Southampton creates a curious picture of its sports and fitness industry. On one hand, the city brims with opportunities for exercise. There’s the popular annual cycle ride and half marathon to boasting the third largest Parkrun in the UK. On the other, physical inactivity is on the rise, which is somewhat on trend with the rest of the UK. As 24.2% of adults in Southampton are classed as inactive, engaging in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week. This figure mirrors the national average (22.2%) but remains a significant concern for public health stakeholders. Only 65.2% of adults meet the recommended 150 minutes of weekly activity. Yet disparities in activity levels persist along age, gender, ethnic, and economic lines. Inactivity increases sharply with age, while women are generally less active than men. Among ethnic groups, individuals from Asian, Black, and Chinese backgrounds are more likely to report inactivity than their white and mixed-ethnic peers. Lower socioeconomic groups face the steepest challenges, with accessibility, time constraints, and costs being major barriers. A strategy is now underway to address these disparities by embedding physical activity into the fabric of everyday life. Officials aim to make being active a norm rather than an exception, particularly for communities that have been traditionally excluded or underserved. Key to this approach is building physical activity into both new and existing programs while tailoring efforts to meet the needs of different groups. Encouragingly, there are signs that when given the chance, families in Southampton value active lifestyles. Local feedback, particularly from families in the west of the city, shows that walking, cycling, and time in the park are preferred activities when done together. Motivations to stay active range from improving health and losing weight to practical benefits like saving money on transport by walking instead of driving.