Recent research from digital healthcare provider ZAVA has revealed London’s healthiest boroughs, according to factors including access to outdoor gyms and green spaces, outdoor trails and pollution levels.
17th February 2025
Based on the study, the City of London is revealed as the capital’s healthiest district, with the highest number of outdoor gyms and trim trails, plus a comparatively low pollution score and 4.09 parks per 1,000 residents.
In joint second place were the boroughs of Newham and Richmond-on-Thames. The former has London’s highest concentration of parks per population, at 5.00 per 1,000 inhabitants. For its part, Richmond had the city’s best pollution score and therefore the cleanest air at 6.97/10. In third place was Haringey, while other healthy hotspots included the boroughs of Islington and Hackney.
At the same time, the new research has highlighted areas of concern when it comes to the health of Londoners. More than a third (38%), for example, did not meet the government’s recommended guidelines for physical activity. Meanwhile, over a quarter (27%) of the city’s residents were classed as being inactive. This is in stark contrast to pre-Covid figures which suggested that nearly two-thirds (64.5%) of Londoners were doing the recommended amount of exercise each week.
A spokesperson for ZAVA told journalists that Londoners should set achievable, realistic goals for their health and fitness. They stressed that the capital’s parks and gyms should make it easy to build exercise into daily routines for lasting improvements in health.
They added: “Boroughs like Richmond show how access to green spaces and fitness facilities can support an active lifestyle. There are plenty of opportunities to stay active while enjoying the local environment.
“Small, simple changes such as using local parks, can lead to lasting improvements.”
Fresh Air Fitness is a leading, award-winning UK provider of outdoor gym equipment. We’ve installed outdoor gyms across London in boroughs including Newham, Hammersmith and Fulham, Southwark, Kensington and Chelsea – and Richmond at Moormead and Bandy Recreation Ground. We have seen the importance of outdoor gyms in communities and how they can be can benefit people’s mental health.
With thousands of local outdoor gym installations nationwide under our belt, we offer long warranties and prioritise the safety of our exercise machines, while providing outstanding value for money and a diverse range of pieces to give users a full-body workout.
And, of course, our amenities combine community engagement with access to the natural world as well as a raft of mental and physical health and wellbeing benefits. Talk to us today and get your London borough at the top of the fit list next time around.
