Developed by Our Parks with support from London Sport and Sport England, Couch to Fitness was created to help inactive adults build healthier habits through free, structured exercise programmes they could complete from home. As the programme grew, it needed a dedicated digital home that could support more content, improve retention and encourage more people to take that first step towards becoming active.
Our brief was to translate extensive user research into a standalone website that removed unnecessary barriers, simplified the user journey and created a more engaging experience for people who had often struggled to stay motivated with fitness programmes in the past.
The heartbeat
Research gave us one clear message. People weren’t looking for a harder workout. They were looking for a reason not to give up. Rather than overwhelming users with content or complex navigation, we stripped the experience back to the essentials. Programmes became the hero, supported by a clean interface that helped users focus on progress instead of distractions.
To encourage people to keep returning, we introduced a layer of gamification throughout the experience. Digital badges, achievements and a personal trophy cabinet rewarded consistency rather than perfection, giving users small moments of encouragement that helped build confidence over time. Combined with a mobile-first, highly accessible interface, the website became less about watching exercise videos and more about supporting lasting behaviour change.
The impact
The new platform gave Couch to Fitness an identity of its own, moving it beyond the wider Our Parks website and creating a dedicated destination for its expanding library of fitness programmes. The clearer structure, improved user experience and motivational features made it easier for people to discover programmes, track their progress and stay engaged throughout their fitness journey.
More importantly, the website reflected the ambition behind the programme itself: helping people who never thought of themselves as “fitness people” discover that becoming active can start with one session, one achievement and one small success at a time.
