Mental health a leading reason for joining the gym

A report gauging consumer relationships with physical activity facilities and services has revealed that improving mental health is one of the leading reasons for people to join a health club or gym.

The finding comes from the first-ever Consumer Engagement report, published by industry body ukactive, which shows that 79% of consumers responding to the survey listed mental health as a key consideration for joining a gym.

The report also shows that, while improving or maintaining physical strength and fitness (82%) came top of the pile when people were asked to list their motivations for joining, three quarters (75%) also mentioned improving overall confidence as a major reason. Two-thirds (67%) were looking for physical activity to improve their sleep.

While the findings demonstrate growing recognition of the holistic benefits of physical activity in these environments, the report also demonstrates the potential for a much greater role in supporting community health and the economy.

This is demonstrated in only 17% of respondents with a health condition being aware of programmes within their local gym or fitness facility that could support their recovery or management of their condition. Following the publication of the report, ukactive is now calling for the Government to tap into growing consumer demand for gyms and leisure centres.

The report is based on data from 10,000 fitness and leisure consumers.