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Conducted by Nuffield Health, the research investigated the exercise and lifestyle habits of 2,000 adults in the UK – and it revealed that working out with others might be more beneficial to our health and wellbeing than we first thought. In fact, according to this study, conducted in May 2025, almost a third of Brits – 29% – now say that exercise helps them to make and maintain social connections.
Reasons why your feet can go numb while you run spin class As a new study reveals, we really are better together Strava, relationships forged through fitness can have a pronounced impact on our motivation to train, social circles and overall happiness – and they play a big role in combatting feelings of loneliness, too.
We excavated the findings to pinpoint the big wins associated with fitness communities, as well as the demographics that reap the greatest rewards from group exercise. Here’s what we discovered.
What counts as group exercise?
As the name suggests, group exercise is organised physical activity in which people exercise together, at the same time and usually – but not always – at the same venue.
In Nuffield Health’s study, group exercise encompasses real-world fitness communities like run clubs, Hyrox groups and walking groups, online fitness programmes and challenges like Peloton and Zwift, gym-based classes like Zumba and Pilates, Exercising with others holds the secret to better wellbeing – here’s why Strava, Garmin Connect and our favourite, Runner’s World Club.
How many Brits belong to fitness communities?
Of the British adults surveyed by Nuffield Health, one in four (25%) are now part of at least one in-person fitness community, such as a run club, CrossFit group or gym-based programme, while 26% of the study’s participants regularly join gym-based group exercise classes to keep fit and socialise. What’s more, 17% of participants complete online group workouts or leaderboard challenges, which shows that almost one in five adults still seek social interaction when keeping fit remotely. This highlights the power of group exercise – especially when done face-to-face – in encouraging people to train and stick to fitness routines.
But who does what? Of the Brits who have done physical activity that is moderate (like brisk walking and hiking) or vigorous (like running and higher-intensity team sports) in the past 12 months, those aged 25 to 34 are most likely to have joined a fitness community like a run club, with 43% of fitness community members sitting within this age group. However, people aged 45 to 54, who also do moderate to vigorous physical activity, are most likely to take part in gym-based, instructor-led group exercise classes (21%).
By contrast, one in six (16%) Brits who have done moderate to vigorous physical activity in the past year have rarely socialised through exercise, with one in 12 (8%) saying that exercise is only ever a solo activity for them. After all, exercise can also be an excellent form of me-time.
Why are people choosing to exercise with others?
There are three standout reasons why Brits choose to run or keep fit with others. Of those surveyed, 46% exercise in groups to improve their physical wellbeing, 45% to enhance their mental wellbeing and 43% to increase their accountability and motivation to train.
But the friendship element cannot be ignored. Almost a quarter (24%) of Brits feel that group exercise does – or would – help to remedy a lack of social interaction, with around half of fitness community members saying that they now feel less lonely (46%) and that it has helped to enrich their social life (52%). To continue this theme, nearly one in three Brits (31%) who belong to a fitness community believe that exercise is their main form of socialising, while 25% of those who do moderate to vigorous physical activity say that group exercise is the easiest way for them to meet new and likeminded people.
Group exercise helps to target hesitations surrounding physical activity, too – more so in a gym environment. Of the participants involved in the study, 29% said that exercising in a group helps to overcome intimidating gym culture, while 27% believe that it alleviates safety concerns about working out alone. As it stands, 32% of men and 44% of women feel, or would feel, intimated in gym environments and over half of Gen Z (54%) and Millennial (54%) participants would need someone to lead or put together a structured workout for them.
As such, working out with others could help to combat gym-related worries, inspire self-belief, fill in knowledge gaps and assist in developing long-term fitness habits – and the statistics do suggest this. As this study has found, 47% of people put improved self-confidence down to participation in group exercise and 51% feel that it has boosted their overall enjoyment of physical activity.
Who benefits the most from group exercise?
We can all benefit from stronger social connections, especially in the context of exercise. In fact, as Nuffield Health’s findings show, over half (56%) of Brits are more likely to stick to a fitness programme or routine when it’s social, while similar numbers actually exercise more regularly when they do so with others (54%).
The feel-good benefits of communal exercise are particularly huge for some. For starters, 75% of parents with children under the age of 18 say that they feel more motivated to exercise when they’re in a group setting, while 48% of people who don’t have children feel the same way. With that in mind, for parents who may struggle to find the space or enthusiasm to be physically active, group exercise could be the solution.
Meanwhile, 77% of Millennials and 72% of people who work remotely for at least seven hours a week report better social wellbeing from taking part in community-driven fitness. Almost two thirds (63%) of men also feel that their social life has improved thanks to group exercise, while 40% of women agree with this.
So, if you’re craving a big dose of motivation, hoping to forge some new friendships or wanting to enhance your mental and physical wellbeing, why not join your local run club, sign up for that gym class or add yourself to the Zwift leaderboard? It might just change your life.
Rachel is Runner's World UK's Senior Content Writer, covering all running-related topics from training advice and gear reviews to race reports and elite runner profiles. Formerly a Website Content Editor and Content Manager at London Marathon Events and The Running Channel respectively, Rachel is well-versed in the running scene and understands what it takes to put on some of the biggest running events in the world. A 2:50 marathoner, she would much rather run 26.2 miles than race a 5K and has currently completed 11 marathons, including five of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors in a sub-3 time. She now hopes to run the Tokyo Marathon to complete the set and become a Six Star Finisher.
