signs of recovery. This can also be seen in the total number of gyms and fitness centers within the UK, which exceeded pre-pandemic figures in 2022. One of the winners of this industry boom is The Gym Group, a chain of 24/7 fitness clubs founded in 2007. The number of The Gym Group health clubs has risen rapidly from 32 locations in 2012 to over 200 locations in 2022.
Employment in the fitness industry
In 2022, there were roughly 193 thousand people in the United Kingdom with an occupation in the sports and fitness sector, of which just under 70 thousand were fitness instructors. Furthermore, the number of personal trainers in the UK has experienced steady growth since 2011, with the personal training industry market size forecast to be worth over 635 million British pounds in 2022, again showing signs of recovery after the pandemic.The UK works up a sweat
Over the last few years, the number of people participating in fitness classes in England has remained consistently over 5.5 million. Latest estimates also suggested that millions more were taking part in generic fitness training outside of a class environment. In Scotland, meanwhile, an estimated 77 percent of men and 75 percent of women aged between 16 to 24 were meeting the guidelines for moderate or vigorous physical activity. However, for those aged 75 years and older, this figure fell to 51 percent for men and just 39 percent for women. In Wales, over a third of women reported being physically active for less than 30 minutes per week, while 58 percent of men stated that they took part in activity for at least 150 minutes per week.The growing popularity of fitness apps
Many tech-savvy fitness enthusiasts have turned to apps and online services to keep them in shape. Some of the leading health and fitness apps in the Google Play Store in Great Britain included Fitbit, Strava, and Calorie Counter +. Meanwhile, around five percent of respondents in a 2023 survey in the United Kingdom reported to have used health tracking apps or fitness, yoga and training apps. The United Kingdom also seems to have taken to the wearables craze, with 41 percent of respondents in the same survey stating that they personally used wearable devices, such as smartwatches or health and fitness trackers.
