Keeping The “New-Year Resolutioners”

Katherine Costello, a writer for PolicyMic.com, recently named 2013’s “10 Most Common New Year’s Resolutions.”

On the top of that list — “eat healthy and exercise regularly.”

With Christmas behind us, I’m sure your clubs have already started to see an influx of members — after a day of feasting, drinking and celebrating — working towards that particular New Year’s resolution. And with New Years only a few days away, now’s the time to start thinking about how you can help your members keep their resolutions!

You already have the amenities, programs and tools your members need to be successful. Unfortunately, your biggest challenge may lie in getting your new and existing members to continue working towards their health and fitness goals. Costello writes, “according to Time Magazine, ‘60% of gym memberships go unused and attendance is usually back to normal by mid-February.’”

One month of working out is just not going to cut it when it comes to meeting fitness goals. So how are you going to get the “New-Year Resolutioners” to stay? Make it clear to your new and existing members that fitness takes TIME and EFFORT. When a new member joins your gym, ask right off the bat if they’re going to be working towards a New Year’s fitness resolution. If so, help them set up a REASONABLE timeline as to when that goal should and can be met. Then, make sure they’re aware of every tool your club possesses to help them meet that goal.

Additionally, the influx of “New Year’s Resolutioners” might be annoying for some of your more seasoned members. There are a plethora of blogs and news articles highlighting gym-goers annoyance with the uptick in body count at gyms during this time of the year. There’s even a Facebook page for it, titled “Haters of ‘New Years Resolution People’ at the Gym.”

To remedy this issue, being more present on the gym floor may help — to enforce time limits on cardio equipment, and make sure that new members are following the rules, such as putting away equipment and wiping down equipment after each use.

On a brighter note, a new year is just around the corner, which means more members in your club working towards the goal of living a healthier lifestyle. Do you have any tips for fellow gym owners on how to make new and existing members stay, you’d like to share? Or tips on how to manage the increase in membership? Share them in the comments!

P.S. Merry Christmas, and happy New Year!

Rachel Zabonick is the Assistant Editor for Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@clubsolutionsmagazine.com. Reach out to her about exciting events or programs your club has implemented, or to share the amazing accomplishments of a member.