A lot more than social media pushes people to the gym, according to one expert.

Just under one million Kiwis now have memberships - or 26 percent of the population.

That's up from 22 percent three years ago, with City Fitness overtaking Les Mills as the gym of choice.

Waikato University sport sociologist, Holly Thorpe, says Instagram probably drives some of it, but people also value physical activity.

"That's the health benefits, mental health, just feeling good about ourselves - and obviously, those aesthetic benefits." 

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