The fitness industry has a problem. According to the article "10 Shocking Gym Statistics", 12 percent of all gym members sign up in the month of January. However, the Fitness Industry Association reports that, after just 24 weeks, most people have stopped attending the gym.This meshes with the results of other research. WebMD reports that, according to John Norcross, psychologist and author of Changing for Good, of those who make New Year's resolutions, 64 percent are still hanging on at the one-month mark, but only 44 percent are still honoring their resolutions at the six-month mark.
These statistics demonstrate the problem confronting gym owners. What can be done to keep these January sign-ups healthy, engaged, and eager to remain a part of your gym?
Repetition and Boredom Are the Enemies
When new members first sign up for gym membership, their enthusiasm abounds. Motivated by any number of reasons for joining, they come to the gym often. This is a good thing, but it can also lead to something not so desirable.
Left to their own devices, gym members can become bored by a repetitive routine of exercise. Performing the same exercises over and over drains their enthusiasm. Bored members begin to simply go through the motions of exercise with little excitement or energy. After a short time, they may begin to dread coming to the gym. Once that happens, other more interesting things lure members away permanently.
Competition is the Antidote to Boredom
So, what can you do to spice up the exercise options available to your members? Competition provides the key to overcoming member boredom.
Humans are wired for social connection. Psychologically speaking, buddying up with an exercise partner generates a feeling of connectedness and encourages increased engagement.
However, in a gym setting, healthy competition may be even more effective than simply partnering with someone else for exercise. Competition can be a powerful motivator, and can provide and organic energy that ramps up engagement and enthusiasm.
According to the article "5 Fitness Challenge Ideas for Groups", experts suggest that people who work out with partners or in groups tend to stick to the plan for a longer duration and achieve their goals more often compared to those who work out alone. Healthy competition amplifies this effect.
How Competitive Cardio Can Boost Member Enthusiasm and Retention
The article "6 Fitness Reasons to Embrace Your Competitive Spirit Today" lists several benefits of introducing competition into fitness goals. Some of them are:
Repetition and Boredom Are the Enemies
When new members first sign up for gym membership, their enthusiasm abounds. Motivated by any number of reasons for joining, they come to the gym often. This is a good thing, but it can also lead to something not so desirable.
Left to their own devices, gym members can become bored by a repetitive routine of exercise. Performing the same exercises over and over drains their enthusiasm. Bored members begin to simply go through the motions of exercise with little excitement or energy. After a short time, they may begin to dread coming to the gym. Once that happens, other more interesting things lure members away permanently.
Competition is the Antidote to Boredom
So, what can you do to spice up the exercise options available to your members? Competition provides the key to overcoming member boredom.
Humans are wired for social connection. Psychologically speaking, buddying up with an exercise partner generates a feeling of connectedness and encourages increased engagement.
However, in a gym setting, healthy competition may be even more effective than simply partnering with someone else for exercise. Competition can be a powerful motivator, and can provide and organic energy that ramps up engagement and enthusiasm.
According to the article "5 Fitness Challenge Ideas for Groups", experts suggest that people who work out with partners or in groups tend to stick to the plan for a longer duration and achieve their goals more often compared to those who work out alone. Healthy competition amplifies this effect.
How Competitive Cardio Can Boost Member Enthusiasm and Retention
The article "6 Fitness Reasons to Embrace Your Competitive Spirit Today" lists several benefits of introducing competition into fitness goals. Some of them are:
- Competition provides an increased level of motivation for participants.
- Competition increases confidence levels and social skills.
- Competition spurs an increased interest in wellness and fitness.
Gym members can reap these benefits by participating in competitive challenges in a gym setting. Gym owners profit from providing adequate opportunities for competition, including such things as organized competitive cardio classes.
Technological Help to Enhance Competition in Your Gym
The AccuroFit family of products are ideal for creating competitive cardio programs for your gym. AccuroFit's Wellness Challenges are designed specifically to stimulate healthy competition among your gym members and improve engagement and retention rates for your gym.
With team challenges, monitoring systems, data base management, and the ability to run multiple challenges concurrently, AccuroFit products and programs provide an unsurpassed experience for gym members and a smooth management system for gym owners. To see how AccuroFit's state-of-the-art products work, request a demo of the AccuroFit system today.
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