Brands
Cult uncovers India’s 2025 fitness rhythm: Flexibility rules
BENGALURU: Forget Monday motivation – in 2025, it was Tuesdays that ruled the gym floor. According to cult’s data from around 1 million users, fitness in India became less about fixed schedules and more about fitting workouts around life.
Contrary to popular belief, Mondays weren’t the busiest day. Instead, gyms and studios buzzed on Tuesdays, especially between 6 pm and 8 pm. Group sessions such as dance and strength training gained traction, while machine-led workouts remained popular.
Flexibility proved key. Users with adaptable schedules completed more workouts over the year than those sticking to fixed slots, showing that fitting exercise around life beats forcing life around exercise. About 37 per cent of members consistently worked out three to four times a week, highlighting that steady commitment trumped occasional intensity.
Working out with a buddy also became a winning formula. Attendance jumped 26 per cent when members trained together, proving that fitness is more fun and more sustainable, when shared.
Different generations moved in their own ways. Gen Z kept it simple with gym workouts, Millennials split time between the gym and group classes, while Gen X gravitated towards structured, instructor-led sessions such as Dance Fitness and HRX strength training. Women made up 52 per cent of group class members, embracing formats that offered community energy and camaraderie. Overall, group exercise accounted for over 30 per cent of all workouts in 2025. Interestingly, members over 30 completed 10 per cent more sessions than younger users, challenging the idea that fitness peaks in your twenties.
Workout timings were split almost evenly between mornings (48.7 per cent) and evenings (51.3 per cent). The busiest windows were 7–9 am and 6–8 pm, showing how Indians are syncing fitness with work-life rhythms. While younger users often postponed workouts until after office hours, Gen X were already ticking off their sessions before the day even began.
Regionally, the NCR led in consistency, followed closely by Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Gym workouts showed the highest repeat rates, while badminton and swimming were particularly popular in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Gurgaon. Impressively, 15 members worked out every single day of the year without missing a session, and the oldest active member at 55 still completed over 100 classes, proving that age is just a number when it comes to staying in motion.
In short, 2025 was the year India found its own rhythm – flexible, social, and tuned to life’s beats.
Brands
EcoMedia Solutions launches EcoMeter to track carbon impact in media
New tool aims to bring real data and accountability to ads and events
GURUGRAM: EcoMedia Solutions has rolled out EcoMeter, a new solution designed to bring sharper carbon accountability to advertising, media, marketing and events.
Built on its proprietary EMS platform, EcoMeter aims to help brands and agencies measure the environmental impact of campaigns and on-ground activations using real-world data rather than broad estimates.
The move comes as sustainability gains traction across boardrooms, even as measurement within the advertising ecosystem remains patchy and often reliant on spend-based assumptions. EcoMeter attempts to change that by using localised emission factors and activity-based inputs, offering a more grounded view of carbon output.
“Today, most carbon calculations in our industry are derived from spends or broad averages. That does not reflect what is actually happening on the ground,” said EcoMedia Solutions founder & CEO Rumjhum Gupta. She added that the tool factors in variables such as location, execution and materials to deliver a more accurate picture.
The platform allows users to compare media choices based on environmental impact, plan lower-carbon campaigns and generate data-backed ESG and BRSR reports. It spans formats including OOH, DOOH, print, digital and live events, bringing sustainability into the same decision-making framework as cost and performance.
EcoMedia Solutions says the larger goal is to move the industry beyond surface-level sustainability claims towards measurable action. As scrutiny from consumers, investors and regulators intensifies, tools like EcoMeter could play a key role in helping brands back intent with credible data.
With this launch, the company is betting that the next big metric in advertising will not just be reach or ROI, but impact that can be counted in carbon.
