Norwich Crowned Britain's Home Gym Capital in New Industry Report

Norwich residents are building more home gyms per person than those in any other British city, according to a major new study of the nation’s changing fitness habits.

The UK Home Gym Report 2026, published by Sprung Gym Flooring, draws on six years of trading data covering over 55,000 home gym installations. 

It ranks cities according to the number of home gym orders placed per 100,000 residents.

Norwich leads with approximately 46 orders per 100,000 people, around eight times the rate recorded in London. Reading, Preston and Cambridge complete the leading group.

Although London generated the greatest overall number of orders, it ranked near the bottom when measured per head. The report suggests this reflects the capital’s high proportion of flats, smaller homes and limited access to garages or gardens suitable for conversion.

The findings also challenge the long-standing belief January is the busiest month for home fitness purchases. November 2025, boosted by Black Friday promotions, was the strongest month recorded, finishing 6% ahead of January.

Meanwhile, May and June 2026 together outsold January and February by 8%. The growing popularity of garden gyms, converted garages and dedicated fitness rooms appears to be spreading demand throughout the year.

Spending is increasing too. The average home gym order value reached a record high in 2026, rising 22% compared with the lockdown period of 2021. Rather than buying a single exercise mat, more people are now planning and equipping complete rooms.

Category revenue grew by 16% during 2025 and is up a further 6% in 2026 so far. This suggests home gyms have evolved from a temporary pandemic solution into a permanent part of many British households.

Changing exercise trends are also influencing home gym design. Searches for HYROX, the indoor fitness race combining running and functional exercises, rose from only a few dozen a month in 2020 to more than 150,000 at their 2026 peak. This has increased interest in adaptable spaces suitable for strength, endurance and functional training.

Richard McKay, founder of Sprung Gym Flooring, told That's Health: “Everyone assumes London and January. The data says Norwich and November.”

He added buyers are also making more informed flooring choices, using standard 20mm rubber tiles throughout rooms and reserving heavier-duty flooring for areas where barbells are dropped.

For many people, a home gym can remove barriers such as travelling time, membership costs and crowded facilities. However, good ventilation, safe flooring, appropriate equipment and correct exercise technique remain essential.

The full UK Home Gym Report 2026 includes the complete city rankings and methodology.

https://www.gym-flooring.com/blogs/stats-hub/the-uk-home-gym-report-2026

https://www.gym-flooring.com

No gym contracts? That's not a problem!

Innovative offering opens up gym membership to all.

In the light of the Office of Fair Trading announcing a high court ruling deeming that deals locking gym-goers into long-term contracts are ‘unfair’ and ‘unenforceable’, there is an even greater need for more flexible options such as those offered by the affordable gym chain, Pure Gym.

It was announced recently that anyone locked into a gym contract of a year or more should be free to cancel it without incurring any cost to themselves.

The court action was brought by the OFT against Ashbourne Management Services, who operate membership schemes for 500,000 members of small independent gyms across Britain.

Removing industry stereotypes like inflexible contracts, limited opening hours and high cost memberships, Pure Gym offers low cost membership including ‘Price for life’, 24 hour opening and no contract. The concept is already proving a big hit with a quarter (25%) of their members having never joined a gym before.

In the biggest shake-up of the £2.5bn fitness industry in some two decades, Pure Gym has been starting a fitness revolution following its own survey results that reveal the biggest barriers to joining a gym are high membership fees (72%), fixed contracts (40%) and lack of time (55%).

Peter Roberts, Pure Gym Founder and CEO said: “This is positive news for gym users across the UK, many of whom have suffered heavy-handed tactics like threats to damage credit ratings if members are unable or unwilling to pay the minimum term of long contracts.

“The Pure Gym model aims to encourage those who have never joined a gym before,plus providing an affordable and flexible option for those who expect more from their memberships and who do not want to commit to long-term contracts.”

Pure Gym launched in 2009 and currently has 15 gyms open and an additional five sites secured. By the end of 2011 Pure Gym hopes to have opened 25 sites across the country in total.

For more details you can visit www.puregym.co.uk.