I think we all know that with the new year come new resolutions. I don't have the exact statistics about what percentage of Americans make a resolution every year, but I do know that 70% of Americans will resolve to lose weight at the beginning of the year. I also know that many of those people will forfeit that resolution not long after starting it. Sure, many of those that quit do so because they go back to the excuses they make every year for stopping, but I have another reason that may be the cause of some people giving up the desire to lose weight.
That reason? Is it possible that the employees at gyms across the country make people that sign up for a membership at the beginning of the year feel extremely uncomfortable. Claire and I just signed up for a gym membership two days ago. We have tried to work out for the entire 7+ months of our marriage so far and were really successful during the month of November. We went about 4-5 times every week in November. However, we were traveling to family for most of December and didn't have our gym to work out. Plus, it was the holidays right? December is about desserts for like every meal of the day, not trying to get healthy.
Anyway, we wanted to get back into working out when we got back. Instead of getting a membership at the rec center on the Missouri State campus, we took advantage of one of the many great deals that gyms across the country offer at the new year. Gyms are smart, like really smart. As I have already stated, millions of people in the United States are going to resolve to lose weight when the ball drops signaling the new year. What are business smart gyms going to do? They are going to allow people to sign on at their gym for $1 instead of the traditional $20 or $30 activation fee. The loss in activation is worth the incredible increase in the amount of monthly payments they get for the months of January, February, and March or however long people last with their new years resolution to lose weight.
Alright, I think I have finally found my way to my point and how frustrated I got with the employees at 10 Fitness in Springfield, Missouri. Claire and I walked into this place to sign up for a membership. The number of times that I heard employees talk about how many new years sign ups they had that week was slightly offending. I felt like they all just assumed that every single person that signed up during the first two weeks of January was just doing so because of a resolution. Are they wrong? Probably not, probably a majority of people were there because of a resolution. However, that is something that should remain in their head, not talking about it at the front desk around people who are signing up to join their gym. It got worse though. With their new year program, they give every new member a free session with a trainer. That sounds like a nightmare. Claire and I tried to politely inform the gym employee that we did not know when we would have time to work out with a trainer which was a nicer way to say I don't want to work out with a trainer. Her response? The words, "they could really help you learn how to work out." Yeah...don't worry about us. We know how to work out. I was an athlete in high school and Claire is a going to be a physical therapist that is being trained in how to help people strengthen their muscles. It was embarrassing and I immediately felt like I no longer wanted to go to this gym. My question for everyone is this. Do you think that the words, looks, and general treatment of "resolution gym goers" makes them feel so insecure about themselves and how much they know about working out that they give up before they get the results they desire?
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