Within our time self image and fitness have never been more popular in the UK alone there are seven thousand fitness and health facilities and growing. I personally have seen a major influx of young people going to fitness groups, sports teams, and gyms.  This is partially due to the influence of social media but also, the growing awareness of healthy lifestyles. Locally, I see an increasing amount of young people above fifteen attending the gym.

To attain a broader understanding of why this is, I asked a professional with 14 years’ experience of running a state of the art bodybuilding gym (Titanium) based in South Woodford. Chris Soupashis stated , “In the last eight months we have seen a massive influx of school goers ranging from ages of fifteen to eighteen but the reason for this is inexplicable, though may be caused by social media, someone younger would maybe know why”. Some people may argue that the increasing number of young people going to the gym could be attributed to self-image as well as peer pressure though undoubtably, the clean lifestyle and progressive nature of weightlifting and fitness in general is a positive thing when monitored properly and performed in moderation.

. In Britain alone annual turnover of fitness facilities combined is £2 billion, of which profit is mainly made by memberships. A report by IHRSA [the International Health, Racquet & Sports club Association] shows that 18–34 year olds hold the majority of gym memberships (30.9%).

 The rise of gym goers since 2008 has been near exponential with the growth of social media. The majority of social media consumers are within the category of 18 to 29 and 84% say that they are on at least one form of social media. The overall growth in social media among the fitness industry has applied more pressure towards the self-image of young people and increases the general likelihood of peer pressure. In conclusion the growth in young gym goers can be attributed to rising social physiological standards and the growth of social media and its psychological influence on young people.

 

Sources:

https://www.statista.com/topics/3411/fitness-industry-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/#topicHeader__wrapper

https://titaniumgym.co.uk/

https://runrepeat.com/gym-membership-statistics#gym-attendance-statistics