National Fitness Day: Spotlight on The Thames Club

To celebrate the success of Dydd Cenedlaethol Ffitrwydd 2026, we’re looking back at some of the activations run by ukactive members to help people get active on the day.

In this blog, Lindsey Perry, Head of Fitness at The Thames Club, explains how the independent health club attracted more than 600 people with its activities and celebrations on the day.

National Fitness Day has been one of my favourite days in the fitness calendar throughout the 20 years I’ve worked in the industry, thanks to the energy, excitement, new faces and “oohs and aahs” of learning new nuggets of information!

The campaign is an incredible opportunity for operators to showcase their offerings, increase their database, work with wider industry talent, test-drive new products and gain insightful feedback from potential new members.

Although a record 12.2 million people are now members of a health and fitness club (Adroddiad Marchnad Iechyd a Ffitrwydd y DU 2026), some people still don’t think the gym is really for them. So I had to consider how best to reduce potential barriers and make the event inviting, inclusive and fun. This meant thinking beyond traditional promo’s and recognising that everyone is motivated by something different.

For the more data-driven member, EGYM expert Dominic Terret and Technogym expert Owain Hoppe were on hand to demonstrate the technology, provide personalised advice and help people understand what the numbers could tell them about their training.

We also brought in expert educator and presenter Keith Smith to share his knowledge and practical training guidance in a session called “Considerations for Exercise as We Age”. Meanwhile, Les Mills Master Trainer Tess Castles launched the brand-new Les Mills Reformer and Les Mills Shapes, giving members the opportunity to experience something new. For those who thrive on challenge and are driven by results, we created fitness classes and challenges across the gym floor.

And then there were the social elements. Our group exercise programme offered something for different ages, abilities and interests, including BodyPump, Barre Fitness, Pilates and our very own signature class POWER Engine, while our coffee morning sessions created an opportunity to simply come in, have a chat and connect with other members (over an optional slice of cake). We even had a live DJ and photobooth, helping to create an atmosphere to exercise or dance!

This year’s National Fitness Day reinforced just how much the fitness landscape is changing. Our Les Mills Reformer class was fully booked, reflecting the growing interest in Reformer-based training, while Chair Yoga and Keith Smith’s Considerations for Exercise as We Age session generated some of the most positive feedback of the day – really showing that the appetite for knowledge around exercise and wellbeing exists across all generations. Our free health checks, including body composition analysis, were also hugely popular.

Whether people were looking to understand how to exercise as they age, improve their mobility, try a new training method or simply learn more about their own health, it was clear people want more than just a workout – they want to understand the reason behind it.

Members loved the live DJ, saying it made them feel as though they were at a party rather than coming in to train. We often talk about exercise in terms of exercise results, but it’s really about the experience around exercise that matters. If people associate being active with having fun, catching up with friends, being driven by uplifting music and feeling a part of something, then we can keep them coming back.

This year has taught me three things:

1. People are responding positively to emerging trends and looking for new ways to exercise.
2. There is a genuine shift from fitness to health where people want to understand their bodies rather than just seeing physical changes.
3. The environment and community are what really drive people to keep coming back.

In this industry, we never stop learning; and that’s what I love most. Roll on National Fitness Day, 2027!

To find out more about National Fitness Day, cliciwch yma.