As festive burnout peaks and Brits across all ages admit they feel “old before their time” (37%), Fitness First has launched a bold new campaign to spark a national conversation about staying young, feeling young and understanding BioAge – the measure of how old your body truly is. Nearly half of Brits (43%) have now heard of the term “BioAge,” signalling a growing awareness that ageing is about more than birthdays, and that how young you feel can be trained.
To turn heads, Fitness First quietly dropped an “old man in the gym” social experiment. An apparently frail elderly man shuffled into their bustling London Bridge Cottons gym, looking overwhelmed and in need of support. Moments later, he stunned gym-goers by performing advanced calisthenics and age-defying moves with ease.
The twist? The “old man” was actually calisthenics athlete, coach and influencer, Demetri Alvanis, transformed using full prosthetics.
The playful experiment delivered a serious message backed by the research: almost one third of Brits (32%) say their body isn’t ageing in line with their actual age, proving ageing is subjective and often surprising. The desire to feel younger is on the rise too, with almost two thirds (63%) saying they’d be more motivated to exercise if they knew it could make them feel younger, and more than fourth fifths (84%) saying they’d be interested in advice to improve their biological age.
The campaign also taps into the growing cultural shift towards youthfulness as a feeling, not a look – with almost half of adults (48%) already practising mindfulness techniques and nearly three quarters (72%) believing they can improve their biological age through eating a balanced diet.
“The aim of the prank was to confront people with their own assumptions about ageing,” said Marc Diaper, CEO of Fitness First. “Younger adults feel the pressure of burnout and ‘ageing before their time’ just as much as older generations. BioAge proves that youthfulness is not nostalgia – it’s something you can build through energy, resilience and movement.”
Despite longevity becoming one of 2025’s biggest wellness trends*, new Fitness First research shows the UK remains confused about BioAge. While almost all respondents (96%) say maintaining their physical activity as they age is important, over half (55%) admit they’ve avoided gym equipment because they felt their body wasn’t capable – highlighting how confidence barriers can make people feel older than they are.
Yet the motivation to reclaim a younger-feeling body is strong:
Over half of Brits (53%) would rather feel younger than look younger
Almost half (42%) feel their mind is younger than their body
Nearly a third (32%) feel physically older than their real age
Two thirds (63%) would be more motivated to exercise if it helped them feel younger
Over half (55%) avoid certain gym equipment because they don’t think their body can handle it
Nearly half (47%) already exercise specifically to support healthy ageing
A whopping 78% take regular steps to support long-term health
Nearly all Brits (96%) say staying physically active is essential as they age
“Vanity is out, vitality is in,” said Marc. “People care less about what they look like in the mirror and more about how much energy they have, how fast they recover, how strong they feel, making daily resilience the new marker of youth.”
The simple steps to lowering your BioAge
Fitness First’s Head of Fitness Strategy, Oliver Cox, reveals that small, consistent actions can make a measurable difference to how young your body feels, particularly relevant during the hectic festive season:
Move with purpose – Regular strength and mobility training improves muscle health, balance and longevity.
Recover right – Prioritising rest days, stretching and sleep allows the body to repair and regenerate.
Fuel smarter – Balanced nutrition supports energy levels, hormone function and recovery speed.
Train your mindset – Stress ages the body; mindfulness and goal-setting help reduce biological strain.
Meet able – the platform helping people stay younger for longer
able, Fitness First’s longevity-focused training platform, is the UK’s first programme built specifically around BioAge science. It helps members increase their healthspan – the years lived in good health – through personalised training, recovery strategies and lifestyle guidance.
able was developed in response to growing demand across all age groups, including younger adults who increasingly prioritise long-term energy, mental performance and sustainable wellbeing over short-term aesthetics.
“able gives people a simple, measurable way to take control of their future health,” said Oliver. “Ageing well isn’t about how you look, it’s about how you live. And you’re never too young to start.”