By Benoit Vancauwenberghe, a leading expert on Generation Z in Europe. He wrote A fresh, research-driven look at how Gen Z is reshaping the meaning of sport. Based on the Strava 2025 report and global studies, this article explores why young people turn to movement for identity, mental health, and community in a world that rarely sits still.
The familiar story says young people don’t move anymore. They sit. They scroll. They watch. Yet as new data emerges, this version feels increasingly incomplete. Strava’s Year in Sport 2025 Trend Report shows that Gen Z is now one of the most active groups on the platform. They run more, record more walks, join more clubs, and strength train with a consistency few expected.
But it would be misleading to treat this as a simple comeback of fitness culture. What is happening is quieter and more meaningful. Movement has become a lifeline for a generation that grew up with uncertainty as a background noise. Economic instability, climate dread, digital overload, and a sense that the future no longer follows a predictable pattern; all of this has shaped the way Gen Z relates to their bodies. Sport, in its evolving forms, is helping them stay in contact with something tangible.
There is a reason running has become so central for young adults. A run does not argue, does not confuse, does not scroll. It offers direction. It begins, it unfolds, it ends. Strava’s data shows that Gen Z is significantly more likely than older generations to train for a specific race rather than run “just to run.” In a world where many elements feel unstructured, they turn toward measurable goals.
Research from the World Health Organization shows a sharp rise in anxiety and depressive symptoms among young adults across Europe. Separate studies indicate that moderate physical activity, even in short sessions, helps regulate emotions and reduces compulsive phone use. Movement becomes a form of grounding. Not a performance. Not a social signal. A way of reclaiming a sense of agency when everything else feels fluid.
Traditional sports structures, however, tell a different story. Participation in clubs continues to decline in many European countries. Studies describe young people drifting away from rigid schedules, competitive expectations and environments that don’t feel psychologically safe. Girls still drop out earlier than boys. LGBTQ+ youth report discomfort in specific settings. The legacy model struggles to adapt.
Yet outside those frameworks, new practices are thriving. Research from Zawadk et al. and Kim highlights a shift toward activities that allow for personal rhythm: lifting, running, climbing, skateboarding, cycling, dancing, and hiking. These forms of movement offer flexibility and a mix of autonomy and creativity that resonate with their values. So sport is not disappearing. It is just losing its uniform.
Gen Z’s relationship with sports as spectators is transforming just as quickly. Full matches have become the exception, not the rule. Highlight clips, behind-the-scenes videos, short-form edits, and athlete storytelling dominate the screens. For many, TikTok or YouTube is the new stadium.
Studies show that loyalty is shifting away from clubs toward people. Young fans follow individuals whose presence extends beyond performance: athletes speaking about mental health, identity, activism, or daily life. A single honest statement can resonate more deeply than a championship. Sport becomes a narrative more than a schedule. A mirror more than a scoreboard. Sport becomes a narrative more than a schedule. A mirror more than a scoreboard.
Strava reports a surge in new clubs — almost four times more in 2025 than the previous year. These groups rarely resemble traditional teams. They meet in parks, cafés, or on trails. They are informal, flexible, and diverse. And yet they form some of the strongest social anchors in young people’s lives.
Studies on movement and mental health after the pandemic emphasize that collective physical activity increases life satisfaction when the environment is supportive rather than competitive. Many describe run clubs or climbing groups as the first spaces where they felt able to just “be,” without performance or expectation. These communities are not built around winning. They are built around motion.
A complete picture requires acknowledging the gap visible in public health data. Gen Z is statistically the most sedentary generation ever measured, despite the surge of activity on platforms like Strava. Many face barriers of cost, geography, body confidence, or social exclusion. A young person in a rural or economically fragile context does not have the same access to space, time, or equipment as a peer in a major city. The enthusiasm visible online represents a portion of the generation, but not the whole. Understanding the movement of the most active requires remembering the silence of those who feel unable to start.
Across countless studies, one truth stands out: Gen Z isn’t turning away from sport; they’re transforming it. For them, movement takes on many forms and meanings. Some run to compete, others to cope. Some lift to feel strong, others to feel something at all. Some hike to disconnect, while others hike to reconnect. Some watch for the game itself, others for the stories woven around the athletes.
This isn’t a contradiction; it’s a new kind of coherence shaped by a shifting reality. Movement has become a tool for balance in a world that often feels unsteady. It’s a way to build identity, manage anxiety, foster belonging, and find purpose. In an era of relentless change, sport, however it’s experienced, remains one of the rare places where progress feels tangible and real. For Gen Z, it’s more than an activity; it’s a lifeline.
Many young adults describe movement as a counterweight to digital overload and emotional uncertainty. Studies show that physical activity improves mental well-being and moderates the impact of heavy smartphone use. Movement offers a form of clarity they don’t find elsewhere.
Most research suggests it’s not about disinterest but misalignment. Traditional structures feel rigid, competitive, or inaccessible. Gen Z prefers formats that allow autonomy, creativity, and inclusive environments.
No. It reflects those who already feel confident or equipped to be active. Public health data shows many young people remain inactive due to cost, self-doubt, or lack of safe access to sport.
The new relationship to sport mirrors a deeper psychological pattern: a search for agency, authenticity, community and meaning in a world that feels uncertain. Movement is becoming a way to stay grounded when everything else seems in motion.
And if you’re curious to explore these signals further—how they reshape workplaces, culture, and the way we lead- we share them in depth during my keynote across Europe.
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