The Gym Group has opened five clubs in one day to reach 200 sites in the UK.

Opening this week were gyms in Oxford (Headington Retail Park), Bury St Edmunds, Barrow-in-Furness, Glasgow (Forge) and London (Staples Corner).

The openings come just days after the budget chain provided its trading update, which shows that membership numbers have recovered quick during 2021, while the business also has a "robust balance sheet".

Total member numbers grew from 547,000 in February 2021 to 753,000 at the end of October 2021.

The group has also made headway in terms of headline prices, with the average monthly price of a standard 'Do It' membership increasing to £19.23 in November 2021 – up from £18.81 in December 2020.

Take-up of the premium multi-site membership, 'Live It', increased to 27.1 per cent by the end of November 2021 – up from 22.5 per cent in December 2020 – as the continued growth in the number of gyms in the estate adds to the appeal of multi-site access.

The five new clubs this week take the number of new openings during 2021 to 19, of which 15 have opened in the second half of the year.

Richard Darwin, CEO, said the group remains on track to deliver its organic rollout plan targeting 40 new openings in the 18 months to December 2022.

“The recovery in our membership following the reopening demonstrates the essential role gyms play in people’s lives," he said.

"The market opportunity and growth potential for The Gym Group is very exciting.

"While we're mindful of the near-term uncertain outlook as a result of the new COVID variant, we have the growth strategy, financial resources and expertise required to capitalise on those opportunities, widening access to inclusive and affordable gyms for all over the long-term.”