‘Generational shift’: UK gyms busier than ever as gen Zers ditch pub for pilates

The chief executive of UKActive said many young people preferred going to the gym to traditional venues for socialising such as the pub. Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

Record numbers of Britons are going to the gym, as the desire of many gen Zers to socialise while getting fit instead of drinking in the pub drives an unprecedented surge in membership, a report shows.

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.