Why Gyms Make It So Hard To Quit (2024)

FAQs

Why Gyms Make It So Hard To Quit? ›

To profit, gyms squeeze long commitments and upfront fees from members. Difficult cancellation keeps the revenue flowing from non-active members.

Half of New Members Quit Within Six Months

Annually, a very small amount of health clubs lose less than 30% of their members.

Member Retention: 50% of new members quit within the first six months. Industry Value: The global gym industry is valued at $96.7 billion. New Year Surge: 12% of gym memberships are initiated in January, the peak month.

The average gym membership lasts 3.3 years, but most new members will quit within the first six months.

Why does LA fitness make is difficult to cancel a membership with a letter? Virtually every company makes it difficult to cancel a membership, because as long as you can't figure out how to cancel, they keep getting your money. LA Fitness is notorious for this.

To profit, gyms squeeze long commitments and upfront fees from members. Difficult cancellation keeps the revenue flowing from non-active members.

Noticeable Changes (Months 2-3): After two to three months of consistent training, you'll likely start seeing more significant muscle size and strength changes. At this time, many people notice that their muscles appear fuller and more defined.

The study notes that “any combination of medium to high levels” of vigorous (75 to 300 minutes per week) and moderate physical activity (150 to 600 minutes per week) “can provide nearly the maximum mortality reduction,” which is about 35% to 42%.

Sport makes you happy - more than money

The positive effects of exercise are undisputed. The body releases more of the happiness hormones serotonin and dopamine. Physical activity also lowers stress levels, as the hormone cortisol is reduced.

According to the Global Health and Fitness Association (IHRSA), 81 percent of health and fitness studios fail within their first year.

What age group goes to the gym the most? ›

According to recent studies, individuals in the age group of 18-34 exercise the most compared to other age groups. This demographic is more likely to prioritize physical fitness and incorporate regular exercise into their daily routines.

The United States has an estimated 64.19 million gym memberships, the most of any country.

“Overtraining can lead to overuse injuries such as muscle strains, stress fractures or tendon injuries.” Plus, when you exercise too much, you may lose your motivation or simply no longer enjoy your sports or workouts,” said Amy Jo Overlin, MD, a sports medicine physician at Banner Health in Phoenix, AZ.

“Gym contracts are often difficult to terminate," he says. "That's not an accident. It's something gyms want to discourage, because every day, week, or month that you remain a member, you're paying more money.”

To cancel your membership, you have three convenient options available: Phone: Call our Member Services Team at 800-922-7898, Monday – Friday, 8AM – 6PM CST. In-Person: Visit your home club and request a cancellation in person.

A mailed cancellation form postmarked at least 5 business days before your next billing date should result in no further billings. If notice is postmarked within 5 business days, you may be billed once more. If this occurs, we will refund that additional billing.

“If during your workout you begin to experience unusual tiredness, shakiness, racing heart rate, that progress to the point where you begin to feel like you are going to pass out or are confused, and you have changes with your vision, it's time to stop your workout immediately,” says Watson.

A lot of the people start a gym membership, because they want to completely redefine themselves. “New Year – New Me!”, they will post on social media. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. More than 90% of these people will quit after three months of going to the gym.

Try starting with short workouts that are 30 minutes or less. As you feel your strength building, add a couple more minutes every week. The American Heart Association recommends 75-150 minutes of aerobic activity, as well as two strength-training sessions, per week.

First of all, you need to think about how going to the gym makes you feel. Obviously, getting out of bed on dark winter mornings to go and run around often feels hard. But if you are really dreading it, or frequently hitting snooze and not going at all – it might be time to re-think.