Andy Devaney
If strength were a prescription drug, half the UK would be skipping their repeat dose and wondering why everything hurts when they stand up. Nearly 43% of UK adults are failing to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) strength guidelines and one in three (32%) do no muscle-strengthening activity at all, according to a new report from ukactive and global fitness brand Les Mills.
The report, Shaping a New Era of Strength Training, reads like a polite but firm intervention for a nation that still thinks the weekly shop counts as leg day. And yet, if we took strength as seriously as we take our phones’ battery life, the NHS, employers – and our future selves – would all be in far better shape.
What the CMO Actually Means by “Strength”
The CMO’s national guidelines aren’t exactly asking the public to train for the World’s Strongest Man. Adults are advised to do muscle-strengthening activities for all major muscle groups at least two days a week.
That includes:
- Traditional strength or resistance training
- Bodyweight exercises
- Everyday graft like heavy gardening
- Lugging heavy shopping that should probably have been delivered
These strength-based activities are crucial for flexibility, balance and coordination. The evidence is clear: building and maintaining muscle supports everyday tasks, protects against injuries and reduces the risk of frailty and falls as we age. This isn’t about aesthetics; it’s about being able to get out of a chair without needing a strategy meeting.
Most Adults Haven’t a Clue About Strength Guidelines
The report from ukactive – the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector – and Les Mills, with consumer insight from Active Insights, shows a stark knowledge gap that runs across generations.
When asked if they knew the CMO guidelines for strength exercises, 73% of adults admitted they had no idea how much they should be doing each week. Awareness was embarrassingly low among older generations:
- Just 9% of Baby Boomers knew the correct strength guidance
- Only 7% of the Silent Generation could identify it
Even among adults who thought they knew the rules, fewer than two in five (38%) correctly stated that the minimum is two days of strength-building activity per week.
Some of the other headline stats are no less sobering:
- 11% of UK adults only do half the minimum required and manage strength training just once a week
- Three-quarters (75%) of Generation Z (aged 16–28) do strength training twice or more a week
- 74% of Millennials (29–44) also hit the mark
- Just over half (55%) of Gen X (45–60) meet or exceed the CMO’s strength guidelines
- Only 34% of Baby Boomers (61–79) are managing to keep up
So, the young are flexing, the middle-aged are battling on, and a good chunk of older adults are effectively trusting their joints to blind faith and a multivitamin.
Gen Z Leads the Way – But Older Gym-Goers Are Catching Up
On the surface, Gen Z looks like the poster generation for strength training – at least in the general population. But the picture gets more interesting when you zoom in on people who actually join gyms.
Among gym members, researchers found that:
- 82% of Gen Z say strength training was an important reason for joining
- That rises to 86% among Millennials
- It hits 84% for Gen X
- And peaks with Baby Boomers, at 90%
In other words, once older adults do walk through the doors of a gym, they’re more likely than anyone else to see strength work as essential. They’re not there to dabble on a treadmill for ten minutes and call it a day; they know muscle is their insurance policy for staying independent.
The report suggests a growing awareness among older adults that strength training is less about “bulking up” and more about being able to lift a grandchild, climb the stairs, or put a suitcase in an overhead locker without needing three days’ recovery.
A Billions-of-Pounds Problem for the NHS
You don’t have to squint very hard to see why ukactive and Les Mills are pushing strength up the national agenda. Falls alone cost the NHS more than £2.3 billion a year, and musculoskeletal (MSK) issues like back pain and osteoporosis are the third-largest area of NHS spending, at around £5 billion annually.
The report calls for the Government to make strength training a core part of the physical activity campaign promised in the NHS 10 Year Plan. The logic is simple: stronger people fall less, fracture less, hurt less and – crucially – cost less to treat.
ukactive wants ministers to:
- Explicitly recognise the importance of strength training in national health strategy
- Support fitness and leisure facilities to reach more communities
- Improve promotion of strength training and Clinical Exercise Physiologists through the NHS
- Build national partnerships between the fitness sector and third-sector experts such as Age UK and Women in Sport
- Continue enhancing the support offered within gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres
It’s the kind of joined-up thinking that turns “go to the gym if you fancy it” into a genuine public health intervention.
Gyms Are Busier Than Ever – But There’s Room to Grow
If January feels like a contact sport in your local gym, you’re not imagining it. The report lands at a time when demand for health and fitness facilities is at a record high.
- Membership of UK health and fitness clubs has hit 11.5 million people, according to the UK Health & Fitness Market Report 2025
- Sport England’s Moving Communities report shows participation in gym activities in 2024/25 is up 13% on the year before – the second-largest increase of any activity type
The appetite is clearly there. The question is whether we can steer that enthusiasm towards consistent, evidence-based strength training, rather than just a few chaotic weeks on the cross-trainer every New Year.
Adding an extra twist, ukactive and Les Mills recently reviewed academic research on the impact of weight-loss medications on lean body mass. Their December publication highlighted the health risks of losing muscle and strength alongside weight – another reminder that the number on the scale is only part of the story.
“The UK Is Sleepwalking Into Another Health Crisis”
For ukactive CEO Huw Edwards, the warning lights are blinking red.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: ““With a third of the population doing no strength exercises at all, it’s clear the UK is sleepwalking into another health crisis. This report makes a powerful case for the nation to rethink its relationship with physical strength so people can reap the benefits for their health.
The Government should seize this opportunity to help more people access strength training by promoting the work of our sector, which will reduce pressure on the NHS and improve the health of the workforce too. Strength training is one of the best tools we have to help people live healthier, happier, more independent lives.
“Gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres are supporting people of all ages to grow stronger and more confident in their health, but this report shows there are many more to reach.”
It’s hard to argue with the idea that strength training is one of the cheapest, most powerful tools we have – no side-effects beyond the occasional grunt and the risk of feeling smug after carrying all the shopping in one go.
“A Magical Transformation” – Strength as a Lifestyle, Not a Phase
Martin Franklin, CEO of Les Mills UK, sees a massive opportunity – not just for gyms, but for the health of the whole country.
Martin Franklin, CEO of Les Mills UK, said: “These new findings spotlight the opportunity for strength training to transform the health of the entire nation. There is room for improvement in every age group for achieving the CMO guidelines, so gyms and leisure centres are perfectly placed to help people of all ages build strength into their lifestyles.
“Les Mills has been helping people become stronger since 1968, and we’ve learned that the best workout is the one you actually do. Making training motivating, inclusive, and most of all fun is the key to inspiring people to embrace healthy habits and reap the rewards of an active lifestyle.
“It’s a magical transformation that we witness every day in gyms and leisure centres across the country, driven by dedicated fitness professionals determined to make a difference. Now’s the time to support them so we can scale this impact and make strength accessible for all.”
Behind the statistics and policy recommendations, that’s the heart of the matter: turning strength work from a chore we avoid into a habit we enjoy. The barbell, the resistance band, the bodyweight class in a sweaty studio at 6 pm – they’re not just tools for bigger biceps, they’re tickets to staying active, independent and out of hospital.
So Where Does That Leave the Rest of Us?
The report’s message is blunt but hopeful. The UK has a strength problem, but it’s one we can actually fix. We already have:
- A growing network of gyms, pools and leisure centres
- A record number of members
- Fitness professionals who understand how to guide people safely into strength training
- Clear, evidence-based guidelines from the CMO
What’s missing is awareness, consistency and a national push that treats strength like the health essential it is, not a niche hobby for gym obsessives.
The full report, Shaping a New Era of Strength Training, from ukactive and Les Mills, sets out how government, the NHS and the fitness sector could work together to change that. In the meantime, two short sessions of strength work a week might be the simplest investment you’ll ever make – in a future where tying your own shoelaces doesn’t require a warm-up.
