Record numbers of Britons are going to the gym, In all, 11.5 million people aged 16 and over– a new high – now belong to a gym in the UK, a rise of 1.6 million from 2022. It means one in six people have taken out a membership.

Younger adults are the key demographic behind the boom, according to  UKActive, the trade body that represents most of Britain’s fitness operators. The growth is particularly evident among generation Z – people born between 1997 and 2012, who are between 13 and 28 – who already have a reputation as the healthiest generation ever.

The findings tally with previous reports by Sport England and its “moving communities” research into physical activity that a growing numbers of teenagers are taking part in fitness activities.

“Young people are seeing health and fitness as part of their identity and a non-negotiable when it comes to their personal priorities. Many of them are telling us they prefer going to the gym rather than more traditional venues for socialising such as the pub.” said Huw Edwards, UKActive’s chief executive