Gen-Z swaps pints for gym memberships, fitness boss claims
Gen-Z fitness fanatics are opting for gym memberships over pints as social media trends drive young Brits to socialise at the pull-up bar rather than the nightclub bar, the boss of The Gym Group has claimed.
Will Orr, chief executive at the only London-listed gym provider, told Morning Wire his gyms have seen a surge in young members who are exercising more and drinking less.
The Gym Group said Gen-Z accounted for 44 per cent of its members last year, with 73 per cent of these exercising at least twice a week.
Orr said: “Gyms and fitness are, for this generation, part of their identity, and in some cases part of their social life. In previous generations, maybe people went to the gym when they thought they ought to. And increasingly consumers go to the gym because they want to.”
The Gym Group’s younger members are following more sophisticated and regimented fitness routines than generations before them, Orr said.
Orr said that, while a recent focus on the mental health benefits of working out is evident in the gym’s popularity among young Brits, Gen-Z members are more determined than ever to “look and feel strong”.
Three quarters (75 per cent) of Brits aged between 16 and 24 take part in strength training at least twice a week – more than any other generation, according to fitness operator trade body UKActive.
‘Gen-Z opts for fitness over going out’
The cost of living squeeze is also prompting young people to think more carefully about how they spend their spare money, Orr said.
“£25 a month [the average membership] is about a round of drinks. I think you’re seeing people socialising more in gyms, both because fitness can be a social experience but also because it’s a more affordable way to spend your leisure time,” he said.
But some research suggests Gen-Z may not be as sober as often thought, with rates of binge drinking rising sharply among young Brits, according to UCL research.
The Gym Group is investing in sites which feature a more “elevated” design format, with all of the 16 new locations opened last year featuring this new look.
The design of these gyms – which includes dimmer lighting, neon strips and exposed building features – is more similar to the environments young people would experience in other aspects of their social lives, like at bars or nightclubs, Orr said.
He said: “What we’re trying to do is improve the perceived value of our gyms. We’re not trying to pivot towards the premium sector in any shape or form. We are firmly a high value, low cost gym.”
The Gym Group on Thursday posted a pre-tax profit of £10.6m for 2025, up 194 per cent from last year, as revenue nudged up eight per cent to £245m.
The chain runs 260 24-hour locations across the UK and counts more than 900,000 members.
The group’s share price rose two per cent on Wednesday’s market open, to 178p.