Latest news with #UKActive
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
‘I go there instead of going out': why a gym is the place to be for UK's gen Z
A perfect evening out for Louis involves getting hot and sweaty, and the only drink he is downing is water. He is one of a growing number of gen Zers who regard going to the gym as an integral part of their routine, and often preferable to sinking pints in the pub. Louis, 20, who lives in Chichester, likes to 'kill two birds with one stone' by also catching up with friends while he works out. 'I will text a friend to let them know when I'm going, and then just like that, I have someone to talk to for an hour or 90 minutes,' he says. Despite initially believing his climbing club was enough exercise, he now cannot imagine life without his additional six-times-a-week gym sessions. 'I sleep better, I eat healthier, and I love that endorphin rush after a workout,' says Louis, who is doing a degree apprenticeship in project management and logistics. His story is not unique. The days of the pub dominating young people's social lives look to be dwindling as more young people sprint towards the gym as the place to hang out while working out. A recent report found that generation Z – people born between 1997 and 2012, who are between 13 and 28 – are the key demographic driving the boom in gym membership. The report by UKActive, the trade body that represents most of Britain's fitness operators, found that 11.5 million people aged 16 and over belong to a gym in the UK – a new high. The findings, it adds, indicate 'a shift in societal priorities toward health and wellbeing' and suggest that 'for younger people, gym membership is essential'. Research published by the credit rating service Intuit Credit Karma found that nearly three in 10 (27%) 18- to 24-year-olds consider gym membership to be a necessity. Meanwhile, gen Zers are increasingly ditching alcohol in favour of soft drinks, opting for 'sober socialising', partly for health reasons but also down to cost, according to research by Mintel. These were certainly themes coming through from people who responded to an online callout. Louis spends £38 a month on his gym membership and another £30 a month on his climbing club, but says that compares more than favourably with the cost of socialising. 'Being at the gym with friends takes away the distraction of alcohol and going out for me. 'Even an expensive gym membership costs less for a month than a single night out, making memories that I'll have forgotten in the morning. That's why I've ditched them and replaced them with the gym.' This view is echoed by Niyi, 25, who has been going to the gym since he was 15. 'I'm fascinated by the fact that we as gen Z may be the fittest generation yet due to gym habits,' he says. Niyi sees his daily gym-going as 'a form of therapy', a sentiment that came up repeatedly from many who got in touch with the Guardian. Like Louis, Niyi also regards it as a social space where he can meet new people and 'make connections'. 'I believe you can learn something from anyone at the gym, and I love interacting with people to network and talk,' he says. 'My social habits these days emit from the gym – most of my friends are interested in fitness in some form.' Niyi, who lives in Westminster, London, and is a regional project lead at a human rights charity, spends £100 a month on his gym membershipand also pays £80 a month for his boxing club. But he is comfortable with this outlay. 'I think it is worth it when you see it in terms of an investment in your physical and mental health, making me fitter and the best I can be,' he says. He enjoys the gym so much that he has even developed it into a side hustle, working as a personal trainer, teaching in-person and online sessions in his spare time. Niyi and Louis are also big fans of the sauna, saying it is a hotbed of lively conversation. 'People go there to relax, and it's surprisingly easy to chat,' says Niyi. 'I've made some of my best connections there.' Louis adds: 'It's brilliant, It's such a sociable place. I've had some great conversations and met people from all walks of life. It's hilarious when you think about it: you're in a hot, steamy room full of half-naked people, yet it's so natural to have a chat.' Like Niyi, Erin loved her gym's fitness classes so much she decided she wanted to teach them. She goes to the gym at least four times a weekand teaches two weekly fitness classes alongside her main job as an editorial assistant at a publisher. The gym, she says, is also the focus of her social life. 'I go there instead of going out,' says Erin, 25, who lives in Cambridge. 'The group exercises have a lovely social atmosphere.' Her gym membership is usually £30 a month, but she pays a little less – a staff discount perk. 'I think the gym almost has a hidden social aspect,' she says. 'It's not explicitly social, and that takes the pressure off. There are no awkward silences as you are getting on with the class. Equally, you can speak to someone if you want to.' She also cherishes the opportunity to meet a cross-section of people. 'I don't have any kids and I live with just my flatmate,' she says. 'So I'm not sure where else in my day-to-day life I would meet grandmothers and people's mums.'
Gulf Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
The reason why men are lifting weights more than ever
Ben Bryant, The Independent Paul Faulder is an enemy of cardio. 'It's a hangover from the Eighties,' he says. 'Cardio is dull as anything. I get bored out of my mind. For me, strength training feels like I'm building something that's going to last — whereas doing cardio just feels like burning fuel.' Some might find running appealingly meditative but for Faulder, there is nothing more mindful than perfecting the art of the incline dumbbell press. 'It is a real mindfulness-focused activity,' he explains. 'You pinch your shoulder blades back together. You point your elbows at 45 degrees. You start with the dumbbell over your wrists. Drive your heels through the floor. And now do your set. And by the end of it, you're adding the tempo of a one-second or three-second pause.' I am taking notes because Faulder is a gains guru. Only a few years ago, he was an 18-stone 'depressed Teletubby' with chronic pain. At the end of Covid-19, he decided to sign up with a personal trainer and fulfil a decades-old dream of becoming as jacked as Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian. His pictures show that he has achieved his desire: four years on, he stands at six foot four with eight per cent body fat, and a body like a giant baggie of gleaming bronze conkers. 'The benefits it's brought me in business are just phenomenal,' he says. 'It's brought me a new level of mental clarity and focus. I've got loads of energy and people respond to that.' As the CEO of a tech company — Elixir software, which provides software to global pharmaceutical/biotech firms — Faulder has a demanding schedule. He has shaped his company in the image of his sculpted body: 'a lean, potent team that outperforms bloated, sluggish organisations.' And that includes requesting an unusual level of accountability for his board of directors. 'I've now got all my board having full blood panels,' he says. Wealthy businessmen used to be called fat cats for a reason: there was a time when men at the top of the status tree had a bulging waistline to match their wallets. These days, finance bros deadlift, wear slim-fit quarter-zips, idolise Patrick Bateman and post topless TikToks. Everywhere you look, male role models from neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and fitness influencer Chris Williamson to esteemed statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb are extolling the benefits of lifting weights, and Gen Z is taking note. Record numbers of Britons are going to the gym, with a 'notable rise in the popularity of strength training', according to trade body UKActive. PureGym's annual statistical report found that a remarkable 89 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds do some form of strengthening exercise every week. In 2022, ClassPass reported a 94 per cent increase in strength training class reservations compared to the previous year. 'Lately, there's a noticeable shift,' says Daniel Herman, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) fitness coach and founder of Finchley sports nutrition company Bio-Synergy. 'More men are asking for muscle-building programmes, even those who used to be all about running or cycling. There's a broader cultural interest in strength and a desire to look like they train. 'Leaner but more muscular' is a phrase I hear a lot. They're also often interested in optimising energy, mood, and longevity, not just aesthetics.' Most of Herman's clients are aged between 25 and 45, and in white-collar industries like finance, tech, law and startups. He sees different patterns in the people he coaches. 'Finance guys tend to want visible results fast. Think lean, defined, 'cover model' look,' he says. 'They like numbers and benchmarks: how much they lift, how much they weigh, their body fat percentage. Tech guys often come from a more sedentary baseline and want to undo the desk job.' He goes on to explain that many of these tech guys start with posture correction and general strength, then transition into hypertrophy — the growth of muscle — once they see initial progress. This represents a challenge to the brainless jock stereotype, which has deep roots. As far back as medieval Britain, men with muscles who toiled in the fields carried the signals of inferior class status on their bodies; physical frailty was a luxury of the effete aristocracy. Today, London's affluent elite are still shy when it comes to strength training. You can find them running or cycling, or perhaps doing high-intensity workouts like F45 and Barry's Bootcamp. Getting shredded is often framed as brutish, tragic or cringe – think Andrew Tate, Zac Efron, or Patrick Schwarzenegger in The White Lotus, whose twinky brother, tellingly, is almost killed by a protein shake. However, muscles remain an ambiguous symbol of male status. Nowhere is that clearer than in the minds of the most assiduous judges of men: women. A recent X/Twitter poll showed women two pictures of Olly Murs, who has recently undergone a bodily transformation. They were asked whether he was more attractive in his pudgy 'before' photo or his sculpted 'after' shot. The women overwhelmingly picked the former. Too much muscle, my female friends assure me, suggests someone who is vain, a try-hard lacking in spontaneity. The most popular heartthrobs of the current era are often built less like gladiators and more like Roman towel boys — see Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles or Kit Connor. This is an outcome that confounds the kind of men who prefer the sureties of hard data to the mysterious and capricious desires of women. For them, the mounting evidence that the jocks were right all along is becoming harder to ignore – and now data-driven nerds from Bezos to Zuckerberg are defecting to meathead territory.
The Guardian
27-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
We may be ‘the healthiest generation ever', but as I work out I wonder ... would I be happier at the pub?
A couple of years ago, I became obsessed with changing my body. Inspired by 'gymfluencers' and an Instagram feed filled with workouts and progress journeys, I dug into gym culture, often spending two hours weightlifting in one day, nauseous from chocolate-flavoured shakes and consuming more than 100g of protein daily to bulk my gluteal muscles and build a 'revenge booty'. Statistics suggest I am not alone. A recent industry report shows that gym memberships for gen Zers have risen quickly over the past few years, almost doubling since 2020. Moreover, 30% of this generation are regularly working out in fitness facilities, compared with 15-25% of the total adult population. It's been suggested that – since we're also drinking less – my generation is replacing the pub with the gym. 'With the right support, this could become the most health-aware generation ever,' says the chief executive of UKActive. Great news, you might think: finally, a generation so healthy it's going to live – happily and mindfully – for ever. But, as a 26-year-old with a love of beer and bench presses, I'm not sure it's that simple. While exercise and alcohol abstinence do improve health and prevent disease, I worry that this new gym craze actually reflects an atomised society, not a health-aware one. As I became obsessed with the gym, I certainly noticed that the things pushing me away from the pub and towards exercise were not positive thoughts, but fears – self-esteem issues, financial worries and an anxious desire to be maximising my time. I also suspect that the rush to the gym is partly driven by social media. It's hard to tell the difference between an obsession with health and an obsession with physical appearance, and we know the latter particularly affects the children who grew up on a diet of online fitness influencers who prioritise their looks: 40% of gen Z report that social media makes them anxious about how they look. Fifteen years ago, only the celebrities on TV had unachievable bodies; now seemingly thousands of 'normal' people do too. Given this environment, it is difficult for people not to compare and compete; a recent report shows that nearly half of gen Zers list 'improving their appearance' as a key reason they work out. It certainly is one of mine. This is sad, because the pub was a huge part of growing up for me – it's where my friendships formed and solidified. This has changed; now we have full-time jobs, work on projects in our spare time, go to the gym as much as we can and go to the pub less. I thought this was because we're getting older, but we're still only 26. It's not age, it's a generational shift in how young people live, and it's partly down to a lack of disposable income. The price of a pint has risen from an average of £2.30 in 2008 to more than £5 nationally, and much more in London, where I live. When I can go to my budget gym every day for £28 a month, hanging out over drinks with mates just doesn't add up. Hundreds of pubs a year are closing, maybe partly because they can't grab the younger consumer base they used to rely on. What used to be a regular meeting spot for my friends and me has become more of a special occasion; we all decline invites more readily, chalking it up to a need to save money. Unfortunately, I don't think the gym will ever replace the pub as a new 'third place' in which to make friends. The capacity for social engagement is undermined by most gym layouts – the heavy presence of mirrors, one machine per person. People mostly exercise with headphones on, eyes forward, staying in their lane. The gym seems more like a place to be productive, alone and silent as we endlessly pursue self-betterment. In my case, I gradually realised that I could never build a revenge booty big enough to get my ex back, and that exercising in front of the mirror and daydreaming about having a different figure wasn't empowering, but an obsession with self-improvement. I felt good because I was 'working on myself'. Actually, it's this phrase that is the problem – and the pressure put on people to supply value as we become increasingly competitive, commodified objects who feel we're only valued because of the quality of our assets, or our asses. Becoming aware of this changed my priorities. I only go to gym classes now; instead of changing my body, I focus on cardio and core strength, and try not to look in the mirror. Thinking less about my body has made me much happier. Yes, the physical benefits of exercise are undeniable. The physical toll of alcohol is undeniable too. But it doesn't necessarily add up that younger people spending less time in the pub and more in the gym is a better thing overall. For most, it would be nice to save a space that isn't reliant on this impulse to optimise. A space that exists for its own sake, which combines the benefits of the gym with the social benefits of the pub. Lately I've been enjoying playing Frisbee in the park with my friends. Maybe next time we'll take some cans. Isabel Brooks is a freelance writer
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Young people in the UK: tell us about your gym habits
Record numbers of Britons are going to the gym, according to a report by UKActive. 11.5 million people aged 16 and over now belong to a gym in the UK – a rise of 1.6 million from 2022. This growth is particularly evident among generation Z – people born between 1997 and 2012. With this in mind, we'd like to hear from younger people in the UK about why they go to the gym. Do you go to socialise, as well as simply to exercise? Do you go to the gym instead of going out, or do you do both? You can tell us about why you use the gym using this form. Please include as much detail as possible. Please include as much detail as possible. Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first.
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Healthy but lonely gen Zers drive UK gym membership to record high
Record numbers of Britons are going to the gym, as the desire of many gen Zers to socialise while getting fit instead of drinking in the pub drives an unprecedented surge in membership, a report shows. In all, 11.5 million people aged 16 and over– a new high – now belong to a gym in the UK, a rise of 1.6 million from 2022. It means one in six people have taken out a membership. Younger adults are the key demographic behind the boom, according to the report's authors, UKActive, the trade body that represents most of Britain's fitness operators. The growth is particularly evident among generation Z – people born between 1997 and 2012, who are between 13 and 28 – who already have a reputation as the healthiest generation ever. '[This] is a significant moment as it shows that more people are making a conscious decision to get active in order to improve their physical and often also their mental health,' said Huw Edwards, UKActive's chief executive. 'We are witnessing strong demand among all age groups and increasing popularity among gen Z, with health and fitness clubs experiencing growing demand for services such as group exercise, strength training and cardio workouts. 'Young people are seeing health and fitness as part of their identity and a non-negotiable when it comes to their personal priorities. Many of them are telling us they prefer going to the gym rather than more traditional venues for socialising such as the pub. 'With the right support, this could become the most health-aware generation ever.' The findings tally with previous reports by Sport England and its 'moving communities' research into physical activity that growing numbers of teenagers are taking part in fitness activities. A 'generational shift' in gym visiting has been taking place in recent years, states the report, which is UKActive's first in-depth analysis of membership of health and fitness clubs across the UK. 'Younger generations are demonstrating higher levels of physical activity and gym membership, indicating a shift in societal priorities towards health and wellbeing, and suggesting that for younger people, gym membership is essential.' Older people are the most likely to avoid joining up because they believe they do not need to, 'indicating that the positive shift in mindset towards fitness is more prevalent among younger age groups', the report adds. The findings appear to embellish gen Z's reputation as having healthier habits and lifestyles than previous generations. David Minton, the founder of Leisure Database, a specialist fitness market analysis firm, said: 'The younger generation are also the healthier generation because they are drinking less alcohol than their predecessors and are much more conscious about what they eat, as evidenced by the increase in veganism, low-sugar diets and consumption of sourdough breads.' But young people may be going for reasons not connected to their health, Minton suggested. 'Gen Z are also going to the gym in order to meet a romantic partner and to increase their network of friends because, while they spend a lot of time on social media, the gym offers an in-person experience rather than a virtual experience. 'For them, gym-going is all about the social element. It's not about losing weight, because most of them don't need to.' The value of the UK health and fitness market grew to £5.7bn by last year, while the number of clubs stood at 5,607, which between them saw 616m visits. An increase in lower-cost gyms and those offering access on a pay-as-you-go basis has also helped to increase participation, the report says. When gym members were asked what motivated them to join, 83% cited improving their physical strength and fitness and 76% said boosting their mental wellbeing, including tackling anxiety and depression. But 75% wanted to improve their confidence and appearance, and 68% to sleep better. The proportion of people in the UK who belong to a gym has risen to 16.9%, one of the highest figures in Europe.
