Les Mills, the New Zealand Olympian who built a global fitness empire, has died at the age of 91, prompting tributes from British sporting institutions that credit him with revolutionising group exercise. Mills, who represented his country in track and field at the 1958 Commonwealth Games and the 1960 Rome Olympics, founded the Les Mills International brand that brought choreographed workouts like BodyPump and BodyCombat to gyms across the UK.
His death was confirmed by the company on Monday, with a statement hailing him as a “visionary who changed the way the world works out.” In Britain, where Les Mills classes are a staple in local leisure centres and high-end health clubs alike, the news was met with reflections on his lasting impact on community fitness and the grassroots gym culture that keeps the nation moving.
“Les Mills brought energy and structure to the gym floor, turning a solitary jog on a treadmill into a room full of people moving together,” said a spokesperson for UK Active, the trade body for the fitness sector. “His programmes made exercise accessible to millions who might never have stepped into a weight room. That legacy is felt every day in the studios up and down the country.”
Mills’s journey began in a small New Zealand town, where his father ran a gym. After a competitive career on the track, he took over the family business and began experimenting with group formats that would become the blueprint for a global phenomenon. The first BodyPump class, based on barbell training set to music, launched in 1991. Today, Les Mills programmes are taught in more than 100 countries, with over 20,000 classes a week in the UK alone.
The impact on British fitness culture is hard to overstate. From the working-class mining towns of Yorkshire to the sprawling suburbs of London, Les Mills classes created a sense of shared purpose that transcended the drudgery of exercise. For the price of a monthly gym membership, often subsidised by employers or local councils, people could access a structured workout that felt less like a chore and more like a night out.
“It’s one of those rare things that brings people together across age and income,” said Dr. Helena Roche, a sociologist at the University of Leeds who studies physical activity and inequality. “You see retirees in the same class as university students. That’s not something you get from a personal trainer or a fancy boutique studio. Les Mills democratised fitness in a way that was affordable and inclusive, even if the brand itself is corporate.”
In the competitive world of the fitness industry, Les Mills faced criticism over the years for its pricing model and the licensing fees that gyms must pay to offer the programmes. Some smaller operators argued that the costs squeezed margins and limited choice for consumers. But the company’s defenders pointed to the consistency and quality of the classes, which required certified instructors and regular updates to the choreography.
Mills was also a figure of controversy for his ties to Scientology, a connection that surfaced in media reports and that he never openly discussed. The Church of Scientology celebrated his achievements, but many in the fitness world preferred to focus on the workouts themselves. “I don’t care what he believed in,” said Janet Morrison, a 57-year-old instructor from Manchester who taught BodyFlow for two decades. “What he gave us was a way to make people feel strong, mentally and physically. That’s what matters to the person on the mat.”
British sporting bodies were quick to pay their respects. The British Paralympic Association noted that Mills’s programmes had been adapted for inclusive fitness, helping disabled people stay active. The UK’s Sports Minister issued a statement calling him “a titan of the health and wellbeing movement” and praising his work in getting the nation moving.
Mills is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren, many of whom work in the family business. His funeral will be private, but the company plans a global tribute class in his memory, set to music from the era of his track career. For the millions who have sweated through a Les Mills class, the beat will go on.
