Two thirds of Amsterdam adults exercise weekly

In 2024, 66% of adults in Amsterdam exercised on a weekly basis, representing around 515,000 residents. That marks an increase from 56% in 2016.

The figures, published by the new VitIndex platform from the Mulier Instituut and the Vereniging Sport en Gemeenten (VSG), place Amsterdam ahead of comparable municipalities, which averaged 62%. Those comparison cities include The Hague, Eindhoven, Rotterdam, and Utrecht.

Meeting national activity guidelines

The data also tracks how many adults meet national exercise guidelines set by the Health Council. The standard requires at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week alongside muscle and bone strengthening twice weekly.

Just over half of adults in the city, around 460,000 people, met that threshold in 2024. VSG policy advisor Mirjam Wallien noted that meeting the guideline is separate from playing sports, as people can qualify through walking or cycling without ever working out formally.

Solo fitness over club memberships

Individual exercise options continue to attract the largest numbers. Nearly one in three adults in Amsterdam, roughly 245,000 people, engaged in fitness or gym training in 2024.

Running was taken up by about one in five adults, or 150,000 residents. Walking accounted for roughly one in thirty adults, while road cycling drew about one in fifty.

Organised clubs remain a factor, with about 160,000 residents holding memberships with national sports federations in 2025. However, Wallien pointed out that more residents now choose flexible, independent workouts over fixed club training schedules.

Source: AD