Fitness is growing - can the government seize the opportunity?

Huw Edwards CEO ukactive

Following his big announcement on the abolition of NHS England, the Prime Minister sat down with the Institute for Government to discuss the changes and the motivations behind them. The PM revealed a sense of frustration at the pace of change and that he’s someone who wants “to get things done”. He also wants his ministers to feel empowered to drive change at speed and in terms of delivery he acknowledged that there was a need to “add a bit of oomph” into the Number 10 leadership machine on this agenda.

If the PM wants a partner on that journey to add “oomph” he could find no better companion than the thousands of gyms, pools and leisure centres that deliver “oomph” to their millions of daily users. That’s in their very DNA: to drive, with energy and dynamism, the quest to help make this nation stronger.

Our nation’s gyms, pools and leisure centres are currently playing a fundamental role in supporting the physical, mental and social wellbeing of millions of people across all ages and backgrounds. However, there is much more potential to be unlocked. Through supporting the greater expansion of facilities and services in communities, millions more people can be engaged, and in turn help take pressure off the NHS and help drive greater economic growth. This will provide solutions for two of the big challenges the Government is facing.

Indeed, our UK Health and Fitness Market report 2025 reinforces this in the strongest possible way. It shows how it is the perfect time for the Prime Minister and his ministerial team to deepen this partnership with our sector.

Firstly, when it comes to the economy, our government is desperately seeking sustained economic growth and we are a sector that is growing. Our sites are growing, our members are growing, and our income is growing.

The report shows that membership growth is more than one in every six within the UK population – 11.5 million people – and revenue across the sector has risen from £5.2bn in 2023 to £5.7bn in 2024 – an impressive 8.8% increase. All of this has been achieved against a difficult economic backdrop.

If the PM wants a partner to add “oomph” he could find no better companion than gyms, pools and leisure centres

So, why is this? The answer lies in changes to the public’s attitude to their health and wellbeing. More and more people are recognising the benefits of being more active and prioritising their time and money in pursuit of their own physical and mental health. To support this, ukactive’s Consumer Engagement research shows that Britons are spending three times more on their health and fitness than they are on drinking socially (15% vs 5%), with options such as eating out (9%) appearing lower on people’s spending priorities, suggesting that many are choosing to invest their money in gym memberships for their long-term health and wellbeing.

We know the Government needs quick wins and we are growing, we are attracting inward investment, we are expanding the range of employment opportunities for people at all levels of attainment and ability. We are running with, rather than against, the public grain.

Secondly, if economic growth is the number one priority, improving national health is fundamental to this. If we can help people back to good health, then we can help them back to work. The recent debate on welfare reform placed insufficient focus on how we improve our national health, with ill health running like a fault line through our communities.

We want this Government to be decisive in its decision making and empower our sector to drive change through greater economic growth and health improvements in this parliament. This is a golden opportunity for the Government to meet the public and the sector where they are on this agenda, fully engage, and work together to build a better, stronger Britain.