Be honest — how many times did you check your phone during your last workout? A quick glance at a notification between sets, a scroll through Instagram on the treadmill, maybe even a full-blown text conversation while sitting on the leg press (we’ve all seen that person). If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. But a growing number of UK gyms are now saying enough is enough, and they’re giving members the tools to actually put the phone down.
The Problem With Phones in the Gym
It turns out your phone might be doing more damage to your workout than you think. Research has shown that using your phone while exercising — whether that’s texting, scrolling social media, or answering emails — can reduce your workout intensity, lower your heart rate during cardio, and even slow down your reaction times. One study found that texting on the treadmill actually reduced the average speed of the workout. Another showed that scrolling social media before a resistance training session led to mental fatigue that carried through the entire workout.
And it’s not just about performance. There’s the injury risk too. Anything that takes your attention away from what you’re doing — whether it’s checking a notification mid-squat or switching songs during a set — could put you at risk. Plus, phones can induce stress and anxiety, which is the exact opposite of why most of us go to the gym in the first place.
Fitness First Goes Phone-Free (Sort Of)
Fitness First has rolled out a partnership with digital wellness platform Kip across all 26 of its UK clubs. The concept is simple but clever: members download the Kip app, choose which apps they want to block during their workout (think social media, email, news), and tap their phone against an NFC tag at the gym entrance. That’s it — your distracting apps go quiet until you tap again on the way out.
The beauty of it is that you stay in control. You can keep your music app, your workout tracker, even your calls if you want. It just silences the noise that pulls your focus away from what you’re actually there to do. No one’s confiscating your phone — it’s more like putting it on a diet.
PureGym’s Joy Stroll: Walking Off the Scroll
PureGym took a slightly different approach. After their own research found that the average UK adult scrolls the equivalent of 1.7 miles on their phone every week, they thought: why not walk that distance for real instead?
The result was the Joy Stroll — a branded, phone-free 1.7-mile guided walk held at Manchester’s Whitworth Park. The event featured “Glowments” (think healthy pick-me-ups) along the route and was fronted by TV personality Chris Hughes. It’s a fun, low-barrier way to make the point: the time we spend scrolling could be spent moving.
“We’ve all been there, getting lost in the scroll,” said PureGym’s chief customer officer Barney Harrison. “At PureGym, our mission is to help everyone feel good, and we believe that feeling starts with how you move your body and clear your mind.”
Why Now?
This isn’t just a gym thing — it’s a cultural shift. Phone-free events grew a staggering 567% globally between 2024 and 2025, according to Eventbrite, with attendance climbing 121%. People are genuinely craving time away from their screens, and the fitness industry is perfectly placed to offer it.
The UK fitness sector is booming right now too. The latest UK Health & Fitness Market Report shows gym membership has hit a record 12.2 million, with total industry income reaching £6.5 billion. With that many people through the doors, gyms are looking for ways to differentiate — and digital wellness is becoming a genuine selling point.
Should You Try a Phone-Free Workout?
You don’t need to wait for your gym to install fancy NFC tags. Here are a few ways to test the waters yourself:
- Leave it in your locker. The simplest option. If your phone isn’t in your hand, you can’t scroll it. Grab a cheap watch if you need to time your rests.
- Use focus mode. Both iPhone and Android have built-in focus or Do Not Disturb modes. Set one up specifically for gym time that only lets through calls and your music app.
- Download Kip. Even if your gym isn’t a Fitness First, the Kip app lets you create custom modes to block apps during specific activities.
- Try it for just one session. Commit to one workout with no scrolling and see how it feels. Most people notice they get through their session faster and feel better afterwards.
The Bottom Line
Your phone is an incredible tool — for tracking workouts, playing music, even following programmes. But when it starts eating into your rest periods and pulling your focus during sets, it’s working against you. The fact that major UK gym chains like Fitness First and PureGym are actively investing in solutions tells you everything: this isn’t a fad, it’s a genuine shift in how we think about fitness and technology.
So next time you head to the gym, maybe try leaving the scroll at the door. Your gains will thank you.
Looking for a gym where you can put the phone down and just train? Find the right gym for you on Gymist.
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