CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nationally, due to the New Year, gym memberships are the craze. Gym owners say it's because of the New Year's resolutions. According to a national survey, 23% of people say they wanted to get healthier in the New Year. Every year, gyms benefit from this push, including F45 Midtown Charlotte.
For some people, the continued craze of breaking a sweat is the best way to kick off 2023.
“It’s effective, it’s fun, I like to say it’s quick and dirty," Charlotte Katie Williams, owner of F45 Midtown, said.
If you ask Amanda Morse, coach at F45 Midtown Charlotte, they are expecting more full classes in the coming days.
“In the new year, we definitely see an influx of new members," Morse said.
She said New Year's resolutions pull more people in and memberships will increase. “We want to help them develop a lifestyle they will carry throughout the whole year."
On a national level, the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) reports that 12% of all gym memberships happen in January. The rest of the data shows 8.4% throughout the rest of the year.
Williams said more people means more money. Right now, gyms are still recovering from COVID-19 restrictions. Many lost money because of mandatory shutdowns. Some gym-goers decided to work out at home to avoid possible exposure to the virus.
“We were shut down for several months," Williams said. "It was difficult to afford rent at that time because of the lack of people."
Today, gyms have continued to thrive, but the extra money coming in is still a nice boost from what they lost over two years ago. The next hurdle: How do you get people to stay?
Research showed nearly 80%of January gym-rats quit in the first five months.
“We remind them of their goals," Williams said. "That's how we get them to stay. Sometimes it's hard to stay consistent and if you have a great support group and people that will hold you accountable, it makes all the difference."
Some gyms offer incentives. F45 Midtown Charlotte offers a full lifestyle challenge. The challenges teaches people about diet and exercise while doing muscle mass check-ins.