Treadmills to triage

Not so long ago, the idea that a gym membership might help you see a GP would have sounded far-fetched. Exercise referral schemes existed, of course, and leisure centres had long talked about their role in prevention. But GP appointments? That felt firmly in the territory of healthcare, not health and fitness. 

Fast forward to today and that line is becoming increasingly homogenised. 

Across the UK, gym chains and leisure operators are quietly reshaping what membership means. Alongside classes, pools and personal training, members are now being offered same-day digital GP appointments, physiotherapy consultations, dietetic support and mental health services, often for less than the cost of a daily coffee. 

The increasing prevalence of this means that for physical activity professionals, this isn’t just an interesting trend. It’s a signal that the sector’s role in the health system is evolving and that careers within it may need to evolve too. 

Why now? Pressure, expectation and opportunity 

The backdrop to this shift is well reported and documented with headlines across the media: 

“Millions wait more than a fortnight to see a GP in England” 

“62% of UK employees struggle to get a doctor’s appointment” 

“The towns struggling to see a doctor” 

General practice is under sustained pressure, despite ongoing investment and reform. The NHS has expanded capacity, introduced digital access as standard and increased the number of appointments delivered, yet many people still struggle to get timely GP consultations. 

At the same time, public expectations have changed and consumers are used to on-demand services, digital access and integrated experiences. Healthcare is no exception to this expectation. Increasing numbers of people, and particularly younger adults, are open to private or hybrid healthcare solutions that complement NHS provision rather than replace it. 

Into this space steps our sector. 

Gyms and leisure facilities already have something healthcare desperately needs, and that’s regular contact with people before they become unwell. They are familiar, trusted spaces focused on behaviour change, prevention and long-term wellbeing. So, adding GP access to that environment is less of a leap than it may first appear. 

What the numbers tell us 

This isn’t a theoretical shift or a pilot, because it’s already happening at scale. 

Healthcare partners working with gyms report tens of thousands of people registering for GP access via their gym membership in the last year alone. Utilisation is continuing to grow month by month. App-based consultations allow members to speak to a GP within hours, receive prescriptions, get referrals or be signposted to further support. 

Recent data from Health Hero, a health care provider who partners with providers and chains across the UK including CIMSPA partners Everyone Active and Parkwood Leisure, shows that 63,000 people in the UK have registered for a private GP appointment service as part of their gym membership in the last two years. 

Crucially, these services are rarely positioned as a replacement for the NHS. Instead, they are framed as additional access, helping people deal with minor or early-stage issues quickly and, in many cases, linking clinical advice back to lifestyle change. 

That’s where physical activity professionals come back into the picture. 

How operators are blending fitness and healthcare 

Several well-known operators are already leading the way in connecting members to clinical services. 

Some have partnered with digital healthcare providers to create premium or bolt-on memberships. For an additional monthly fee, members can access GPs, physios, dietitians and mental health professionals alongside their usual gym benefits. 

Nuffield Health offer their gym members discounted access and direct connection with their wider health offer. 

Others are embedding these offers across local authority leisure estates, broadening access well beyond traditional private health club audiences. 

Perhaps most interesting are models where healthcare and physical activity are physically and operationally integrated. Health and wellbeing hubs that combine clinical space with gyms and studios are growing in number, signalling a future where exercise, advice and treatment sit side by side. 

What this means for the gym floor

For physical activity professionals, these developments subtly but fundamentally change the context of their work in a number of ways that create great professional development opportunities. 

Members arriving for a class or PT session may also have spoken to a GP that morning. A physiotherapy consultation might recommend strength work that feeds directly into an exercise programme. A mental health conversation may highlight the importance of routine, confidence and social connection, which are all things that activity professionals support every day. 

This creates a new layer of relevance and responsibility, but it also raises expectations. When gyms and leisure facilities position themselves as part of a wider health offer, the professionalism, confidence and credibility of the workforce matter more than ever. 

This is where the conversation moves beyond business models and into professional identity. 

As operators align more closely with healthcare, physical activity professionals are increasingly visible as trusted health partners, not just instructors or coaches. That shift strengthens the case for: 

• clear professional standards 

• recognised qualifications and pathways 

• ongoing learning in behaviour change, long-term conditions and health conversations 

• stronger professional recognition and status. 

Put simply, the closer fitness moves to healthcare, the more important it becomes for the workforce to articulate what it does, why it matters and how it adds value alongside clinical services. 

Those who invest in their professional development thorough specialist skills and enhanced professional status are likely to find themselves better positioned in this new landscape, not just for progression or pay, but for influence. 

Moving from signposting to partnership 

One of the biggest opportunities for professionals lies in collaboration and a collegiate approach to delivering services. 

As GP access becomes embedded in leisure and gym service offers, professionally recognised physical activity professionals are increasingly well placed to: 

• reinforce clinical advice through safe, tailored activity 

• support early intervention and prevention 

• help members to translate medical guidance into sustainable behaviour change 

• act as a consistent point of contact in what can often be fragmented health journeys. 

What this definitely doesn’t mean is that physical activity professionals become clinicians. It means them confidently occupying a distinct professional, recognised role within a broader health and wellbeing ecosystem. 

There are still a lot of questions to answer in these co-location models because ongoing governance, data sharing, staff training and equity in value all matter. However, the direction of travel is very, very clear. 

Gyms and leisure centres are no longer just places to “get fit”. They are becoming community health touchpoints. As that happens, the role of physical activity professionals becomes more visible, more valued and more important. 

For those working in the sector, this moment offers a choice. They can simply adapt to the change or actively shape it. By strengthening their professional identity and capability by gaining and advancing professional status, they can be recognised across both our sector and healthcare. 

Discover more about advancing your professional status with CIMSPA.