More than 1,000 independent health clubs have opened since 2019 as landlords look for alternatives to retail

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Independent fitness centres offering activities from pilates to boxing are jumping in to fill the gaps on UK high streets amid a surge of interest in local alternatives to big gyms.

More than 1,000 independent health clubs have opened on high streets, shopping centres and retail parks since 2019, an increase of a third, data shows, with almost four a week opening in the past year.