These Are the UK’s Most Fitness-Obsessed Cities

A new ranking tracks U.K. cities based on their per-capita search interest in activities including gyms, Pilates, Hyrox, running and HIIT

New research has revealed the cities in the United Kingdom with the highest per-capita interest in fitness.

The analysis, from water bottle brand ION8, ranked 20 U.K. cities based on Google search volume for 25 fitness-related terms, including running, gyms, Pilates, yoga, Hyrox, HIIT, boxing, padel and tennis. Search volume was then adjusted for population size to compare interest across cities.

ION8 analyzed Google Keyword Planner search volume collected in August 2026 across 25 fitness terms and 20 U.K. cities. The data was normalized using population estimates from the U.K. Office for National Statistics.

Top 10 UK Cities for Fitness Search Interest

1. Manchester (6,594.9 searches per 100,000 residents)
Manchester led the ranking, with particularly strong interest in gyms, boxing, tennis and Hyrox. Residents generated an estimated 9,900 monthly searches for gym-related terms, along with 4,400 for boxing and 2,900 each for tennis and padel.

2. Bristol (5,459.2 searches per 100,000 residents)
Bristol ranked second, supported by high search volumes for gyms, tennis, boxing and Hyrox. Pilates also drew notable interest, with roughly 1,300 monthly searches.

3. Leeds (5,149.1 searches per 100,000 residents)
Leeds took third place, with gyms again driving much of the city’s fitness interest. Boxing, tennis, swimming and Hyrox were also among its most-searched activities.

4. London (4,889.1 searches per 100,000 residents)
London generated the highest overall fitness search volume by a wide margin, with more than 443,000 searches across the terms studied. Gym searches reached an estimated 135,000, while tennis, Hyrox, Pilates and yoga also attracted significant interest.

5. Newcastle upon Tyne (4,606 searches per 100,000 residents)
Newcastle rounded out the top five, with gyms, boxing, tennis and Hyrox among its strongest categories on a per-capita basis.

6. Birmingham (4,594.2 searches per 100,000 residents)

Birmingham narrowly followed Newcastle, with gyms accounting for 12,100 monthly searches. Boxing was another standout category at 8,100 searches, while Pilates, tennis and Hyrox also drew strong interest.

7. Glasgow (4,365.4 searches per 100,000 residents)

Glasgow ranked seventh, led by searches for gyms, boxing and tennis. Hyrox also attracted an estimated 2,400 monthly searches, while Pilates generated 1,600.

8. Edinburgh (3,931.7 searches per 100,000 residents)

Edinburgh’s fitness interest was driven primarily by gyms, tennis and boxing. The Scottish capital also showed demand for newer training formats, recording roughly 1,600 monthly searches for Hyrox and 1,000 for Pilates.

9. Plymouth (3,856.1 searches per 100,000 residents)

Plymouth placed ninth despite its smaller population, with gym, boxing and tennis searches contributing heavily to its per-capita ranking. Hyrox and Pilates also registered notable interest.

10. Liverpool (3,339.4 searches per 100,000 residents)

Liverpool rounded out the top 10, generating particularly strong interest in gyms, boxing and tennis. Pilates and Hyrox searches also helped push the city ahead of Coventry and the remaining cities in the ranking.

Coventry, Belfast, Kingston upon Hull, Cardiff and Wolverhampton occupied the middle of the ranking. Sheffield, Leicester, Bradford and Nottingham followed, while Sunderland placed last with 646.2 searches per 100,000 residents.

Behind the Numbers

Gym-related searches were among the largest categories across nearly every city, while emerging formats including Hyrox and padel appeared alongside more established activities such as running, swimming, yoga and tennis.

Manchester, for example, recorded an estimated 2,400 monthly Hyrox searches, compared with 33,100 in London. London also generated 27,1 00 Pilates searches, 14,800 yoga searches and 49,500 tennis searches.

“It’s fascinating to see Manchester leading the way with a per-capita interest in fitness that surpasses even larger cities like London,” said Yusuf Okhai, managing director at ION8. “This suggests a strong community focus on health and wellness.”

The sizeable gap between the highest- and lowest-ranked cities also points to significant geographic differences in online fitness interest. Manchester’s per-capita search rate was more than ten times Sunderland’s.

“The gap between Manchester and Sunderland is striking, and it highlights the potential for growth in promoting active lifestyles in certain areas,” Okhai said.