According to the Fitness Industry Association’s (FIA) latest State of the Industry Report, UK consumers now have, on average, seven private and two public health and fitness facilities within two miles of where they live.

In London, this figure rockets to 31 private and six public facilities within a two-mile radius.

The findings back up the results of a 10,000-person study by Deloitte and research agency TARP earlier this year – which found that lack of time was the main barrier to exercise, not a lack of convenient facilities – which saw the FIA recommending that the government concentrate on increasing usage of existing centres rather than building new ones.

Andrée Deane, CEO of the FIA, said: “We now have two very clear choices: either tap into a proven national resource and make a real impact on the health of the nation, or ignore the fact that almost everyone is within two miles of an exercise facility and trained fitness professionals, and continue to bemoan the fact that the UK is getting fatter and sicker.

"There is a mountain of research which proves that being active does help to combat Type 2 diabetes, chronic heart disease, stress-related illnesses and, of course, obesity-related ailments.

“Therefore, what we need now is not new facilities, or further research, but investment in increasing utilisation of existing facilities.

“There is absolutely no excuse for further deliberation and procrastination.”

The report, compiled by the Leisure Database Company and published on 27 September, claims that the UK fitness industry is now valued at £2.5bn and has grown by 4 per cent in the last year.

It also shows there are now 52,000 full- and part-time employees in the private sector, up 2.6 per cent on last year, and 40,000 in the public sector, a massive 30 per cent rise.

Photograph: Andrée Deane, FIA CEO