The New Year has come and gone, and so have the new year’s resolution gym members.    If you’ve ever said the phrase “new year, new me”, there is a good chance that the new you is planning on getting in shape. The best and easiest way to start that plan is to join a public gym. According to a survey in 2018 by NPR, nearly a third of New Year’s resolutions made were either to exercise more, lose weight or eat healthier. This massive percentage of health-related resolutions correlates heavily to new gym memberships.

All through the end of December and January, Americans are bombarded by messages and advertisements from health clubs promoting new years deals: zero down, discounted first month, 24/7 availability, etc.

Fitness clubs take every excuse out of your arsenal during January and therefore produce herds of resolutioners going to the gym… for about three weeks. According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), over 12 percent of new gym memberships are made during the month of January, which is a great thing for all of the gym owners, but can be quite frustrating for the consistent gym members. With every other treadmill taken, the dumbbell rack looking like a playground, and every weight-bearing machine being used with terrible form, one can see how this can anger most gym members. But this overpopulation doesn’t last long because as most people know, a majority of New Year’s goals tend to fall short of being accomplished. In fact, according to the IHRSA, “…80% of New Year’s resolutions are forgotten by February.” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson tweeted that “success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency.”

Most people start off going every day or close to every day, then it’s a couple of times a week, then it’s once a week, and then it’s the start of every month when they see the charge on their card. Someone going to the gym five days a week for the first 3 weeks of the new year will make a lot less progress than someone going 2-3 days a week for a year.

The IHRSA states that roughly 40% of all health club members pay under $25 a month. Even if you don’t get locked in a year-long contract, health clubs still make it hard to leave their program.

“Declining activity levels and affordable access to places where people can exercise contribute to the 80% of people who do not currently belong to a health and fitness club”, stated the IHRSA in their 2021 media report. Not only are new members quitting the gym, but not having affordable access is hindering people from starting, and prompting people to quit.

Getting trapped in the January exercise trend isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As long as members care about their health for more than one month, both the consumer and the fitness industry are happy. Having an exercise plan and schedule is an easy way to stay on track and keep your goals consistent.

Whether you’re going one day a week or five, going to the gym on set days every week will keep you consistent. While an attitude of I should go to the gym sometime this week will leave you paying for a gym membership you keep saying you’ll use. Don’t be another statistic.