Lorraine Kelly
It’s not the treadmill we’re avoiding—it’s the pain that follows. The latest UK fitness tracker from Deep Heat & Deep Freeze exposes a nation split between movement and immobility. While 73% of adults now exercise at least two to three times a week—and nearly a quarter move daily—one in seven Britons (14%) admit they never exercise at all.
Worryingly, inactivity among mid-lifers has doubled. In 2022, just 24% of adults aged 45 to 60 said they did no formal exercise. Today, that number has ballooned to 48%, making middle age the nation’s new danger zone for decline.
Pain: The Nation’s Biggest Barrier
The UK fitness tracker didn’t mince words. Pain is the leading reason people avoid exercise, with 42% of adults citing muscle and joint pain as their main barrier—a figure that jumps to 57% in those aged 55–60.
Physiotherapist Sammy Margo says the numbers don’t lie: “People underestimate how much skipping a proper warm-up or cool-down increases their injury risk. The body needs preparation before exertion and recovery afterward—especially as we age.”
More than two-thirds (67%) of adults report experiencing some form of pain, most often in their legs (30%), knees (28%) or back (26%). Despite this, 27% skip warm-ups entirely, and only 37% bother to cool down.
The irony? These are the very habits that could prevent pain in the first place.
Movement Gaps and Mid-Life Complacency
Walking remains Britain’s top exercise at 74%, but running has jumped from 24% in 2022 to 37% in 2025, showing a genuine rise in cardiovascular commitment. The gender gap is narrowing too, with 32% of women and 44% of men now pounding pavements.
Weightlifting, cycling, and swimming all sit around 19%, while around one in ten Britons embrace yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi.
Yet despite knowing better, fewer people are acting on it. Awareness of the NHS activity guidelines—150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week—has tripled from 14% to 46% in a year. But those who think they “should do more exercise” have fallen from 86% to 76%.
MSK specialist Clara Kervyn calls it a “worrying cultural shift”: “Older adults are becoming more inactive, even as awareness improves. Pain isn’t just a symptom—it’s a signal of a much larger public-health problem.”
How Fitness Could Change the Future
The science behind UK fitness trends couldn’t be clearer. Regular physical activity has been linked to 6.8 extra years of life and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 57%, as well as cutting risks of type 2 diabetes, several cancers, dementia (up to 20%), depression (23%), and anxiety (26%).
Personal trainer Elyn Marwick sees the motivation loop daily: “It’s always the first steps that matter most. Energy builds with movement, not before it. Mitochondria need motion—the body rewards consistency.”
For women in mid-life, staying active can also counteract the effects of lower oestrogen—protecting against bone density loss, muscle reduction, and visceral fat gain.
Small Steps, Smarter Prep
The NHS recommends starting simple: brisk walking, cycling, tennis, even mowing the lawn. Give yourself five minutes to wake your body up before you train, and another few to bring it back down after. That tiny bit of prep and recovery can seriously cut your risk of getting injured.
Tools like Deep Heat and Deep Freeze are helping people manage pain and keep moving. Deep Heat’s warming range—featuring Heat Spray, Roll-on Massage, and Patches—boosts blood flow and relaxes tight muscles.
Deep Freeze, on the other hand, provides an ice-like cooling effect for minor aches and inflammation through its Cold Gel, Spray, and Patch formats. Both are designed to help people move more comfortably, particularly in mid-life when recovery slows.
The Bottom Line
The UK fitness landscape tells a tale of two nations: one that’s moving more than ever, and another that’s grinding to a halt.
Pain may be the biggest hurdle, but it’s also one that can be overcome—with better preparation, smarter recovery, and a refusal to accept immobility as inevitable.
As the report makes plain: staying still is the most dangerous move of all.
