How active are Brits in 2025? What the data really shows

As the year wraps up and fitness resolutions start creeping in, new research from the YouGov Health & Wellbeing Tracker 2025 offers a clear snapshot of how people in the UK actually move their bodies.

Poll

How long is your ideal workout?

30 min

45 min

60+ min

The headline:

• Nearly two-thirds of Brits do at least an hour of exercise per week
  
  

• Over a third (35%) train more than three hours weekly
  
  

• Walking dominates as the nation’s go-to activity
  
  

But once you dig into the numbers, a more nuanced picture emerges around what people do, how long they do it for, and how that stacks up against official health guidelines.

1. How much time Brits really spend exercising

YouGov’s data shows that most adults are doing something active each week, but the total time varies a lot.

Weekly exercise time breakdown:

• 11% spend less than 30 minutes a week exercising
  
  

• 23% do 30–60 minutes
  
  

• 29% manage 1–3 hours
  
  

• 35% go beyond 3 hours of activity
  
  

Men and women follow similar patterns overall, with two small differences:

• Men are slightly more likely to be in the 3+ hours group (37%)
  
  

• Women are a little more represented in the 1–3 hour range (32%)
  
  

How this compares with health guidelines

The UK’s health guidance, in line with NHS and WHO advice, recommends that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, plus muscle-strengthening work on 2+ days.

That means:

• The 3+ hour group is likely to be close to or above the guideline
  
  

• Some of the 1–3 hour group will be meeting it, depending on intensity
  
  

• Those below 60 minutes a week are clearly falling short
  
  

So while the picture is far from bleak, there is still a sizeable group who could benefit from nudging their weekly movement up.

2. The workouts Brits actually do

When Brits do move, they favour activities that are accessible, low-cost and easy to fit into daily life.

Walking is king

• 76% of adults use walking as a form of exercise
  
  

• It is the only activity with near-universal engagement across genders
  
  

This makes sense. Walking is free, joint-friendly and can slip into commutes, lunch breaks and weekends without huge planning.

Beyond walking: a mix of strength, cardio and mind–body work

YouGov’s tracker shows a varied activity landscape:

• 20% do gym workouts
  
  

• 19% take part in weight training
  
  

• 17% go running or jogging
  
  

• 14% practise yoga or Pilates
  
  

• 13% go swimming
  
  

• 12% cycle
  
  

• 9% attend fitness classes (for example aerobics or spinning)
  
  

• 5% play team sports
  
  

Only 3% of adults say they do none of these activities, which means the overwhelming majority are active in at least one way.

For gym-based training, the popularity of weight work and structured workouts reflects a growing understanding that strength training matters for long-term health, not just aesthetics.

If you are in the UAE and want a similar blend of walking, strength and classes, you can build that mix in full-service environments like gyms in the UAE or high-traffic hubs such as gyms in Dubai.

3. The gender gap in UK exercise habits

YouGov’s data highlights distinct patterns between men and women in what they choose to do.

Men lean toward strength and sport

Compared with women, men are more likely to:

• Do gym workouts (22% vs 18%)
  
  

• Lift or weight train (23% vs 16%)
  
  

• Go running or jogging (21% vs 14%)
  
  

• Cycle (19% vs 6%)
  
  

• Join team sports (9% vs 3%)
  
  

This reflects a bias toward more traditional “performance” or sport-based activities.

Women lean toward mind–body and group formats

Women are more likely than men to:

• Practise yoga or Pilates (20% vs 6%)
  
  

• Go swimming (15% vs 10%)
  
  

• Join fitness classes like aerobics or spinning (13% vs 5%)
  
  

These patterns suggest that many women look for guided, lower-impact and community-based formats, while men are more drawn to solo or performance-driven work.

For anyone who enjoys structured, coached sessions focused on mobility and recovery, mind–body options such as dedicated yoga classes can be a strong complement to walking and gym work.

4. Are Brits “active enough”? The real takeaway

Looking at this data in isolation, you could argue that things are moving in the right direction:

• Most adults report regular activity
  
  

• Walking is deeply embedded as a national habit
  
  

• Strength, cardio and mind–body work are all represented
  
  

But when you compare it with the 150 minutes per week benchmark, it becomes clear that many people still sit in the “nearly there” zone.

Other nationwide surveys have also found that a large proportion of adults still fall short of recommended activity levels, despite modest improvements over recent years.

The practical message is simple:

• If you are doing under an hour a week, any increase will help
  
  

• If you are at 1–3 hours, aiming for the upper end of that range at moderate intensity will get you closer to the guideline
  
  

• If you are over 3 hours, consistency and smart progression matter more than doing even more time

5. Turning the data into your own action plan

Whether you are in the UK, the UAE or anywhere else, the numbers only matter if they help you make better decisions. Here is how to use the YouGov findings to shape your own routine.

Step 1: Start where you are

• Inactive or under 30 minutes a week
  
  

  • Begin with short walks: 10 minutes, 2–3 times a day
    
    

  • Add one simple bodyweight routine per week (squats to a chair, wall push-ups, easy core work)
    
    

• Around 1–3 hours a week
  
  

  • Structure that time rather than keeping it random
    
    

  • Aim for 2 strength-focused sessions plus 2–3 walking or cardio blocks
    
    

• More than 3 hours a week
  
  

  • Check you are hitting strength work at least twice weekly
    
    

  • Add mobility or yoga to balance out high-impact or high-volume training
    
    

Step 2: Mix activities the way Brits already do

Borrow from the UK pattern, but shape it to your lifestyle:

• Use walking as your non-negotiable baseline
  
  

• Layer in gym workouts and weight training for strength and bone health
  
  

• Add yoga or Pilates for mobility, core control and stress management
  
  

• Use classes or group sessions when you need external accountability
  
  

You do not need a perfect programme to see benefits. You just need a routine that you can repeat week after week.

Source: yougov.com

The opinions shared in the blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.