Find out how your gym can tap into the corporate wellness boom

The UK fitness industry is in exceptional shape. The UK Active Health and Fitness Market Report 2026 confirms total industry revenue has reached £6.5 billion, gym memberships have hit an all-time high of 18 per cent market penetration across the over-16 population and annual visits to clubs are up 10 per cent year on year. For gym operators, these are genuinely exciting numbers.

But with competition intensifying – 75 per cent of UK gym operators report facing significant local competition and 82 per cent say member retention is a challenge – the question isn't just how big the market is. It's how you keep growing your share of it.

Corporate membership schemes represent a proven, low-effort route to new members, stronger retention and more stable revenue

The Corporate Opportunity

One of the most underutilised growth channels for operators is corporate wellness. And right now, the conditions have never been better.

Employee wellbeing has shifted from a peripheral HR initiative to a board-level priority. According to Deloitte, wellbeing is a strategic focus for 80 per cent of UK organisations. Epassi UK's Great Employee Benefit Survey 2025 found 76 per cent of UK employers are planning to increase company benefit budgets in 2026 and gym memberships sit at the centre of that spending.

This is being driven by a workforce that increasingly expects fitness to be a standard benefit. Gen Z are now the UK's biggest exercisers, with 63 per cent working out regularly, and 29 per cent citing ‘improving their mental health’ as a primary motivation for joining a gym.

Employers are listening and as hybrid working becomes the norm, physical and mental health benefits have become one of the primary tools companies use to attract, engage and retain talent.

The result? A growing pool of companies looking for fitness partners and gyms that aren't visible in the corporate benefits space missing out.

Who we are

Epassi UK has spent 25 years connecting employers with fitness facilities across the UK and Ireland. We operate the UK's largest health and fitness network, with more than 4,700 facilities, 10,000+ membership types, and over 2,500 corporate companies, from SMEs to major national employers, using our schemes to support the health and wellbeing of more than 12 million employees.

Our schemes – GymFlex, a salary deduction scheme offering employees discounted 12-month memberships and MyGymDiscounts, a self-paid discount scheme – are designed to make access affordable, easy and accessible for employees wherever they live or work.

Being part of a corporate wellness network signals quality and credibility, positioning your club as a professional partner in employee health

What joining our network means for your gym

Partnering with Epassi UK opens a new acquisition channel that operates entirely separately from your existing marketing. Employees at our client companies are directed to our network in order to choose their gym, and that means your facility gets in front of working-age members who might never have found you otherwise.

The benefits don't stop at acquisition. Employer-subsidised and 12-month memberships drive stronger retention. When gym costs are reduced – or deducted from salary before tax – members are more committed, more regular, and far less likely to cancel. It also means more predictable, diversified revenue alongside your direct-to-consumer base.

Being part of a corporate wellness network also signals quality and credibility, positioning your club as a professional partner in employee health. There's no requirement to be a large chain – some of our most valued network partners are independent clubs and boutique studios, exactly the kind of differentiated, community-led experience that corporate members actively seek out. For independents differentiating from low-cost chains, this matters.

The Bottom Line

The fitness industry's record growth is a rising tide, but the gyms that will benefit most are those actively building new member pipelines. With employers investing more in workforce wellbeing than ever before, corporate membership schemes represent a proven, scalable and low-effort route to new members, stronger retention and more stable revenue.

At Epassi UK, we'd love to help your gym benefit from that opportunity.

More: www.epassi.co.uk