Leicester hailed as UK’s most active city for gym visits

Residents in Leicester have been named as the most active gym users in the UK, while people in Fulham are the least, according to new research released today (4 January) by Nuffield Health.

As the annual rush for gyms to help realise people’s new year resolutions gets underway, the Nuffield Health 2015 Health Report aims to provide an overview of the nation’s health habits. The findings comprise data from thousands of members and non-members across 67 of Nuffield Health’s 77 UK gyms.

According to the report, residents in Leicester use the gym eight times a month on average, whereas the average gym user in Fulham averages only five visits per month.

Meanwhile, Swindon residents were found to have the biggest waistlines, with the average woman measuring more than 35 inches and males typically wider than 40 inches. Chester residents had the highest blood pressure readings, Wolverhampton the highest cholesterol and Croydon the highest glucose results, putting them at an increased risk of developing serious, long-term health conditions.

Perhaps the most alarming statistic from the report showed that 90 per cent of people who underwent a health assessment admitted to not doing the weekly recommended amount of 150 minutes of moderate exercise. Being physically active has been shown to help treat, prevent or manage 20 lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

“We are now living longer than ever before, so to make the most of this we need to take more responsibility for our own health and wellbeing,” said Dr Davina Deniszczyc, Nuffield Health’s recently promoted medical director.

“The start of a new year is the perfect time to make changes and just making small adjustments such as reducing your sugar intake or walking more each day can have a positive impact on your life.”