By Leo Ward
Gen Z has seen a surge in their physical fitness habits, with 63% of 18–24-year-olds regularly exercising in the gym, and one in six people paying monthly gym memberships, according to a Pure Gym fitness report. Many Gen Zers are aiming to get fit in their spare time, rather than follow traditional social norms of pub drinking.
However, millennial age groups follow closely behind with 61% of this age group also attending physical fitness regularly, says the fitness report.
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According to the UK Health and fitness report, young adults are key to the fitness boom, people born between 1997 and 2012 are now known as the healthiest generation ever. The future of wellness trends survey by McKinsey shows a 30% increase in prioritising wellness within the Gen A age group, in comparison to the previous year.
The Pure Gym website advises at least two days per week of intense all body workouts in seventy-five minute sessions spread across the week with an aim of four days a week. It also recommends lifestyle changes with a time reduction in sitting down and breaking up periods of prolonged stillness with activities. Loughborough university has found that short bursts of daily activity has links to reducing your risk of cancer.
However, with Britain’s current work-focused lifestyle, people tend to struggle to reach a good balance in their health and work life.
Davide, a 21-year-old gym-goer, believes that “our generation is moving more towards healthiness”. He is a case in point: he doesn’t drink or smoke. He holds the belief that it is everyone’s own individual duty to ensure their health is good, and that there is no excuse to neglect self-care. But still thinks due to the harsh work culture, being physically fit can be difficult.
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Work life within London is often considered tense, a new study by the British safety council has found just one third of workers feel they have control over how they work, which has been linked to bad health, further creating less energy or mental determination to join the gym or take time in physical activity.
The study also shows one and a half million people in Great Britain have reported work-related ill health in the past year.
60% of Londoners work out
London is reported the most fitness-engaged city within Britain, with 60% of London residents working out on a regular basis, this is a 12% increase to the 48% of Brits who regularly exercise across Britain. London’s cultural lifestyle provides a high density of gyms as well as many community exercises which provide physical fitness but also improve social skills and better people’s mental health.
Physical fitness is also proven to better our mental healthy and productivity says the NHS. While doing exercise, the body releases natural mood boosters such as serotonin which also aids improvement in sleeping.
Sarah, 28, who works for the military police, has found newer generations applying for the military are very un-fit and that this has had a large effect on performance. “When I go out of bed early and go to the gym after work, I do feel more energy and better,” she said.
Other benefits of regular exercise is a boost in self-esteem and confidence, as well as stress reduction and improvements in cognitive function and sleep.
Personal fitness trainer Peter Antonio, age 34, works at Birmingham University and says that sneaking out for exercise during a lunch break is a “golden opportunity” to gain a mid day sense of accomplishment as well as boost productivity.
So will future generations look after their fitness and emulate the success of Gen Z, or is the gym just another lifestyle trend? Only time will tell.
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