Exercise New Zealand's chief executive Richard Beddie said the discourse around gym-based exercise had shifted significantly in the last few decades, but had accelerated in the last five years.
"What's really different now is that exercise is mainstream. Twenty-five years ago it wasn't.
"The joke was that the only people that had personal trainers were movie stars or elite athletes. Now it's not unusual and it's a mindset change not only individually but broadly in society."
Equipment-based exercise - lifting weights, running or cycling in a gym or at home - is the fifth most popular sport or recreation activity in the Bay, with 42,000 annual participants. This sits behind walking, swimming, fishing and cycling.
Sport New Zealand general manager of community sport Geoff Barry said there was an increasing number of people who were time-poor and unwilling to make season-long sporting commitments.
He said conversely, there had been an increase in demand for casual, time-flexible activities, like running, walking or the gym.
Sport New Zealand's Active survey found 8.3 per cent of Bay residents belonged to a gym in 2007/08. By 2013/14, that had increased to 12.9 per cent - a 55 per cent increase.
Forty per cent of people in the Bay were members of any type of gym, club or fitness centre, according to Sport NZ, with 13 per cent a member of a gym. These were both below the national average of 44 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.
Mr Beddie said one of the major demographic changes in gyms has been the increase in patronage by older people looking to maintain their health and mobility.
"Now it's very normal for groups of people in their later years to exercise. There's a cliche in our industry that people join for beauty and they stay for health. If you're 20 you're more interested in how you look, but when you're 60 you're more interested in how you feel," he said.
"By going to that class activity every Thursday it might mean you can still pick up your grandkids, or you can still walk to the bus stop. [Older attendees] have completely different drivers and motivations [than younger members]."
Mr Beddie said the vast majority of people found it difficult to make time for regular exercise, but said physical health was possibly the most important asset a person had.
"It's all about priorities. You're investing time now to invest in the future."
"Discomfort for long-term gain"
Gold's Health and Fitness owner Steve Gardiner said the demand for local gym and fitness centres had been fragmented by an increasing number of facilities.
"We have fewer numbers than we did five years ago, but there are more gyms in Rotorua as well, and they all take a piece of the pie."
He said the perception of gyms had changed markedly from male-dominated, bodybuilding-style weightlifting in the 90s to now, with most gym goers focused on lifestyle-based and general health goals.
"The image was all about grunt, big muscles and sweaty men. I changed to health and fitness, and marketed to weight loss, improving health and reducing your chance of disease.
"Over the last five years the majority of people in my gym - 75 per cent - would come in here to lose weight, tone up and improve their fitness. We've got a lot of people coming into the gym looking to take up an activity programme."
However, Mr Gardiner said decreasing participation levels and diminishing general health in the area was a concern.
"There's never been a bigger market for our services than there is now in our community. [People should] realise a little bit of discomfort is going to have a long term gain. It's a choice."
