All you need to know if you want to get fit and healthy in 2026

It's not all bad news with more of us rating our fitness as 'excellent', but, according to an annual health tracker, there are still too many people not doing any exercise at all.

- BY CATHERINE FORREST

FRESH AIR Go on a bike ride

The UK faces a widening exercise divide, with new research revealing a worrying tale of two nations which has serious health implications for millions of Brits. On the plus side, there has been a significant increase in the number of adults who rate their fitness levels as excellent, up from 10% to 19% over the past four years. And there has also been a dramatic fall in those who never exercise, down from 21% to just 14%.

But despite the well-documented physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise, one in seven adult Brits admit they never work out. And, perhaps not surprisingly, one in 10 report their fitness levels as "poor".

This gaping activity chasm has been exposed by the latest Deep Heat & Deep Freeze Fitness Tracker - an annual survey which has charted the nation's exercise and activity habits since it was launched in 2021.

Other red flags raised by the tracker include the fact that three-quarters of adults (76%) know they should be doing more exercise. Almost nine in 10 (86%) have struggled to motivate themselves to get moving. And the number of adults aged 45 to 60 who don't do any form of structured exercise has doubled since 2022, with almost half (48%) admitting they are inactive compared to 24% three years ago.

Physiotherapist and musculoskeletal specialist Clara Kervyn warns: "Inactivity among older adults is fast becoming a public health emergency. Much more work is needed to drive home the health benefits of exercise and promote initiatives which will nudge older adults into doing more."

The new data shows that the biggest barrier to activity is pain, with two in five adults (42%) saying it prevents them exercising. Lack of energy (39%), lack of time (39%) and lack of motivation (37%) are also reasons.