2026 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report

WELCOME

Contents

7 Forewords & Welcome David Turner, David Minton, Glen Thurgood, Jamie Buck, Alexa Passingham

17 Industry Views: Expert Perspectives Emma Barry, Steve Barton, Prof. Daisy Fancourt, Martin Franklin, Pete Cohen, Stuart Martin, Grant Harrison, Dr. Heather McKee, Matthew Pengelly, George Thompson, Julie Allen, James Foley, Tara Dillon 44 The market we’ve built ● Market Snapshot ● 10-Year Market Context ● Private vs Public Split ● Growth Trends (5-Year Change) ● Structural Signals: What the Headline Data Suggests ● Interview: Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, EGYM 54 Activity vs Impact ● Openings vs Closures: Annual Market Activity ● Survival & Lifecycle: How Long Gyms Last ● Market Intensity: Churn & Competitive Pressure ● Interview: Andy Lancaster, NatWest 63 The Shape of Supply ● Format Shift: What Types of Facilities Are Opening ● Volume Model: Low Cost & High-Utilisation Growth ● Independent vs Chain: Structural Pressure ● Market Concentration: Top 10 Operator Inuence ● Interview: Sean Thornton, -- Health Club ● Interview: Justin McDonell, Anytime Fitness 77 Access Geography & Demographics ● Regional Change: Where Growth Is Happening ● Access vs Concentration: Density, Value & Utilisation ● Interview: Prof. Richard Webber, Demographer ● Who Uses Gyms? The UK Fitness Consumer Prole

88 Public vs Private Dynamics ● Public vs Private: Market Structure & Scale ● Diverging Models: Growth, Contraction & Format Shift ● Governance & Control: Who Operates Public Leisure? ● Interview: Duncan Jefford, Everyone Active 96 Infrastructure Shaping the Industry ● Digital Infrastructure: LMS Market Overview ● Governance: Public Leisure Management Models ● The Padel Effect: Emerging Competitive Investment 101 Health and Service Evolution ● Health Provision: Health Referral Service, Rehab & Wellness Integration ● Health Referral Services On Site ● Product Evolution: Recovery, Studios & New Services ● Interview: Dean Kowarski, Virgin Active

110 Sector Impact ● Are We Creating Healthier Communities? ● Access Indicators Summary ● Strategic Implications for Operators ● Implications for Policy & Investment ● Interview: Will Watt, State of Life