Wellness is becoming increasingly popular in the fitness world as people combine routines with sauna sessions, yoga classes, and pilates workouts to enhance recovery, prevent injury, and improve fitness levels. However, some cities across the UK offer better wellness facilities than others. With this in mind, we at Mirafit wanted to uncover the best cities for wellness.

To do so, we analysed a range of factors including: the number of parks, gardens, gyms and wellness businesses that have opened since 2022. Each city was then given a score out of 90 and ranked accordingly. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the top ten wellness cities in the UK!

Our Methodology

We wanted to uncover the best cities in the UK for wellness, so we examined three factors.

The total number of parks and gardens was obtained through TripAdvisor, and the number of gyms was sourced through Yell.

We examined data from Companies House to obtain the number of wellness businesses which have opened since 2022. To do this, we analysed two SIC codes - 93130, which constitutes fitness facilities such as health clubs and bodybuilding facilities and 96040, which consists of physical well-being activities, including spas, saunas, solariums, steam baths, massage salons and public baths. Following this, we calculated the number of wellness businesses per 100,000 residents. Each city was then given a score out of 120 and ranked according to the results.

The Best Cities in the UK For Wellness

1 - London, Greater London

In first place, London ranks as the best city in the UK for wellness. Overall, London scored an impressive 89 out of 90 points. The capital city is known for its vibrant atmosphere and iconic buildings, but it’s also a great place for health and wellness, offering plenty of facilities that allow people to hit their fitness goals while enjoying high-quality wellness facilities.

In total, London has 850 gyms, 313 parks or gardens and 24 wellness businesses per 100,000 people opening over the past three years. London could be the perfect city for anyone looking to invest in their wellness this year.

2 - Birmingham, West Midlands

Fittingly, in second place is the Second City, Birmingham, with the city scoring 83 points out of a possible 90. With a diverse range of spas, saunas and Yoga centres, Birmingham ensures its residents have everything they need to unwind between workouts, preventing injury and enhancing recovery.

Overall, the city records a total of 112 gyms, 15 wellness businesses per 100,000 residents since 2022 and 46 parks and gardens, perfect for a stroll or some outdoor exercise in the sun, as temperatures steadily increase.

3 - Glasgow, Glasgow City

Scotland’s Glasgow ranks in third place, scoring 79 out of 90 points. Glasgow has a wide range of green spaces, with 45 parks or gardens dotted throughout the city, providing a great backdrop for outdoor wellness or fitness activities.

Aside from parks and gardens, there are also 62 gyms and 22 wellness businesses per 100,000 people, including pilates studios, spas and saunas. It’s safe to say Glasgow offers a slice of everything for fitness fanatics, ranking it as another top UK city for wellness.

4 - Leeds, West Yorkshire

Next, Leeds places fourth in the ranking, with the West Yorkshire city scoring 76 out of 90 points altogether. With a strong selection of health, fitness and wellness establishments, as well as green space for outdoor Conditioning workouts, Leeds is a great city for wellness, helping people to hit personal fitness goals with ease.

Overall, Leeds has 27 parks and gardens, including spots such as Roundhay and Golden Acre Park. Additionally, there are 81 gyms and 14 wellness businesses per 100,000 residents, opened since 2022.

5 - Liverpool, Merseyside

Rounding off the top five cities is Liverpool, scoring 73 out of 90 points. The city has seen 114 new wellness businesses open their doors since 2022, highlighting the growing demand for wellness spaces. Liverpool ensures its residents have high-quality saunas, spas and pilates studios on hand, should they want to combine fitness with wellness.

Altogether, Liverpool records a total of 63 gyms and 37 parks or gardens, with Stanley Park and Sefton Park being particularly popular picks. Company’s House data found that there have been 14 new wellness businesses per 100,000 residents in recent years.

6 - Cardiff, Cardiff City

Cardiff ranks as another great UK city for wellness, scoring 65 out of 90 points. Throughout the Welsh capital, the combination of green spaces and gyms provides the perfect foundations for fitness success, while also supplying residents with sought-after wellness facilities to recharge in between workouts.

In total, Cardiff has 24 parks or gardens to be found throughout the city. Additionally, there are also 50 gyms and 16 new wellness businesses per 100,000 residents that have opened in the past three years.

7 - Manchester, Greater Manchester

Manchester places seventh in the ranking, scoring 63 points out of a possible 90. Interestingly, our last report revealed Manchester as the city prioritising wellness above all other cities, recording 151 new wellness businesses since 2022, or 38 per 100,000 residents.

Despite Manchester’s abundance of new wellness spaces, the number of gyms (29) and green spaces (26) drops them down considerably in this ranking. Maybe everyone is using their Weight Bench with Weights at home?

8 - Coventry, West Midlands

In eighth position, Coventry, situated in the West Midlands, scored 62 out of 90 points, ranking as another great UK city for wellness. With great fitness and wellness support, Coventry ensures fitness fanatics can maintain workout regimes while accessing the benefits of facilities such as spas, saunas and yoga centres.

In total, Coventry offers 11 parks or gardens, 70 gyms and has seen 56 new wellness businesses open since 2022, equating to 16 per 100,000 residents.

9 - Bradford, West Yorkshire

Nearing the end of the ranking is Bradford, which places in ninth position with a score of 60 out of 90 points. Like many locations in this list, Bradford provides its residents with a combination of high-quality gyms and wellness facilities, making it a go-to location in the UK for people prioritising wellbeing.

Overall, the data found that Bradford currently offers 13 parks or gardens and 93 gyms. There have also been 11 new wellness businesses opened in the city since 2022.

10 - Bristol, South West

Finally, rounding off the ranking and completing the top ten list of the best UK cities of wellness is Bristol. In recent years, Bristol has welcomed 82 new wellness businesses, highlighting a sharp rise in high-quality yoga, pilates and facilities

The data revealed Bristol is home to 22 parks or gardens, 53 gyms and 13 new wellness businesses per 100,000 residents. The mix of gym and wellness establishments ensures Bristolians have everything they need to smash their fitness goals.

Overall, examining the cities prioritising wellness has uncovered some fascinating results. In particular, while it’s not surprising to see London rank so highly, it was great to see cities such as Glasgow, Coventry and Bradford place within the top ten.

The data found that these cities recorded high numbers of green spaces as well as substantial amounts of wellness and fitness centres. As people strive towards their particular fitness goals, wellness institutes can prove incredibly useful during recovery.

Over the next twelve months, it’ll be interesting to see how these figures change and if a new city emerges as the wellness capital of the UK.

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Tags: Misc > Lifestyle