Over the last couple of years, gym culture has been a pretty hot topic, with regular articles appearing in consumer press, largely pertaining to the negative environment that gyms present.

Words such as ‘self-conscious’, ‘intimidating’ and ‘judgemental’ were frequently popping up.

In 2014, Cosmopolitan Body UK questioned 546 men and women about their feelings towards the gym. A newly coined word ‘gymtimidation’ was born out of this survey… which is pretty indicative on its own.

In a bid to see if things have improved, and gauge the current perception among the regular Joe, ClubWise conducted a survey around ‘gym culture’ and what this term means to people today.

Out of the total number of gym members surveyed, 45per cent felt gym culture represented ‘sociable and friendly’, while only 16 per cent felt it represented ‘serious and intimidating’.

On top of this, a whopping 60 per cent of gym members said they felt a sense of belonging and part of a community at their gym, with 55 per cent declaring a strong sense of loyalty.

This is great news, but what’s caused this shift in perception? In short, gyms and clubs across the UK have latched onto the value of implementing powerful retention methods, including member reward schemes, regular communication with a personal approach, building supportive friendly communities, listening and upping the ante when it comes to customer service.

More and more gym and club owners are working hard to enhance the overall member experience, giving them compelling reasons to stay. This is great for everyone involved, gyms are benefitting from improved retention and members are getting a better experience.

It’s with this in mind that ClubWise has launched the #HappiestGymInBritain campaign. We want to celebrate the gyms and clubs that are going the extra mile to make their members feel important, valued and supported on their fitness journey.

To find out more about this brand new campaign, go to info.ClubWise.com/happiest-gym-in-britain

You can also follow the campaign on Twitter #HappiestGymInBritain