New Year’s Resolutions Spur Gym Memberships

“People looking to get healthy for the New Year will likely keep local gyms healthy as well. Local gyms are still expecting the surge that usually comes with New Year’s resolutions, and aren’t foreseeing a drop-off in membership due to the recession. Deb Mattingly, general manager of E-town Swim and Fitness, said this past December was their biggest in about five years. ‘We’re booming,’ Mattingly said. She said New Year’s resolutions really do make the gym a hectic place to be. The first Monday after the New Year, until about Valentine’s Day, is their busiest time. She said December’s success could be due in part to a special deal they offered during the month called a ‘membership amnesty’ program, where anyone who had previously been a member could re-enroll with no enrollment fee. Mike Duwe, owner of Anytime Fitness, had the same to say about his gym. Duwe said the gym has maintained steady growth, and typically signs up 20 or more new members a week, but on Wednesday said it had gained 30 new members over the previous two days. ‘We have never noticed’ the effects of the economic downturn, Duwe said. Duwe also said Anytime’s membership typically increases dramatically throughout January and February, usually doubling or tripling, he said. It now has about 2,000 members. Duwe said people should keep fitness a priority and not look at a gym membership as the first way to cut expenses. ‘It’s investing in themselves,’ he said. A study sponsored by the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, which looked at a small sample of leading health club companies in the nation, reflects the local situation. Health clubs in the association had increased membership and revenue as a whole by the second quarter in 2008.”

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