Americans’ January Gym Habits, Revealed

We’re all used to seeing the same ‘new year, new you’ rhetoric circulating social and traditional media every January. But how much do these marketing messages really inspire us in the long term?

We surveyed 500+ US residents to find out just how many people chose to join a gym or fitness studio at the start of 2022 – and how many are holding good on their habit 12 months later.

We found that...

• Over a third of Americans surveyed (36%) had signed up for a gym membership or studio pass in January 2022
• 34% of those who signed up stopped using their memberships by the end of the year
• Among those who signed up, more than a quarter (27%) drifted away from their membership after just six months
• And 9% struggled to keep up attendance past the two-month mark.

‘New year, new you’?

It’s no surprise that over a third (36%) of Americans signed up for a gym membership or studio pass in January 2022. With all the ‘new year, new you’ energy flying around, it’s understandable that some people may feel pressured to make a big change or may simply be reminded of their pre-existing desire to improve their fitness or change their bodies in some way.

But the fact that over a third (34%) of those who sign up also seem to lose heart by the end of the year suggests that not everyone’s motivation comes from a solid place.

Simon Cushman, PT for Myprotein, says: “January is always a busy month for the gym, full of new hopes and expectations, and it seems to have become a common sight to see people starting a new fitness journey, all to give up so soon after starting.

“Unfortunately, people seem to set themselves up to fail despite their good intentions of getting fitter for the family, becoming more aesthetically appealing or signing up for a performance test like a race or sports team.

“There are several reasons why people start and drop out of their fitness journey - one being the balance with the rest of life activities and the realization that it is a bit of a hard slog to get started,” he explains.

“Looking at a new membership, the budding gym bunny would have just entered a contemplation phase and are trying to push themselves into an action phase. This means they might be forcing themselves to spend money to create the feeling of motivation, rather than putting a definitive plan in place for long term success.”

Location, location, location

Our survey found that those most likely to have quit using their gym or studio pass by the end of the year included those aged 25-34 (47%) as well as those who are in full-time employment (55%). Not only are work commitments likely to leave less time to fit in regular visits to the gym or studio classes, but this age group may also have more commitments outside of work, such as children, family or socialising.

We also found that those in suburban areas seem to struggle more than those in cities, with 73% of quitters being based in a suburban environment (vs. 17% based in urban areas). Fitness deserts are no new phenomenon - we all know that more needs to be done to improve access to fitness facilities in less populated areas. This can mean not just increasing number of gyms and studios, but also number of green spaces where people can work out outdoors, as well as strengthening transport links to make access to urban gyms easier.