Sector representative body, UK Active, has expressed frustration that the UK government overlooked the health and fitness industry in a U-turn over business rates.

Following protests from the hospitality industry UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is looking set to make a U-turn on proposed changes to business rates for pubs, however, this change has not yet been extended to health clubs, which are still facing higher bills from April.

Investment, leadership, consumer trends and growth were hot topics at our annual event for the industry. Click to watch the presentations in our report

Physiologist and co-founder of Future Practice and Pillar Wellbeing, Oli Patrick opened the conference with an inspiring talk about consumer testing and the opportunities in this space.

With more than one gym opening per week and the integration of Blink Fitness underway in the US, the new CEO of PureGym talks to Kate Cracknell

Following the completion of PureGym’s Blink Fitness acquisition, outgoing CEO, Humphrey Cobbold, and incoming CEO, Clive Chesser, lift the lid on the rollercoaster journey.

Will Orr, The Gym Group CEO, kicked off his live on-stage interview at the HCM Summit by mentioning the high-value low-cost operator’s recent survey which showed that Gen Z are increasingly choosing gyms over pubs.

Socialising is an increasingly important aspect of the Gen Z workout experience, according to research commissioned by The Gym Group to understand this cohort’s attitudes to health and fitness.

The UK’s largest operator of affordable fitness, PureGym, has announced today that CEO Humphrey Cobbold will be moving from CEO to the role of chair on 6 November. Clive Chesser had been appointed to succeed him.

The MD of leisure, health and wellbeing at Places Leisure talks about the opportunities she sees in a post-COVID world

A £40m pilot for the delivery of weight loss drugs, such as Wegovy, is creating opportunities for the sector

For almost 20 years, CardsSafe has been helping golf courses, clubhouses, bike hire businesses and restaurants to securely retain their customers’ bank and ID cards while they run a tab or trial a product or service.

The founder of the Bristol Co-operative Gym shows us how his club model is creating a more inclusive approach to community health and fitness

As we celebrate the publication of the 300th edition of HCM, we invite industry experts to give their insights on the health and fitness sector: why they joined, the most exciting development to date, and what they think we’ll be reporting on in the next 300 issues

Health clubs, gyms, hotels, pubs and other leisure businesses will receive a 50 per cent cut in business rates over the next year.

New research by Barclays Corporate Banking reveals that the leisure, fitness, spa and hospitality industries are bouncing back and look likely to contribute £3.5b (€4bn, US$4.7) more to the nation’s GDP this year than in 2019.

On the launch of You Fit’s hotel health club and spa contract management service

Group Exercise has been closed longer than any other part of the sector, without evidence to support this decision. Industry leaders debate the issue

GLL is the latest operator to throw its support behind a parliamentary petition calling for gyms to reopen first after the current national lockdown. GLL, which manages more than 258 facilities under its Better brand, is urging all its customers to sign the petition, which also calls for a Work Out to Help Out scheme similar to last summer’s successful scheme in the hospitality sector.

The pandemic has shown the need for us to embrace prevention in all areas of life

HCM editor, Liz Terry, has launched a Parliamentary Petition calling for gyms to be in the first wave of reopenings after the lockdown and for the government to fund a 'Work Out to Help Out' scheme.

The UK government has provided a lengthy response to a petition which demanded that gyms stay open in England, even if there's a new spike in COVID-19 cases.

PureGym is the second largest operator in Europe. Its CEO talks about expansion and influencing government policy

Gym and health club operators with sites in Liverpool, UK, have been left "astounded" at the government's "retrograde step" in ordering gyms to close in the city, as part of its controversial new three-tier COVID-19 control system

Fitness industry leaders in the UK have welcomed news that the vast majority of the industry is allowed to remain open under the government's new three-tier COVID-19 control system.

Health clubs, gyms, indoor pools and leisure centres have reopened in Wales – nearly five months after being forced to close as part of the nationwide lockdown. The latest easing of regulations in Wales came into force on 10 August, one week after the country's pubs and restaurants were able to throw open their doors to customers.

A member of SAGE, the government’s independent group of scientific advisers, has said that gyms, pubs and other leisure venues may have to close in England in order for schools to reopen, if we are to eliminate COVID-19.

Gyms, health clubs and swimming pools in Scotland have finally been given an "indicative" time for a possible re-opening – but the 14 September date has angered the sector.

A set of posters created by a fitness studio manager, mimicking the government's COVID- 19 NHS messaging, have gone viral on LinkedIn.

Interest in gym reopening in England is reaching fever pitch, with an announcement expected any time now.