A SURGE in leisure centre memberships among young people is being seen as a sign of changing attitudes towards health.
Be Well, Wigan Council’s leisure service, has reported nearly 5,000 junior or student members across its seven centres - almost double the figure from three years ago.
The rise is being described as part of a wider move among younger generations away from body image concerns and towards long-term physical and mental wellbeing.
Jamie-Lee Bowden from Future Fit Training said: "Rather than seeing fitness as purely performance or appearance-driven, many young people now view exercise as an essential part of their physical health, mental wellbeing and long-term lifestyle.
"This aligns with wider industry trends showing increased participation in fitness activities and growing demand for wellness-focused formats.
"As youth participation in fitness continues to grow, there is an increasing need for qualified professionals who understand child development, safeguarding and age-appropriate exercise delivery.
"Creating positive early experiences is key to helping young people build confidence, physical literacy and lasting exercise habits that can continue into adulthood."
The UK health and fitness sector is seeing record growth, with around 12.2 million people now members of a health or fitness club.
Be Well has launched its NEXT GEN range, offering group exercise classes designed specifically for young people and families.
Dr Ashley Gluchowski, clinical exercise physiologist and behaviour change specialist at the University of Salford, said: "Young people who have positive experiences with being physically active are far more likely to be physically active as adults and older adults, improving their lifelong health, social and mental wellbeing, and quality of life.
"The fact that young people are the fastest growing membership sector for Be Well is something that Be Well must capitalise on and continue to enable, so it’s great to hear about NEXT GEN, which provides a variety of physical activity opportunities for young people in the Wigan Borough to get active."
Twelve-year-old Sophie Archer, a member at Ashton Leisure Centre, said: "I love coming to the NEXT GEN classes at Be Well because they're fun, friendly, and make me feel stronger every week.
"I've made new friends, learned new skills, and always leave feeling proud of myself."
Young people now make up a quarter of all Be Well memberships, which have recently surpassed 20,000.
New Be Well Fitness members can currently enjoy two months at half price when they sign up for a membership, using the code BEWELLAUTUMN at Be Well Wigan Memberships.
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