Making new friends as an adult is notoriously hard. Without the forced socialisation of school and extra-curricular activities, meeting new people – and finding those who you actually get along with – can be tricky. It’s a conundrum that has sparked plenty of conversation and debate over the last couple of years, especially since the pandemic: outside of work and the online world, how can adults forge genuine friendships?

But in 2024, we may just have found the answer. That’s according to Strava’s latest Year In Sport report, which unveils a massive spike in the number of people using fitness to form new connections.

According to the trend report – which is based on the activities of Strava users as well as a global survey of a selection of the app’s audience – a massive 58% of people say they made new friends through a fitness group in 2024, while the number of women joining a running club on Strava spiked by 89% year on year.  

The report also found that 48% of people now say social connection is their top reason for joining a fitness group, and that running isn’t the only sport getting people out and about. While running is still the fastest-growing social sport on Strava, the number of walking clubs on the platform grew by 52% over the last year.

We know there are challenges when it comes to getting more women exercising – new research released this week by the health insurance provider Vitality found that just 23% of women engage in the minimum amounts of physical activity required to have a positive impact on health every week, with just 4% of those surveyed valuing it for social connection, but it’s clear that many people are finding community through fitness.

This is important partly because the sports women are more likely to flock to – running, walking and gym-based workouts and classes – tend to be more isolated compared to the team sports many men enjoy, but combining socialisation with exercise is an easy way to make it more enjoyable. And that is the key to a long-lasting, sustainable habit.  

This emphasis on group exercise has also made it into a space where people can meet potential romantic partners, with four times more of those surveyed by Strava saying they’d want to meet someone at a fitness group rather than a bar (59% v 14%). Obviously, this is data from a fitness app, so it’s not hugely surprising that users might want to meet someone who’s as active as they are, but it’s also interesting at a time when more of us are struggling with dating app fatigue and looking for ways to build genuine connections in real life. With so many run clubs and walking groups out there, it’s easy to find something that suits your abilities and gives you the chance to meet like-minded people.

The report highlights some areas where progress is needed – for example, the number of women running half marathons has almost reached gender parity (16% of women have uploaded a half marathon over the last year, compared to 17% of men), but only 5% of women have uploaded a marathon compared to 8% of men.  

One in four of the women surveyed also said a lack of flexibility in their schedule remained a barrier to being more active, something we also saw highlighted in the Vitality report. If we want to continue to encourage women to exercise – whether in a group or on their own – it’s key that workplaces, gyms and fitness businesses offer more flexible solutions to help us squeeze in movement where we can.

At the end of the day, though, it’s encouraging to see such a monumental shift in the way we’re exercising – especially when it comes to women. Anything that moves fitness away from something that’s seen as a punishment – and towards a form of enjoyment and relaxation – is good news in our books. Here’s to 2025. 

Images: Getty