Public Gyms London: Usage Jumps 18% at Council Centres

London public sports centres logged 2.4 million fitness sessions between January and June 2026, an 18 percent increase on the same six months in 2025.

The Greater London Authority released the borough-by-borough breakdown on 9 July, and the timing coincides with private gym price hikes that pushed monthly fees at some central London chains above £75.

East London centres record sharpest gains

At the Westway Sports Centre on Harrow Road in North Kensington, class bookings rose from 12,400 in the first half of 2025 to 16,900 this year after the centre added three new outdoor circuits on the roof deck. In Tower Hamlets the Mile End Park Leisure Centre on Burdett Road reported 9,200 new memberships since January, driven by a £28 monthly rate that includes access to both the gym and the adjacent 3G pitch used for five-a-side leagues.

Numbers point to preference for group outdoor sessions

Active London, the body that collates the data from 32 boroughs, recorded that 62 percent of the extra sessions took place in group classes held outside rather than inside weight rooms. The average price per session at these public sites stands at £7.20, compared with £12.50 at equivalent private studios in the same postcodes. The report also notes that 41 percent of participants are aged between 25 and 34, the first time that bracket has outpaced the 35-to-44 group since tracking began in 2022.

Residents can check current timetables and book through the Active London app or at the reception desks of any participating centre before the next round of summer programmes fills up.