Did you know that 50% of people who started an exercise program will quit within the first six months? This isn’t surprising at all. In fact, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail come February. If this is the actual retention rate for your gym, you’d be out of business in no time.
Lack of motivation is the main reason why your gym members are canceling their memberships. To help motivate your clients, you need to understand why they don’t feel motivated in the first place. For starters, many of them set unrealistic goals (losing 50 pounds in 2 months), conflicts in schedules or they have no one to keep them accountable.
However, every person has a different reason for losing motivation. Even though motivation is not measurable, but there are certain factors you can try to understand if you think your clients are beginning to lose interest. Here are five must-know tips to keep your gym members motivated all year long.
1. Establish a Reward System
Keep your clients motivated by giving them rewards or points after achieving a certain goal. You don’t have to spend much for your customers to appreciate the gesture. You can give the free smoothies from your local health store, a small keychain, or even a free massage.
If your clients achieved a goal before the deadline, they can earn the reward. However, don’t forget to also recognize clients who didn’t reach their goals for trying. It’s physically and mentally draining to attain fitness goals, so make sure their efforts won’t go unnoticed.
2. Encourage Your Customers to Cultivate Healthy Habits
Studies show that a certain behavior will most likely turn into a habit if it’s fun and rewarding. However, it usually takes 66 days to form a habit. How do you make exercise a habit for your clients rather than just a one-month thing?
One way of helping your clients cultivate healthy habits is to encourage them to join exercise classes. According to Dr. Bedford’s research, he found out that people who are a part of group exercises stay members for longer because you need to turn up at a specific time. In this way, you can help them form healthy habits.
You can start a 30-day challenge and ask your clients if they want to participate. Holding different classes like circuit training, Zumba or boxing not only helps your clients form healthy habits, but it also helps them to figure out the type of exercise they actually like.
3. Offer a Bring-a-Friend Program
Research shows that 95% of people who started their weight loss program with a friend completed it, compared to the 76% who did it by themselves. To keep your gym members motivated, you can offer a bring-a-friend program where gym members can bring one person once a month for free. You can even offer discounts if their friend/family member signs up.
Engaging with other people while you exercise lets you perform for longer. According to a study from Kansas State University, a person is motivated to work out up to 200% longer if they think their friend is fitter than them.
4. Switch Things Up
Challenges and rewards can be exciting, but your clients may naturally lose interest over time. If you think that your clients are lacking motivation, you can switch things up a little bit. You can organize outdoor fitness classes or outdoor competitions, like swimming, mountain climbing, and trekking.
Make sure to ask for feedback throughout the entire process – from indoor to outdoor activities. Asking your clients for their opinions makes them feel welcomed and it makes it easier for you to devise your next strategy on keeping them motivated.
5. Stay Connected
We live in a technologically advanced world, so make sure to use this to your advantage. Keep your clients informed and motivated by staying connected, online and offline. Checking in with your gym members is a great way to ensure that they’re sticking to their goals.
There are different ways to check on your clients and one of the most popular means is through social media. If your gym already has a Facebook page, you can start a private group where your members can share their progress, goals, and even their failures. This fosters a sense of community and belongingness that would be invaluable to your gym. Just make sure to remind everyone to treat others with kindness and respect.
Keep Your Clients Motivated with Small Business Loans
You don’t have to spend a huge chunk of your cash to keep your gym members motivated. But if you ever find yourself in need of additional working capital to run your gym, small business loans can help. Small business loans from alternative lenders can easily provide you with the funding you need to keep your business going.