10 April, 2026
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By Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive
Yesterday’s publication of the UK Health and Fitness Market report for 2026 documents a UK PLC success story. Over the past 12 months, gyms and leisure centres across the UK have recorded an extraordinary surge in activity. Over 60 million additional visits have taken place, pushing total annual attendance to just under 700 million. That’s not a marginal change, but a growing national shift in behaviour. Quietly but decisively, millions more people are choosing to be active, and choosing these facilities to support them.
That said, none of this should be a surprise, and has been happening in plain sight across all our communities. The societal shift amongst Gen Z and Millennials who continue to prioritise their discretionary spend – in a cost of living crisis – on health and wellbeing services, has been complimented by important increases in usage by women, people under 16, over 65s, and people living in communities with the highest levels of deprivation. Faced with this shift, these facilities have been agile and creative in meeting the hunger for a diversity of experience.
Simon Hayes, the Sport England CEO, articulated this very well in his excellent article following a series of visits to gyms and leisure centres earlier this year when he said “Operators talked about strong footfall, rising memberships and people coming through the doors for more than just exercise. They’re coming for health, of course – but also for confidence, connection, and support. This feels vitally important in a time that is characterised by increasing isolation, screens and polarised views.”
This year’s report shows a powerhouse of a sector, a growing behemoth, that continues to transform the physical activity landscape in the UK. But what comes next? How can this report support the trajectory of future growth for the sector?
Firstly, the Report can speak to the challenging economic environment faced across the UK and the sober reality of economic and political volatility must be a continued area of focus and vigilance. ukactive has taken initial soundings from members on the implications surrounding the Iranian conflict and what operational pressures these could bring. The cumulative impact of increasing costs for members remains an issue front and centre for the team.
Secondly, the Report highlights the opportunity for investors and the Government to leverage these multi-use facilities by helping to scale, particularly considering the role the industry is already playing to support people with a range of health conditions. This is especially evident in the rapid uptake of GLP-1 weight- loss medications, because more users and healthcare practitioners are recognising the need for physical activity and lifestyle changes to maintain muscle mass, reduce side effects. There is a growing need to support sustainable results as uptake of these medications grows. Last week’s joint statement from ukactive, The World Obesity Federation, and the Health and Fitness Association shows how the team is coordinating global industry positioning on this vital agenda.
Finally, the leveraging of the Report to deliver increased recognition and advocacy within Government for our sector’s work. The absence of an overarching and coordinated Government strategy for this sector means the team has had to work tirelessly across multiple Government Departments to drive the understanding of the sector’s role. It has been a hard slog, but having a number of our operators invited to No10 by the Prime Minister in recognition of their work has some level of symbolism, but what is equally important is how the team is now entrenched in discussions across Government ranging from substantial facility investment, the new High Street Strategy, economic inactivity, and delivering elements of the NHS 10 Year Plan including targeted prevention programmes and the proposed national physical activity campaign. I am hopeful the fruits of this work will be seen in the coming months.
And as of today, I’m stepping off the ukactive train at this stop. I wish Cameron and the brilliant team at ukactive the very best and will always be a champion of its work, because it is so important for the nation. With the full support of its dynamic members, I’ve no doubt he and the team will help take the sector to the next level, making Britain stronger for it.
To read the UK Health & Fitness Market Report 2026, click here.
To read the launch press release, click here.
