Research Institute
Driving high‑quality research to support sector growth and impact
The ukactive Research Institute generates and translates physical activity-based evidence to support, protect and inform ukactive members and to underpin physical activity policy and delivery. This is achieved through partnership working to provide high-quality and rigorous research that achieves sector, policy and academic impact that supports the growth and development of our members within the sector.
This is delivered through two core areas: Research and Evaluation, providing rigorous studies that deepen understanding of the sector’s impact, and Sector Intelligence which transforms data, trends and consumer insight into practical, actionable intelligence for members and the wider sector.
Research and Evaluation
ukactive conducts high‑quality, academically robust research to understand the role and impact of the physical activity sector and to explore how research can support more people across the UK to be active. This work is designed to deliver meaningful sector, policy and academic impact, helping shape the growth and development of the industry.
This approach begins with defining clear aims and focused research questions before applying the most appropriate methodologies — whether descriptive or experimental — to generate robust, actionable insight. This includes:
- Bespoke data analytics
- Bespoke surveying and focus groups
- Impact assessments
- In-depth consultation and stakeholder engagement
Sector Intelligence
Through the collection, processing and analysis of a variety of data sources, the ukactive Research Institute provides comprehensive and regular sector intelligence through up-to-date and actionable reports to demonstrate the full impact and scale of the UK’s physical activity sector.
This includes working with ukactive’s Consumer Engagement department to explore the behaviours, experiences, motivations, and perceptions of consumers towards gym, fitness and leisure facilities across the UK.
The Sector Intelligence analysis is done at a sector level, producing insights based on trends and patterns observed across the whole sector, and at an organisational level, where the ukactive Research Institute works closely with individual members on their data and insight requirements.
Where evidence comes to life
Through three core areas ukactive's Research Institutes helps members to understand sector performance, consumer behaviour and market trends. Explore the latest UK Health & Fitness Market Report, Consumer Engagement work and Operator Benchmarking to see how this evidence and intelligence supports decision-marking, improvement and long-term sector growth.
UK Health and Fitness Market Report
The UK Health & Fitness Market Report, from ukactive, is the most authoritative analysis of sector performance, supported by 4Global and Sport England. It tracks customer visits across public and private health and fitness clubs, from major chains to independents.
Consumer Engagement
ukactive’s Consumer Engagement work provides quarterly insights into how people experience and interact with gyms, fitness and leisure facilities. Through national polling and analysis, we deliver evidence that helps the sector understand behaviour, spot trends and make progress towards Vision 2030.
Operator Benchmarking
Operator Benchmarking gives ukactive members exclusive quarterly data on private‑sector performance. Delivered with 4GLOBAL, it helps operators compare results, understand market trends and make informed, evidence‑based decisions that strengthen business performance and sector impact.