How to Keep Gym Members Engaged Through the Holidays

Give Them a Goal

Get your members to want to keep returning to the gym by helping them find their “why.” Consider offering a free workshop, sending an email or finding another way to connect and guide your members. Encourage each person to develop their own goal, although you can share examples. Specific to the holidays, you might suggest goals like:

• Preventing the usual holiday weight gain
• Fitting into a holiday party outfit
• Losing a certain amount of weight by New Year’s
• Reaching a health goal

Keep in mind that the goal itself may not be the entire “why.” Take it a step further and ask members to explore why they care about their goal.

Do they want to feel strong and confident? Did their doctor recommend losing weight to improve their health? Do they want to be healthier for their children?

Encourage them to hold onto their reasoning to stay on track.

Promote the Mental Health Benefits

Whether through in-person or online communication, or both, get the message across to your members how much regular exercise can help their mental health during the holidays.

We all know the holidays bring a lot of stress. Spread the word about how effective exercise is at busting that stress. It can help counteract the seasonal blues and give people a haven away from their to-do list at home.

You may want to find ways to reinforce the feel-good nature of healthy habits. For instance, when your member is leaving an exercise session, have a staff member or your fitness app mention, “Hey, don’t you feel more relaxed after that workout?”

Schedule Workout Sessions

Help your members stay on track during the holidays when their schedules get chaotic. Here are ideas for keeping your gym on their planners:

• Encourage them to sign up for fitness classes and have instructors encourage them to return
• Promote trainer sessions with appointments
• Have your fitness app send reminders for them to return to the gym
• Hold a program that has them commit to returning during the same time slot for a certain number of weeks
• Send email or app invites that put gym sessions onto their digital calendar

Create a Holiday Program

Rather than let your members peter out as the months fly by, reach out to them to get them even more involved at your gym. Hold special holiday gym programs they can participate in with themes like:

• Maintain your weight during the holiday season
• Lose weight in time for the Christmas or New Year’s party
• Don’t let holiday feasting get you off track

These kinds of programs meet them where they are as they’re struggling with stress and feasting during this season. You may combine exercise sessions and coaching to keep them on track. Try making the groups festive and create a welcoming feeling of a shared experience.

Promote At-Home Workouts

The holiday season creates a lot of time conflicts and removes a lot of free time. Some of your members may find it too difficult to come to your gym and may feel like gym sessions are the only thing they can take off their schedules. Try to accommodate them during this hectic time of year by offering live-streamed at-home workout programs they can use instead of or in addition to in-person gym sessions.