One of Sweden’s leading gym chains has banned changing room 'selfies' at its Stockholm clubs in a bid to protect the modesty of its members.

Friskis & Svettis chain, which has branches across Sweden, has taken the step of telling visitors to its clubs in the capital that they can no longer pose for post-workout pictures in the changing area.

Famously photogenic, Swedes have enthusiastically embraced the 'selfie' – where people take pictures of themselves on smartphones and post them to social media – but the gym has decided to draw the line in the changing rooms, citing concerns that potentially naked fellow members could also be unwittingly snapped in the photos.

A notice at the gym reads: “You are welcome to take pictures of yourself and your training. However, you cannot take pictures of other members without their permission. We advise a photo ban in all changing rooms."

Lotta Törnberg, head of communications for Friskis & Svettis, told local media the 'selfie' ban was brought in to prevent members from being compromised in future, rather than being in response to a specific incident.

"This isn't really a new ban as in the past you weren't able to take pictures at all in the gym but we relaxed that a few years ago. Our members are welcome to take pictures of themselves and their friends in the gym working out but the locker room is off limits,” she said.

The ban currently only applies to Friskis & Svettis gyms in the capital, with Törnberg explaining that as the chain is a non-commercial company, it would be down to local municipalities to impose the ban in their region.

It’s not the first time the ubiquity of smartphones has posed a headache for gym owners. In July last year a ‘gym bully’ in Queensland, Australia, was banned from his club for mocking fellow members who struggled to lift heavy weights by posting pictures and insults to a Facebook page he had created.