Gen-Z have been described as the ‘healthiest generation yet’. They are exercising more and drinking less, however, there lies a darker side within our fitness obsession. Wide spreading gym culture has commodified every aspect of our self-care and wellness, simultaneously normalising hyper-individualism and ultra-productivity. Gym culture is enforcing another societal pressure upon our generation, promoted by capitalistic exploitation. The re sult, an exclusive fitness industry and increasingly atomised society, unreflective of a healthier generation.
The Evolution of Fitness
Exercise and fitness activity has developed massively over the last few decades. From minimal engagement during the early 20th century, it has become increasingly mainstream throughout the decades. The 1960/70s saw the rise of the ‘Gold Gyms’ on Venice beach and the growth of body building as a sport.
This produced the first cultural shift as the gym became a space to be seen. Within the 1980s aerobic exercise and VHS tapes became popularised, transforming the home space into an exercise opportunity. Big box studios emerged leading to the dispersal of chain gyms such as LA fitness. This commercialisation of exercise has widened its consumer reach, increasing western societies engagement with fitness.
The Growth of the UK Fitness Industry
While physical activity trends have changed over the decades, a more prominent cultural shift has been produced by the modern fitness industry. Today the health and fitness industry resembles a huge economic enterprise. In 2024 revenue surpassed £5.7 billion, with 5607 fitness clubs across the UK, reflecting an annual growth rate of 8.8%. Membership subscriptions have massively contributed, with 1 in 6 Britons paying a membership fee, the highest engagement in Europe. Driving this trend is the Gen-Z generation, with 30% regularly working out. Their activity doubles their parental generation. The Chief Executive of UKActive states “with the right support, this could become the most health-aware generation yet”. Our uptake in physical activity offers a promising future for our generation’s health and wellness. However, a wider analysis of the cultural over financial trends offers a different, worrying perspective.
Young people have effectively reshaped the concept of health and fitness. An increased engagement in the gym has given rise to a new culture, ‘gym culture’. Exercising has become more than the physical act of bodily movement; it has become curated into an aspirational lifestyle. Gym culture has filtered into our daily routine; wake up, take a progress picture, eat 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking, have a scoop of creatine, down some caffeine, pick your workout set, drive to a subscription paid gym, follow a pre-paid workout plan, take another picture, come home to curate your Instagram post. Gym culture resembles a glorified lifestyle trend.
The Commodification of Wellness
This idealised lifestyle has been popularised by Gen-Z. The main cause, like the driver of most modern trends, is social media. In comparison to other generations, Gen-Z spend the most time online, averaging 3 hours a day on social media. As a chronically online generation, we are vulnerable to the mass consumption of media, in this case, the content of fitness influencers.
Social media has dropped the barrier to entry to having a platform in fitness, meaning anyone can become an ‘expert’. This has given rise to the ‘fitness influencer’ who has effectively marketed the gym lifestyle into a sellable brand. The aestheticised muscular body has become sold as a commodified good that you will achieve if you follow the same pattern of consumption. Gen-Z as popular online users, with feeds dictated by algorithms, witness these perfected bodies and routines on the daily. This has undeniably triggered the growth of the fitness industry and associated gym culture.
Exercise has become commodified far beyond the monthly gym membership payments. Gym culture has promoted the commodification of the ‘locked-in’ lifestyle. Everything that might better your gym performance, has been made into a commodified good: a fitness watch, an extensive workout wardrobe, a ‘necessary’ supplement. In security marketing, furthered by social media, has successfully targeted the Gen-Z consumer, extracting profits from their insecurities and aspirations.
Gym culture has also promoted cultural capitalism. Conspicuous consumption encourages us to feed into the commodification of goods in return for affirmed identity and social status. Engaging in gym culture has become a signifier of wealth and success, reflected by your hard work and discipline. By having expensive workout gear, a membership to a boutique gym, and a physically fit body, you are granted visual signifiers of success. Engagement in fitness has become a symbol of wealth and success. Capitalistic demands of economic growth have successfully targeted this generation, altering our culture and sense of self-worth.
The Social Divide
While exercising is not inherently damaging, the cultural shift in fitness has an arguably darker side. Firstly, the commodification of exercise has increased its exclusivity. The rise of luxury gym studios such as Equinox, costing £300 in monthly fees, or Tribe Yoga in Edinburgh specifically, situates exercise as a luxury good. While there may always be budget gym options, the rise of the luxury gym market transforms exercise into an exclusive and divisive activity. Rising financial barriers seclude the masses, worsening existing class health divide and inequalities. Secondly, more attuned to Gen-Z, is the social erosion normalised by gym culture. The gym lifestyle idealises hyper-individualism and self-growth. This aligns with associated ‘hustle culture’ that has glorified never-ending productivity. Hyper-individualism neglects the importance of social connection and community, producing an atomised society.
While driven by gym culture and social media usage, social disconnect has been amplified by the rising cost of a pint. From £2.30 in 2008, to £5 as the national average today, for many the Great British Pub has become an unaffordable space to socialise. Consequently, the gym has emerged as a new ‘third space’ for Gen-Z to attempt to connect with peers. However, it fails to offer an adequate replacement. Gym culture’s promotion of self-focus and growth does not fulfil our innate human needs of social bond. Spaces such as the pub foster a sense of social continuity and community, irreplaceable by the gym. Human to human connection is vital for our mental health and prosperity. While our physical fitness may thrive, our mental health increases in fragility. Returning to the claim that Gen-Z is the ‘healthiest generation yet’, the rise of gym culture reflects the opposite. We are becoming the most socially disconnected generation, outweighing the exclaimed benefits of muscle growth.
Towards a Healthier Culture of Exercise
It is hard to predict the longevity and permanence of this cultural trend for Gen Z. We are already witnessing shifts in the idealised body type from a muscular physique to the ‘Pilates princess body’ and the normalised use of Ozempic. Shifting idealised physiques may shift our idealised form of exercise. However, hyper-individuality appears to be deeply entrenched within our generation, and we have lost sight of the importance of community and social relations.
To halt our increasingly atomised society, we need a new culture of exercise. We need to foster collective physical activity such as local sports clubs and group exercise classes, where success is not measured by numerical value or bodily transformation, but defined by a team’s success and collaboration.
Doing so will foster a healthier exercise culture and ensure a more prosperous generation.