At the top of the year, gyms are typically swarming with newcomers who are looking to meet their fitness goals. But this year, many devoted gym-goers noticed their gyms are rather empty.
While some people couldn't be happier to see an unoccupied gym, others took to social media to find out if "anyone still makes resolutions" anymore.
Freezing temperatures and snowstorms across the country may have been the blame for fewer people on treadmills and exercise bikes during the first week of the year. Some people figured that by mid-January gyms would be filled to capacity.
But by the third week of 2024, social media users were still wondering why their gyms weren't flooded with people.
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Neal Pire, a certified exercise physiologist and fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, says that on a wider scale, he hasn't noticed a trend of less people in the gym. At the fitness clubs and studios where he works out, there are way more people when he visits now than when he did last month, he says.
But Pire does have a hunch about why other gyms are appearing a bit deserted this month.
'February is the new January'
"It's a little early, believe it or not. Because what happens is each week, you get the cumulative effect of new members, joining clubs or YMCAs, or going into training studios," Pire tells CNBC Make It.
There's a misconception that January is the month when the most people jumpstart their New Year's resolutions for fitness, he explains, when in fact, February is really when people get started.
"It really doesn't become obnoxiously crowded until February. So February is the new January, if you will," he says.
"It is busier, but it's not yet crazy. It's gonna get crazy, probably in another two or three weeks."
It's also important to consider that some people need some time to recuperate before getting back in the gym after the holidays, Pire notes. This is even true for some regulars, he says.
"The old members will finally come back [next month] because they overindulged during the holidays. That's when you really feel the difference."
Here's how to stick to your fitness goals this year
Usually people start focusing on their goals for the new year in February and can typically stick with them through March, but "then people start fading away," Pire says.
But don't feel discouraged; you can actually achieve the goals you've set in 2024 by making SMART goals, a framework that's been around since 1981.
Make sure that the fitness goals that you're setting are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bounded
Pire also advises you to give yourself grace if you don't always make it to the gym: "[If] you miss a day, get right back on the wagon the following week."
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