Glasgow is one of the cities most likely to cancel their gym membership and workout from home, according to new research by new homes builder Miller Homes.
The study analysed thousands of Google searches by people looking to save on gym membership fees and create their own home workout haven, including for terms such as “home gym equipment” and “exercise at home”. It found that searches for “home gym” have climbed by 22% in the last three months across the UK.
The Miller Homes research follows a recent survey which found that six in ten people have started cutting back on items in order to cover the cost of essentials amid the current cost of living crisis.
Glasgow came 9th in the list out of 50 cities, with one of the highest number of searches by its residents per capita, with locals more motivated to use fitness apps and workout equipment from the comfort of their own home. Preston came top in the ranking, with searches by Lancashire locals looking to join gyms also dropping by 34% in the last year.
Lincoln and Peterborough came in second and third place. The high ranking of smaller UK cities suggests that the pandemic-induced remote working boom has also significantly changed the fitness industry landscape as more people spend time at home and away from the office.
There were over 2.5 billion downloads of health and fitness apps in 2021, as people looked to meditate, strength train, run and cycle from home and in the outdoors.
Gym costs can vary, but the average gym membership costs £480 per year, plus petrol, parking and potentially locker fees.
The top 10 cities switching to home gyms are:
1 – Preston
2 – Lincoln
3 – Peterborough
4 – Norwich
5 – Leeds
6 – York
7 – Cambridge
8 – Bath
9 – Glasgow
10 – Newcastle-upon-Tyne
On the other end of the spectrum, Cardiff residents are less likely to give up their gym membership, with searches for “gyms”, “gyms near me” and “boxing gyms near me” rising by up to 450% in the Welsh capital in the last year.
Southampton comes second in the cities least likely to ditch the gym, reinforced by a study in 2022 which revealed the city has the sixth highest number of gyms per 100,000 people.
The top 10 cities least likely to cancel their gym membership are:
1 – Cardiff
2 – Southampton
3 – Luton
4 – Brighton
5 – Portsmouth
6 – Bradford
7 – London
8 – Stoke-on-Trent
9 – Coventry
10 – Plymouth
Anne Marie Britton, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Miller Homes, commented on the research: “Working out from home has been welcomed by many since the pandemic, with online fitness classes now more affordable and accessible, and homeowners in Glasgow clearly preferring the convenience of exercising when it suits them. A growing number of homeowners and new home buyers are interested in converting their spare rooms, as Pinterest revealed recently that searches for libraries, music rooms and at-home fitness studios especially are up across all ages.
“Having a home gym can enable you to fit in exercise easier around your family, work and social life, as you can squeeze it in without having to worry about the commute to get there. It can also help to save money in the long run.
“A home gym also doesn’t have to be intimidating – you don’t have to fill it to the brim with equipment. Instead, you can simply use the items that work best for you and your exercise needs – whether that be dumbbells, a treadmill or even a simple yoga mat so you can do online classes on.”
For more information on the research, see here: https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/blog/2022/june/work-out-from-home-these-are-the-cities-most-interested-in-creating-a-home-gym.aspx.
