An international survey found that more than 27% of the world's total adult population attends fitness centres, and that 61% of regular exercisers are currently doing "gym-type" activities.
From around 1800, gymnastics developed in Western countries that was meant to enhance the body in order to sustain public morals and mold better citizens.
[5] Pehr Henrik Ling was a pioneer in the teaching of physical education in Sweden, and he sought to reform and improve the gymnastics of the ancient Greeks.
In 1850, the Supreme Medical Board of Russia reported to their emperor on Ling's system, that by improving one's overall fitness, an athlete became superior to those who merely focused on a subset of muscles or actions.
[5] Physical fitness was at the core of Nazi philosophy, and the German government financed the construction of sports and wellness facilities.
[8] In the Soviet Union, the Leninist Young Communist League created the Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR in 1931, which was a fitness program that was designed to improve public health and prepare the population for highly productive work and the defense of "the motherland".
Senator Hubert Humphrey gravely warned that communist dominance came from superior sports and fitness programs.
In response, leaders of the military, civilian government, and private sector began crafting a "cult and ritual of toughness".
[10] President John F. Kennedy issued a call to the nation urging Americans to prioritize their physical fitness across the country.
[12] After World War II, a new form of non-organized, individualistic, health-oriented physical and recreational activities such as jogging began to prevail.
[5] The Royal Canadian Air Force Exercise Plans, developed by Dr Bill Orban in 1961, sold 23 million copies to the public.
[17] After the release of Jane Fonda's Workout exercise videos in 1982, aerobics became a popular form of group gymnastic activity.
[21] The attention is moving from aerobics, bodybuilding, and traditional technique of exercises to activities such as yoga, zumba, pilates, spinning and aquacycling, tai chi, kickboxing, and outdoor fitness.
Fitness culture can be a positive force in promoting physical health; nonetheless, it can also have negative aspects, such as the potential for body shaming, unhealthy obsession, excessive competition, and commercialization of products and services not supported by good evidence.
For example, exercise scientist Nick Tiller stated "Be cautious of interventions that claim to confer numerous benefits—no product can treat everything.
Note that any meaningful outcome takes time to achieve, many months or years, so be skeptical of anything that offers rapid results.
[citation needed] Mass media shapes fitness culture by conveying an ideal body image, often promoting slimness or even thinness for females and slenderness or muscularity for males.
[21] In addition, fitness institutions can function as dating agencies, creating chances to meet people apart from workplaces.
Music, body movement, and costumes of people exercising can easily draw attention and become an occasion to engage with each other.