New research from UKactive, released to mark National Fitness Day 2026, explores why people are joining gyms and leisure facilities.
The findings suggest that fitness is increasingly about more than physical health, with friendship, confidence, mental wellbeing and managing health conditions all important motivations.
- More than 1-in-3 Gen X (37%) and Baby Boomers (35%) say making new friends is an important reason for joining a gym, rising to half (51%) of Gen Z and (53% of) Millennials.
- 47% of women said making new friends was an important factor.
- Across all generations, 3-in-4 (74%) said improving their confidence was an important motivation for joining a gym.
- Improving mental health and wellbeing was also a major motivation, particularly among Millennials (84%), Gen X (76%) and Gen Z (75%).
- Managing a health condition was important for over half of Baby Boomers (52%), Gen X (54%), Gen Z (60%) and Millennials (64%).
- There are also barriers to participation. Around 1-in-3 (31%) of people who lack confidence to join a gym said they do not have anyone to go with, highlighting the potential role of social support in helping people get active.
The research comes as the UK fitness sector reaches a record 12.2 million health and fitness club members. UKactive suggests that gyms, leisure centres and sports clubs are increasingly acting as places for connection and community, alongside their traditional role in supporting physical health.
Source: National Fitness Day: All generations turning to fitness for friendship