I do 30 minutes each day on the eliptical. Would it be better for me (strictly from a weight loss/cardiovascular standpoint) to mix it up and do spinning, treadmill, etc. too?
My club always runs promotions designed to get members to work out every day. We’re in the midst of one now. My question: why? My club gets my money whether I work out or not. If anything, I would think they’d want fewer people there: less wear and tear on the equipment, less free coffee being consumed, and new customers touring the place will think that they’ll get the place to themselves. Their concession business can’t be that great; I’ve never once seen somebody buying a T-shirt, fitness bar, nutritional supplement, or similar tchotchkes.
Apart from the moral (for lack of a better choice of words) imperative to get people to lose weight, what benefit does it confer to my club to have members there more often?
Also, chain clubs need to report their usages to corporate to avoid getting targeted for closure. My gym is actually switching how they record members coming in because the old way was “too inaccurate” and people were getting missed.
I’ve wondered the same thing regarding question 1 and found this article. The advantage to mixing it up though is so that you don’t get bored doing the same thing every day. Less boredom=less likely to quit working out.
Switching up exercises engages different muscles and develops different muscles…and the more muscles that are engaged and developed, then the more calories you burn at rest.
Don’t do one exercise. Mentally, it is not good. Physically, you can get to used to it and plateau.
Whether it is aerobics or weight training, switching it up, even if just for the mental component, is really worth it.
Do you really think so? I know at my club you have to go down in person to cancel your membership which is a huge mental hurdle for most people to overcome. I personally know several people who continue to pay each month, rationalizing that ‘next month’ they will go. I see them about 2-3 times a year at the gym for a week or two, then they disappear.
My wife and I call it the ‘fat tax’, you pay each month in anticipation of actually going, but to actually close the account requires you to admit defeat, and most people won’t/can’t do that. I should note that my club is only $20 a month, so for that small fee I can see the rationalization.
Also don’t some clubs require you to pay for a whole year? Mine is month to month–but it comes directly from your checking account. They don’t bill you.
I agree that the new years people are gone from the gym, but I would be willing to bet the vast majority are still paying.
Gym membership retention is a big deal for gyms. While people might pay for six months and use three months, what the gym owners wants/needs is someone who will pay for six months, then a year, then become a lifetime regular.
And much effort is put into keeping people engaged in a variety of activities, because people also tend to get bored and follow fads. Body pump today, spinning tomorrow, body combat, advanced cross-training, etc. You don’t offer this type of stuff and you can watch the long-term client base dwindle.
So, why you can be a casual observer and think you know how well they are doing by looking at the people who might not cancel, the gym owners KNOW that they want to retain the maximum number of people as long-term clients. And it is NO mystery as to why Jan to April is when they really try to retain people: because their client base temporarily swelled after the holidays, and they need to retain a good number…ABOVE and BEYOND the people who don’t cancel immediately.