A perfect evening out for Louis involves getting hot and sweaty, and the only drink he is downing is water.
He is one of a growing number of gen Zers who regard going to the gym as an integral part of their routine, and often preferable to sinking pints in the pub.
Louis, 20, who lives in Chichester, likes to “kill two birds with one stone” by also catching up with friends while he works out. “I will text a friend to let them know when I’m going, and then just like that, I have someone to talk to for an hour or 90 minutes,” he says.
Despite initially believing his climbing club was enough exercise, he now cannot imagine life without his additional six-times-a-week gym sessions.
“I sleep better, I eat healthier, and I love that endorphin rush after a workout,” says Louis, who is doing a degree apprenticeship in project management and logistics.
His story is not unique.
The days of the pub dominating young people’s social lives look to be dwindling as more young people sprint towards the gym as the place to hang out while working out.
A recent report found that generation Z – people born between 1997 and 2012, who are between 13 and 28 – are the key demographic driving the boom in gym membership. The report by UKActive, the trade body that represents most of Britain’s fitness operators, found that 11.5 million people aged 16 and over belong to a gym in the UK – a new high.
The findings, it adds, indicate “a shift in societal priorities toward health and wellbeing“ and suggest that “for younger people, gym membership is essential”.
Research published by the credit rating service Intuit Credit Karma found that nearly three in 10 (27%) 18- to 24-year-olds consider gym membership to be a necessity.
Meanwhile, gen Zers are increasingly ditching alcohol in favour of soft drinks, opting for “sober socialising”, partly for health reasons but also down to cost, according to research by Mintel.
These were certainly themes coming through from people who responded to an online callout.
Louis spends £38 a month on his gym membership and another £30 a month on his climbing club, but says that compares more than favourably with the cost of socialising.
“Being at the gym with friends takes away the distraction of alcohol and going out for me.
“Even an expensive gym membership costs less for a month than a single night out, making memories that I’ll have forgotten in the morning. That’s why I’ve ditched them and replaced them with the gym.”
This view is echoed by Niyi, 25, who has been going to the gym since he was 15.
“I’m fascinated by the fact that we as gen Z may be the fittest generation yet due to gym habits,” he says.
Niyi sees his daily gym-going as “a form of therapy”, a sentiment that came up repeatedly from many who got in touch with the Guardian.
Like Louis, Niyi also regards it as a social space where he can meet new people and “make connections”.
“I believe you can learn something from anyone at the gym, and I love interacting with people to network and talk,” he says. “My social habits these days emit from the gym – most of my friends are interested in fitness in some form.”
Niyi, who lives in Westminster, London, and is a regional project lead at a human rights charity, spends £100 a month on his gym membershipand also pays £80 a month for his boxing club. But he is comfortable with this outlay.
“I think it is worth it when you see it in terms of an investment in your physical and mental health, making me fitter and the best I can be,” he says.
He enjoys the gym so much that he has even developed it into a side hustle, working as a personal trainer, teaching in-person and online sessions in his spare time.
Niyi and Louis are also big fans of the sauna, saying it is a hotbed of lively conversation. “People go there to relax, and it’s surprisingly easy to chat,” says Niyi. “I’ve made some of my best connections there.”
Louis adds: “It’s brilliant, It’s such a sociable place. I’ve had some great conversations and met people from all walks of life. It’s hilarious when you think about it: you’re in a hot, steamy room full of half-naked people, yet it’s so natural to have a chat.”
Like Niyi, Erin loved her gym’s fitness classes so much she decided she wanted to teach them.
She goes to the gym at least four times a weekand teaches two weekly fitness classes alongside her main job as an editorial assistant at a publisher.
The gym, she says, is also the focus of her social life. “I go there instead of going out,” says Erin, 25, who lives in Cambridge. “The group exercises have a lovely social atmosphere.”
Her gym membership is usually £30 a month, but she pays a little less – a staff discount perk.
“I think the gym almost has a hidden social aspect,” she says. “It’s not explicitly social, and that takes the pressure off. There are no awkward silences as you are getting on with the class. Equally, you can speak to someone if you want to.”
She also cherishes the opportunity to meet a cross-section of people.
“I don’t have any kids and I live with just my flatmate,” she says. “So I’m not sure where else in my day-to-day life I would meet grandmothers and people’s mums.”
