Can our industry help National Fitness Day become even bigger than Sport Relief?
When something like National Fitness Day is handed to an organisation like ours to develop, lead and manage, you can’t help but feel more than a little excited. We’re aiming to make Friday 26 September the biggest nationwide celebration of physical activity – not only in the sector’s annual calendar, but for the nation.
We all know about the benefits of regular exercise: a healthier heart, freedom from chronic illnesses, a better quality of life – the list goes on. But the reality is, many people find getting active a lonely slog – and it really shouldn’t be.
So when the énergie Group, founders of National Fitness Day, came to us with the proposition that we were best placed to steward National Fitness Day to become the platform it truly could be, we were delighted to take the baton.
Make it sociable Research shows that, if you exercise in company, you’re more likely to stick at it. A seductive combination of the social atmosphere, camaraderie and accountability among the group spurs even the most reluctant exercise novice to show up with a positive attitude and, most importantly, to have fun. That’s what National Fitness Day is all about – providing people with the inspiration to move.
What does National Fitness Day involve? Firstly, there’s the Power Half Hour, where health clubs, gyms and leisure centres across the country will open their doors to everyone – members or non-members – to participate in free National Fitness Day Power Half Hour events, from group cycling and Zumba to BodyCombat and circuits.
Secondly, a series of mass participation fitness events will be held in high-traffic public squares in major UK cities. Hundreds of participants will sweat it out together, energised by great music and motivated by the fun of getting active together.
Golden opportunity The great thing about National Fitness Day is that it gives operators a unique opportunity to build a relationship with new customers and connect with existing members through a powerful, visible platform that taps into the fitness ‘mood of the moment’. We’re going big on the marketing too: we’ll be driving maximum exposure for the event through a catalogue of high profile media outlets, including a national print and radio campaign.
We’ve also enlisted professor Greg Whyte, OBE, as our National Fitness Day resident expert. As one of the country’s pre-eminent sport scientists – and the man who trained Davina McCall, David Walliams and Eddie Izzard for their incredible sporting challenges – he knows exactly what it takes to get the best out of your body.
I’m excited by the opportunity the event gives us – the chance to create a public legacy through a memorable experience that helps fuel the nation’s appetite for fitness. It’s also a great chance for our sector to demonstrate credibility, relevance and ingenuity to stakeholders such as brands, business and community.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
digital platform that will provide professionals with strategic guidance on how to build
transformational leisure experiences that drive profit.
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