The Problem with the UK Fitness Industry

The UK fitness industry is booming, but despite the significant investment and marketing efforts poured into it, it’s failing to deliver tangible results for real people. Instead of guiding individuals towards lasting health, it often pulls them into a cycle of short-term fixes, empty promises, and confusion. As someone who has been in the trenches of the fitness world for years, I’ve seen the gap between what is sold and what actually works grow wider, and it’s time we addressed it.

The Expectation Gap

Here’s the thing: the fitness industry often sets people up to fail. It presents a polished ideal—the shredded influencer, the perfect meal plan, the high-octane class that promises to torch fat in 45 minutes—and then shames people when they can’t keep up.

But most people don’t need a six-pack. They need energy, confidence, strength, and a bit of headspace from the stress of daily life. And for many, going from doing nothing to three or four sessions a week is a massive leap. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing, but the jump has to be managed. Progress might start with one session. And if it does, that should be applauded—because that first session could be the catalyst for two, then three, and eventually, a lifestyle.

The problem isn’t that people don’t want to get fitter. It’s that the industry doesn’t meet them where they are. And when it does, it often does so with little substance and no lasting impact.

Quick Fix Culture

You can’t open your phone without being sold a six-week shred or miracle transformation. These approaches rarely last and often leave people worse off than when they started. Extreme diets, punishing workouts, and unrealistic expectations don’t make people healthier; instead, they leave them feeling like failures when the inevitable crash comes.

Sustainable change doesn’t come from overhauling your life overnight. It stems from forming habits that you can stick to, even when life is hectic. For someone just starting, this might mean attending a couple of training sessions a week and gradually improving their food choices. That’s not sexy, but it works.

Globo Gyms and Missed Opportunities

Let’s talk about traditional gyms. The business model is simple: sign up as many people as possible and hope they don’t turn up. These gyms rely on low usage rates to stay profitable. And when people do go, they’re often left to fend for themselves, confused and unsupported.

The result? People fall off the wagon quickly. They don’t lack discipline. They lack structure, support, and a reason to keep going. A good training environment should offer all three.

No One-Size-Fits-All

We need to stop pretending that there’s a single formula that works for everyone. Not everyone wants or needs to train five days a week. For someone juggling work, family, and life, making it to the gym twice a week can be a significant achievement.

As coaches, our job isn’t to impose rigid standards. It’s to guide, support and adapt the plan so that it works for each person. Some people arrive with plenty of drive but no direction. Others show up reluctantly, unsure whether this time will be any different. Meeting them where they are, without lowering standards or losing sight of what works, is where genuine coaching takes place.

Where We Fit In

At Foundry, we do things differently. Our mission is to help people live better lives outside the gym, by offering exceptional coaching and a supportive environment inside it. We don’t promise quick fixes. We don’t push hype. And we don’t treat people like numbers.

We understand that getting started is often the most challenging part. That’s why our programmes are built around coaching, consistency and community. Whether someone is ready to train three times a week or is just finding their feet with one session, we support them in a way that builds momentum and confidence.

In 2025, we’ve streamlined our offering to make things even clearer. PT is where you build strength, mobility, and confidence. Classes focus on cardio fitness, heart health, and endurance. It’s a straightforward structure designed to help people train effectively and make real progress, without the fluff.

Our SWEAT and HYBRID classes are designed to complement our PT sessions, enabling individuals to work on various aspects of fitness while enjoying variety and structure. We don’t expect perfection, and we help people build consistency. And that’s what delivers results.

Redefining Success in Fitness

If someone trains once a week, we celebrate it. Not because it’s enough on its own, but because it could be the start of something bigger. We aim to educate, challenge, and support our members in training smarter, eating better, and living more actively, on their terms.

The UK fitness industry doesn’t need more six-week plans. It requires more honest conversations, more inclusive environments, and more coaches willing to do the slow, meaningful work of helping people change their lives.

That’s what we’re here to do.