If you are curious about what actually keeps people moving in the real world, the newly released The State of Global Exercise Behaviour 2025 report by Myzone offers some incredible insights.
Based on aggregated and anonymized user data from 2025, this report shifts the spotlight away from fleeting performance goals and instead focuses on how habits, longevity, and community drive consistent exercise.
Here is a breakdown of the key findings and what they mean for the future of fitness.

1. Consistency is the True Metric of Success

Motivation is often treated as something that rises and falls, but the data reveals that lasting motivation is actually built through routine. Myzone users are not occasional exercisers; they are highly consistent.

• Globally, the average Myzone user works out 3.5 times per week.
• There is essentially a level playing field between genders, with women averaging 3.6 workouts per week and men averaging 3.5.
• This consistency correlates directly with gym retention. Research by Dr. Paul Bedford using data from Fitness First UK shows that after 12 months, member retention is 20% higher among Myzone users.
• A separate study of Village members showed that Myzoners stay 25% longer than non-Myzoners.

2. The Global Motivation Clock: When and How We Move

Human behavior follows distinct patterns when it comes to scheduling a sweat session. Sustained activity is rarely random.

• The “Fresh Start” Effect: Monday is the global anchor day for exercise. People overwhelmingly use the start of the week to reset their routines.
• Morning Dominance: Nearly 3 in 5 workouts (59.15%) occur before midday. This early-day anchoring is a strong signal of routine-driven behavior rather than reactive scheduling.
• Gender and Age Shifts: Women show a stronger preference for morning activity (62.24%) compared to men (54.36%). Furthermore, as users age, the morning lock-in becomes stronger, jumping to 67.41% for users aged 60 and above.
  When it comes to the types of activities people prefer, users tend to stick with what feels accessible and repeatable.

Top Global Activities

Global Rank Activity Behavioral Insight 1 Strength Training The most dominant activity globally. 2 Running A highly accessible, identity-driven activity that is particularly strong in younger demographics. 3 HIIT Time-efficient and highly popular, especially among mid-life cohorts. 4 Walking A sustainable, routine-driven activity that dominates in older demographics.

3. The Shift from Performance to Longevity

Perhaps the most striking insight from the 2025 data is how people distribute their effort. The biggest fitness goal is no longer rapid transformation; it is longevity.

• Users accumulate an average of 1,882 Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) per month.
• Interestingly, average monthly MEPs steadily rise across life stages, not because older users train at max capacity, but because they have greater workout frequency and more stable routines.
• A staggering 87.4% of workout time is spent in “Habit & Longevity Zones” (Zones 0, 1, 2, and 3).
• Only 12.6% of workout time is spent in high-stress “Performance Zones” (Zones 4 and 5).
• When surveyed on their goals, 72.39% of users exercise to “Maintain Fitness Levels,” while only 19.62% cite “Social Connection” as a primary conscious goal.

4. The Undeniable Power of Community

Even though users might not consciously list socializing as their top fitness goal, the data proves that community is a massive behavior multiplier. Connection is a powerful tool in an increasingly isolated world.

• Users with 10 or more social connections on the platform generate 47% more MEPs per month (+777 MEPs) compared to those with fewer than 10 connections.
• Women experience the strongest social amplification effect.
• Social connections matter increasingly more as users age, driving significantly higher activity levels in older demographics.

Read more at myzone https://www.myzone.org/global_exercise_behaviour2025#