As the new year begins, people start setting their New Year’s resolutions. One of the most common resolutions is going to the gym or working out. While some people stick to these resolutions, not all do, resulting in wasted resources.
During the month of January, people tend to have motivation to improve themselves. December and January are the most packed months of the year. Yasko, a worker at Planet Fitness, stated, “December and January because New Year’s resolutions and our starting rates are low.” With the New Year, new me mindset, about 36% of Americans sign up for a new gym membership.
Calvin, a worker at the Bettendorf Family YMCA, stated, “I have noticed more people sign up in January because of the new years.” Not only do people tend to sign up at the gym during this season but also at other fitness facilities like the YMCA.
Out of the 36% of new gym members, about 9% struggle to keep going after just 2 months as they start to lose interest and motivation. About 27% of people tend to part ways after just 6 months.
As this trend continues, out of those who signed up, about 34% stop using their membership by the end of the year. The age group that is most likely to quit is 25 to 34 years old, with 44% of them quitting. 45 to 54-year-olds are the least likely to quit, with only 6% of them quitting by the end of the year.
While there are many reasons individuals stop using their membership, 41% attribute canceling their membership to the high prices. 23% claim they canceled due to them having a lack of time. It is also known that the lack of results seen after working so hard for months can cause individuals to quit.
According to Clubs at River City, approximately 67% of memberships don’t get used regularly or at all.
Though it is common for many individuals to join the gym during January, most existing gym members and gym owners have mixed feelings about the new members. Clayton Leach, a gym owner from the UK, has stopped new membership sign ups in the month of January. He told Fox News Digital that he didn’t want to “Annoy all of our existing members who have been with us for so long.” While he has gotten a lot of positive feedback, many people are not happy about this choice