There isn't one single answer, as it depends on how you measure it: the United States leads in the sheer number of gym members, while Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden often top charts for the percentage of their population with gym memberships, with France showing high interest via search volume, indicating a strong gym culture.
Speaking of which, the top countries by total number of gym members:
People in the Netherlands are the most physically active, spending more than 12 hours a week exercising or playing sport. More than half of people (58%) across the 29 countries surveyed want to play more sport. Men spend 90 more minutes (on average) doing physical exercise than women each week.
Respondents in Finland (71%), Luxembourg (63%), the Netherlands (60%), and Denmark and Sweden (59% in both countries) are the most likely to exercise or play sport at least once a week.
Norway or Sweden, most gyms per capita in the world, and Norwegians and Swedes are pretty fit nations. And in the winter, If you are not into skiing there's pretty much nothing else do to other than go to the gym. In the summer, you can have great hikes-great for fitness.
The Fittest Countries: Nature-Lovers Leading the Way
Powerlifting's Big 3 –the squat, bench and deadlift – might just be the ultimate methods for building and testing total body strength.
According to the World Population Review, Singapore is ranked the fittest country globally, thanks to its strong health policies and active culture. Check the list of top-10 fittest countries in the world as of 2024. Physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle are key to living longer and feeling good.
1. Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen consistently ranks as one of the world's healthiest cities, thanks to its extensive network of cycling paths and general emphasis on eco-friendly transportation. Around 50% of its residents commute by bicycle every day, promoting cardiovascular health and reducing pollution levels.
According to the World Health Organization, Spain takes the top spot in the ranking, with Luxembourg following in second place. Finishing in first place, the title of the fittest European country is awarded to Spain, with a fit score of 8.9/10.
The USA has been crowned the world's best sporting nation of 2025, winning the Global Cup for the 18...
1. Singapore: A Leader in Fitness. Singapore ranks as the fittest country in the world due to its proactive health policies and a culture that prioritises physical activity.
The 70/30 rule in fitness suggests that 70% of your physical results (especially weight loss and body composition) come from nutrition and diet, while only 30% comes from exercise (gym workouts), emphasizing that what you eat is far more crucial for changing your physique than just working out, though both are important for overall health and muscle building. It highlights that while the gym breaks down muscles (the 30% effort), the kitchen (the 70%) provides the essential fuel, protein, and rest for them to repair and grow stronger.
Best Countries to Become a Personal Trainer in 2025
A lot of the people start a gym membership, because they want to completely redefine themselves. “New Year – New Me!”, they will post on social media. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. More than 90% of these people will quit after three months of going to the gym.
The United States has a long history of fitness and continues to lead the way in gym culture. With millions of people regularly attending gyms, the country offers a wide range of fitness options, from large-scale gyms to specialized studios.
Top 10 Healthiest Countries in the World
There are five blue zones: Okinawa (Japan), Ikaria (Greece), Loma Linda (USA), Sardinia (Italy), and Nicoya (Costa Rica). People in blue zone countries live longer due to strong family ties, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and respectful treatment of elders.
Japan is the healthiest country in the world.
The diet and exercise, as well as low alcohol consumption (6.68 litres annually on average), could also explain the low percentage of obesity at only 5.63%.
8 Healthiest Cultures with the Best Food in the World
There isn't one single "queen of all exercises," but the Squat and the Deadlift are the top contenders, often called the "king and queen" of compound lifts, because they work huge muscle groups, build strength, improve posture, and boost metabolism, with squats focusing on lower body and deadlifts engaging the whole body. Some also name the Kettlebell Snatch as a queen exercise for full-body power and fat loss, while lunges are praised as the "queen of glute exercises" for functional strength.
The 5-3-1 Rule is a framework for social wellness, suggesting you connect with 5 different people weekly, nurture 3 close relationships (weekly/monthly), and aim for 1 hour of quality social interaction daily, emphasizing varied, deep, and consistent connections to combat loneliness and boost happiness, according to sociologist Kasley Killam. It balances broad social reach, deep intimacy, and daily connection, but it's flexible and can be adapted to your needs, acting as a baseline for social fitness.