Mental Health in Motion

Georgie Poole Senior Head of Marketing, Events and Engagement ukactive

The UK is battling a health crisis, and we know that one in five people in England are living with a common mental health condition, and 1.7 million of these people are on a waiting list for help. With worsening mental health rates comes a more inactive and economically stagnant population – around 9.4 million people of working age are economically inactive in the UK. That’s why finding different approaches to support the nation’s health has never been more important.

Gyms, pools and leisure centres across the UK are already supporting the nation’s physical and mental wellbeing, and we know that our sector’s facilities, programmes and services are essential places for people to reduce stress, nurture social connection, build confidence and improve their overall health.

To further understand and evidence the role our sector is playing in this area, ukactive, in partnership with Alliance Leisure, mental health charity, Mind, and Active Insight, recently released a report, ‘Mental Health in Motion’, which used our consumer engagement data to understand the relationship between mental health and the use of the UK’s health and fitness sector.

One of the strongest findings found that supporting mental health is one of the top priorities for all gym users, with 85% of respondents with a mental health condition saying their main reason for joining a gym, fitness or leisure facility was to improve their mental health and wellbeing. A supporting panel* that was included in our report found that 50% of consumers said improving their mood was a top motivating factor for using a gym or leisure facility to be active; again, confirming something that we all already anecdotally know – being active in a gym or leisure centre can make people feel good!

We found that nearly three quarters (72%) of adults with a mental health condition said being active helped them to stay well and be less likely to take time off work. Despite this, only 16% said they felt able to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes a week. While members with mental health conditions are turning to our sector’s facilities to support their mental health, there is much more we, and society, can do to safely and effectively welcome and support these groups to begin to meet these guidelines and reap the rewards of an active lifestyle.

Supporting mental health is one of the top priorities for all gym users

It’s undoubted that fitness and leisure facilities are a viable (and often favourable) solution for supporting people with mental health conditions, as well as those that want to improve their mental health. There is countless evidence to show the direct benefits being active can have on an individual’s mental health and our research shows this is something the population wants. For example, 61% of the people with a mental health condition that were surveyed said they would be more likely to join a gym if it was offered as a benefit or at a discounted rate through their employer. This shows the opportunity available to employers and the Government to prioritise employees’ health by helping them to keep active, in work and contributing to the economy – a winning formula for us all.

Our facilities play an integral role in driving physical activity levels across the nation, with 11.5 million people now members of a health and fitness club. With this report, our members, suppliers and wider partners can use this data, as well as practical support and guidance, to help them to best service and cater to individuals who are suffering from mental health conditions and ensure they feel welcomed and supported when they walk through our doors.