It is a trend so visible that even people disconnected from the fitness industry are aware of it.
January, through a combination of New Year’s resolutions, the holiday gauntlet and a healthy dose of regret sees people arriving and returning to gyms and fitness clubs up and down the country.
This means new faces, packed classes and a palpable energy as people arrive with a common goal. But we also know that the January Joiner can be a fickle member, and quite a few memberships won’t last to see the daffodils of spring. Energy dissipates, momentum stalls, attendance dwindles.
But does it have to? We don’t think so. And after 25 years of experience in the fitness industry, both running independent gyms and handling data, we think we have a good grasp of the problem and the solution.
Why Focus On The January Joiners?
The assumption has always been that these members lack some combination of willpower and dedication. In truth, many resolution-based memberships that fail aren’t just due to a lack of personal motivation or discipline, they fail through a lack of sustained support. Once the initial excitement has passed, it is down to things like community, habit and recognition to sustain members through the year.
While there are certain members that will be able to power through on discipline alone, it is important to support as many members as possible in the hope for retaining as many January Joiners as possible. So without further ado, here is how to convert that fragile January enthusiasm into enduring loyalty.
Understanding the mindset and motivation of these January Joiners is crucial. While they aren’t a hivemind and motivations will vary, there are some broad trends that can be useful here.
These January members are, as we said above, most likely driven into getting a membership at your gym by the desire for a fresh start and to set a new routine for the new year.
January marks the end of the Christmas slalom, so from those first weeks of January many try to shape their habits for the year. Excitement and the desire for change gets them in the door, but setbacks, a lack of results or just a busy lifestyle can send them packing. as quickly. The antidote? Make your facility and the benefits it can bring to each member as apparent and appealing as possible. The goal is to make them feel like they’ve come to the right place to achieve their goals, and make them keen to keep returning.
Onboarding: Make the First Impression Count
It is reasonable to assume that enthusiasm (and as such, engagement) is running very high for a January Joiner when they sign-up. Depending on the person, this enthusiasm might rise or diminish when considering actually attending your facility for the first time, but overall we can consider this the period they will be most reliably enthusiastic and engaged
It is important to remember that both onboarding and their first visit/visits are occurring in this time frame. It is important that onboarding isn’t just considered an administrative process, but an introduction to your facility, minimising any confusion or regret while maximising the members opportunities to engage with your staff and your community.
The Personal Welcome:
While January is busy, offering orientation during the onboarding e-mail is a great way to reduce gymtimidation and get your January Joiners straight away.
Keeping track of ‘who’ and ‘when’ can get tricky with an influx of new members so using a Customer Relations Management system is a good idea. A January Joiner arriving to find that their orientation guide is triple-booked won’t leave a good impression.
Genuine Engagement:
Your business will get out what you put in from each member. If you just point to the changing rooms, they are likely to respond with a similar energy. Encourage your staff to take the time to explain extras that might not be apparent like class booking, introduce them to staff that specialise in their interests or specific equipment they want to try. Train staff on a list of questions such as “What are your goals?”, listen to the answer and feed them back into the CRM.
Begin the support on day 1 to minimise attrition with your January Joiners.
Structured Start:
Make sure your January influx doesn’t feel adrift. A complimentary starter session with a PT, or a dedicated “New Member Journey” workshop if staff is tight. Both can provide crucial structure and support, allowing January Joiners to talk to other new members and your staff. Give them multiple reasons to want to return to your facility, whether it is the staff, the equipment or their fellow members.
Navigating the First 30 Days: Avoiding Common Pitfalls
A member’s first month is often make or break and the January Joiner is no exception. Common mistakes here are often sins of omission.
- Checking In and Dropping Off: Many clubs engage in solid communication for the first week, then go silent. Consistent, light-touch communication supported by a CRM is vital. A quick message after a certain number of visits, an e-mail acknowledging and supporting their first class booking or a supportive check-in if their attendance starts to wane. If done right (and light), this won’t be seen as overbearing, but as critical support.
- A Sense of Belonging: Members don’t just get value from your facility and your staff. They get value from other members and are more likely to stay when they feel part of something important.
Introduce newcomers to regulars with similar goals. Hosting a low-pressure social event or a beginner-focused challenge is a great way to get people talking and January and February are the perfect times to fill out a room. Make sure access to your club’s community is well signposted and accessible for new members so they don’t feel adrift from the crowd. - Letting Progress Go Unmarked: Early wins are essential to sustain that excitement and momentum that makes someone sign up in January to begin with.
Help members see those early wins by keeping track of attendance metrics via either e-mail or your member app. Something as simple as watching those numbers go up can be a powerful motivator for members once the initial excitement starts to wear off.
The Infrastructure of Retention
This level of personalised engagement may sound daunting and labour-intensive, and for a club running on spreadsheets and goodwill alone, it could be.
This is where the right systems become not just useful, but essential to providing the best service and ultimately growing your membership base each year. They allow you to automate what could be manhour intensive work and deliver a better, more personalised service.
As we have referenced throughout the article, a CRM system connected to your membership management software allows even small independent gyms to punch above their weight when it comes to delivering personalised, attentive service. Whether that means automatically sending a welcome email, scheduling a follow-up after the first visit or flagging when someone hasn’t been in for ten days.
By using interconnected systems designed to enhance the membership experience, you can deliver a fantastic service while saving your team valuable time. Rather than relying on a labyrinth of notes, a Customer Relation Management can make each interaction count at a time where those interactions lead to increased member retention.
Similarly, a system that supports onboarding while properly integrated into your management software helps to ensure that no new member falls through the cracks during the hectic months of January and February.
From booking their induction to assigning them a starter programme, it provides the structured path that high risk joiners need while demonstrating your investment in their success from the very first click.
We here at Ashbourne Membership Management pride ourselves on having a system made by gym owners, for gym owners. Unlike some companies we aren’t trying to sell a ‘one size fits all’ solution, our software was made to help independent gym and fitness club owners retain members, streamline operations and ultimately grow their business.
Whether you are trying to retain more January Joiners or just looking to take your fitness business to the next level, Ashbourne can help. Book a demo with our in-house, UK based team here and they can start to understand how a partnership with Ashbourne can help define your 2026.
