Whether you’re debating a gym membership or just trying to lose a few pounds, fitness often seems daunting. Like many people, you’ll probably start typing questions in to Google to help find the best workout plans, diet advice or gym locations near you.

You’re not alone in this. Millions of people search fitness-related questions through Google, but there are some common questions that see more searches others. These are the questions that people type in to Google month after month; the fitness related queries we ask ourselves the most:

How to lose weight fast

40,500 average monthly searches / 486,000 a year.

Quick weight loss is a huge query online. Unfortunately, the best way to lose weight is to healthily change your diet and your exercise habits. There’s no quick fix – but you can lose lots of weight and build a better body by changing your lifestyle.

Best way to lose weight

14,800 average monthly searches / 177,600 a year.

The second most common question is also centred on weight loss. While there’s no easy answer, one of the best ways to lose weight is to work out your calorie intake and make sure you are eating at a deficit. Combined with good exercise, the weight will fly off.

How to get a six pack

12,100 average monthly searches / 145,200 a year.

One of the most common signs of a high standard of fitness, lots of people in the UK want to know how to get a six pack. You might be surprised to learn that almost everyone has ab muscles – but getting them to show is the hard part. Far from lots of sit-up’s, you’ll need to slim down to around 10-12% body fat if you’re male or around 16-18% if you’re female.

How to gain weight

6,600 average monthly searches / 79,200 a year.

Gaining weight is a less common search, compared to those wanting to lose it, but if you’re trying to pack on the weight you’ll need to eat at a calorie surplus. Consuming lots of protein will help aid muscle growth.

Best exercise to lose weight

5,400 average monthly searches / 64,800 a year.

The problem with this question is that it can depend on the person. However, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is often considered the best way to put your body into fat-burning mode – and it takes less time than steady state cardio.

How to build muscle

4,400 average monthly searches / 52,800 a year.

Building muscle is a matter of training – putting your body under tension to promote the process of muscle breakdown and subsequent repair. Ensuring you get enough protein to help aid this natural process is key.

Best foods for weight loss

2,900 average monthly searches / 34,800 a year.

The best foods for weight loss are questionable, because if you’re eating at a caloric deficit you’ll lose weight. However, there are lots of foods to avoid such as sugary, saturated fat-filled junk food. Good examples of food to help aid weight loss are low-GI carbs such as brown rice, quinoa and wholegrains, lean protein such as chicken or tofu and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

How much protein do I need

2,400 average monthly searches / 28,800 a year.

The answer to this question is tricky, because it depends on your goals. Most fitness websites recommend around 1.5g per kg of bodyweight. You can get this from dietary sources and supplements like protein shakes.

How to get bigger arms

1,900 average monthly searches / 22,800 a year.

Evidently people in the UK want good abs and good arms. Growing your arms is the same as growing any other muscle – focus on heavy lifts for fewer reps to add mass. You can then use a higher rep range to cause hypertrophy and build definition. Lift heavy weights and eat plenty of calories to see your biceps grow.

How to get toned

590 average monthly searches / 7,080 a year.

‘Toning’ is a term that doesn’t technically mean anything – but is searched more than 500 times a month by UK users. Essentially, the process of getting toned means losing weight and then building lean muscle on top of it. By combining a good diet and sports nutrition with weight lifting, ‘toning’ will occur naturally.

The ‘fittest’ regions

Google also tells us which cities in the UK have the most search interest in certain terms. You might be surprised at the results.

‘Bodybuilding’ – The cities that are most obsessed with muscle 

Wanting to pack on the pounds and build a physique to be envious of? These are the UK cities who most commonly search ‘bodybuilding’ related terms in Google.

1. Nazeing
2. Newcastle upon Tyne
3. Cardiff
4. Wolverhampton
5. Bolton

‘Weight loss’ – the cities trying to shift the pounds

Whether for health or image, these are the top 5 cities searching Google for weight loss related information.

1. Newcastle upon Tyne
2. Liverpool
3. Glasgow
4. Cardiff
5. Aberdeen

‘How to get a six pack’ – the cities that want abs the most 

Fancy a shimmering set of abs? Here are the cities that most want the coveted flat stomach.

1. Preston
2. Wolverhampton
3. Glasgow
4. Leicester
5. Stoke-on-Trent

‘Diet plan’ – eating well around the UK 

The most common searches for diets come from cities in Wales and Northern Ireland.

1. Cardiff
2. Belfast
3. Newcastle upon Tyne
4. Liverpool
5. Glasgow

‘Yoga’ – the most flexible cities

Yoga is one of the world’s most prominent fitness trends, showing a 91% increase year on year YouTube video watching habits.

1. Brighton
2. London
3. Croydon
4. Guildford
5. Oxford

Out of all these questions and categories – Newcastle seems to crop up in results the most. Is Newcastle Upon Tyne the UK’s most image-conscious city?

Sources:

• www.adwords.google.com/keywordplanner
• https://www.google.co.uk/trends/