Longevity is the most important motivator for today’s exercisers and social connection is key, according to a report by Myzone.

Drawing on anonymised and aggregated data from Myzone users across multiple countries, age groups, genders and activity types, the State of Global Exercise Behaviour 2025 uncovers the patterns behind sustained motivation, habit formation and long-term member engagement.

Myzone users are a highly engaged cohort – they complete an average of 3.5 workouts per week – while this is not representative of the general population it does provide valuable insights which operators can leverage for retention.

Across all users, 87.4 per cent of activity takes place within light-to-moderate intensity ‘habit zones’, demonstrating that people are far more likely to sustain exercise when it feels manageable and repeatable. This pattern becomes even more pronounced with age – users over the age of 60 spend more than 90 per cent of their time in these zones.

Monday is the most active day globally, suggesting a ‘fresh start’ effect that operators can leverage to anchor weekly engagement. Nearly 60 per cent of all workouts take place before midday. Together, these patterns show that consistency is the result of structured habits that can be designed and supported.

Social connection plays a significant role. Users with ten or more social connections generate 47 per cent more activity than those exercising alone, underlining the importance of community in sustaining motivation. 

The report says that supporting members to understand their activity, manage effort and build sustainable routines will be critical for individual success and creating measurable improvements in retention and lifetime value.

“This data reveals that showing up regularly is what defines real-world exercise behaviour,” says Jay Worthy, CEO of Myzone. “If the industry wants to keep members engaged, it must prioritise designing for consistency and community. When consistency is supported, motivation follows and exercise becomes something people stick with, not something they struggle to maintain.”

The full report is available to download free of charge.