Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Fitness industry in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts
From exercising at home to taking part in group classes at the gym, the fitness industry in the United Kingdom is, much like the fitness fanatics themselves, going from strength to strength. Following the disastrous impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which forced the closure of many gyms across the country, the industry has shown significant signs of recovery. This can be seen in the total number of gyms and fitness centers within the UK, which reached an all-time high in 2024. The number of members at gyms and fitness clubs in the country saw a similar increase, exceeding 10.5 million for the first time in 2024.
The UK fitness industry has bounced back after the pandemic with new ways to keep people active, from online workouts to innovative gym facilities. With more focus on technology and making fitness easier for everyone, staying active will continue to become more accessible and enjoyable in the future.
Employment in the fitness industry
In 2024, there were roughly 190,000 people in the United Kingdom with an occupation in the sports and fitness sector, of which an estimated 67,000 were fitness and wellness instructors. The personal training industry has also experienced similar growth, with fitness fans enjoying the personal touch and motivation that having a personal trainer provides. In 2023, there were just over 22,000 personal trainers in the UK. In addition, the market size of the personal training industry was forecast to exceed 800 million British pounds in 2025, exhibiting steady growth on the figure from 2023.The UK works up a sweat
Over the last few years, the number of people participating in fitness classes in England remained consistently over 5.5 million and, in fact, exceeded 6.2 million up until November 2023. Latest estimates also suggested that millions more were taking part in generic fitness training outside of a class environment. In Scotland, meanwhile, an estimated 68 percent of men and 79 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 45 percent for men and just 30 percent for women.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 most popular fitness and health service online purchases in the UK were in the categories of fitness, yoga, and training, as well as health tracking. As a result of this crossover between fitness and digital, the revenue of the digital fitness and wellbeing apps segment of the digital health market was estimated to reach almost 775 million U.S. dollars by 2029. The United Kingdom also seems to have taken to the wearables craze, with 42 percent of respondents in a 2024 ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ survey stating that they personally used wearable devices, such as smartwatches or health and fitness trackers.The UK fitness industry has bounced back after the pandemic with new ways to keep people active, from online workouts to innovative gym facilities. With more focus on technology and making fitness easier for everyone, staying active will continue to become more accessible and enjoyable in the future.
