It's the most exciting time of the year – for gym owners.
And no, we're not talking about the holiday season but the January gym rush.
Year after year, resolutions are made and broken in this pivotal month. And
they all revolve around one true intent: to lose. As the new year approaches, people may be focused on
shedding the so-called 'quarantine 15' accumulated over this tremendous and
stressful year. It is no secret that the side effects of the pandemic are
heightened anxiety levels and weight gain.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology
Information, a study conducted by the journal Obesity shows that 27.5% of
people gained weight during the pandemic, with already-overweight people
showing further manifestations of weight gain As a fitness business, people may look to you to help them
with their health goals. So, let's unpack the phenomenon of the January fitness
surge and why your gym or studio should be prepared to weed out the
fickle-minded new-years resolutionists from members that contribute to your
business's growth.More on our software for your gym chainWhat Is the Phenomenon of the January Gym Rush?
According to IHRSA, 12% of all gym sign-ups happen in
January, while the rest of the year accounts for an average of 8.3%. The surge
of interest in fitness each January can be attributed to new members looking to
stop their rest-of-the-year-long latency.
These members tend to get a bad reputation for being
tourists in the gym space and boast low retention rates. But – whatever you may
think of them – you have to give them credit for showing up.
These are still paying gym-goers with health and fitness
goals like any other – and as a gym owner, instructor, or trainer, it is your
responsibility to nurture their sudden interest in fitness rather than isolate
them.
Besides the sales surge for your business, ensuring that
these new clients get off on the right foot could also make or break your gym's
membership rates in 2022.
But, Brick and Mortar Facilities Still Face UncertaintyIn places like Germany, gyms are shuttered regionally, and
in the Netherlands, opening hours have been drastically reduced. With the flu
season in full swing and new variants spreading, fitness entrepreneurs
worldwide have to be prepared for the possibility of tighter regulations.
After almost two years in the pandemic, complete closures
are falling out of favour with their immense impact on the (local) economy and
people's mental and physical health.
A great alternative is to offer a hybridized workout routine
to attract new members and keep your current ones happy. A dive into the
fitness trends for 2022 shows that a mix of digital and on-site membership is
the way to go.
People have gotten used to the idea of remote and online
fitness coaching – and for our starry-eyed gym new years resolutioners, not
much will stop them from setting their fitness goals into motion this January.
By offering a hybridized gym membership solution, you can
cover all bases, including workout streaming, holistic health, remote personal
training, outdoor fitness, nutrition tracking – and, naturally, the
all-important in-facility membership.
Is It Worth It to Focus on These Gym New Year's
Resolutioners? Almost 50% of new gym members cancel their memberships by
the end of January. This number is even higher for Yoga studios, where 70% of
people who join a yoga studio in January will cancel by the end of February.
With dropout rates like these, you might wonder whether or
not it's worth spending time trying to retain these members. A glance at our
rather dismal economic outlook will give you your answer: Yes, they are essential.
While the idea of going to a gym may not stick with every
new member, there's still a solid 22% of gym recent years resolutioners who
will see their memberships through until October. That's worth capitalizing on.
How Can You Focus on Retaining January Sign-Ups So, you've decided to play ball with these new members who
may or may not be standing confoundedly in front of an abductor. Rather than
letting nature take its course, try offering new members help.
You could, for example, have a robust onboarding program to
win their loyalty. Encourage fresh members to try new things and offer trial
classes to spark their interest and confidence in something other than the
treadmill.
You can set up retention rates by providing guidance and
support and being attentive to new members' learning curves while leveraging
their satisfaction as a lead-generating tool.Going to the gym is becoming increasingly a social activity
— members are looking to connect with your brand and each other! By
facilitating social connection in your community through your club, gym new
years resolutioners will be more motivated to keep at it! The happier and more comfortable they feel.
