Pure Gym's UK Fitness report for 2023/24 revealed that 30% of the company's least busiest days fell in December. They're not the only ones to notice a significant drop-off in member visits during the festive season. Why is that? ⛄The cold and unsettled weather ⛄The long nights ⛄It's a socially intensive period for people ⛄The children are off school ⛄The overindulgence makes people feel sluggish ⛄A lack of money or free time ⛄It's too easy to postpone good decisions and intentions until the new year Attracting new members is tough, but so is ensuring existing members regularly engage with your gym. Summer sign-ups can be particularly concerning as research suggests that around half of all new sign-ups cancel their membership within 6 months. December isn't just quieter for many gyms; it's also likely to be a more expensive month operationally. Heating and lighting costs are generally higher and used more intensively during this time. It's why some gyms are using electricity-generating bikes to help power their cycling studios. 💡💡💡 ⚡⚡⚡Turn workouts into watts with the RE:GEN—our electricity-generating fitness bike. Discover how harnessing human power can revolutionise your gym or studio today!⚡⚡⚡ 💡💡💡 How can gym owners keep members coming? ✅ Define your goals for the slower months. Are you trying to retain existing members, or are you trying to attract new ones? Whatever you choose, your marketing campaign should reflect this. Retaining existing members could include Christmas-related fitness challenges. Star Digital mentioned 8Fit, which did a 12 days of fitness advent campaign, mirroring the famous Christmas song (five gold rings), which saw participants complete a new exercise each day as well as all previous exercises prior to that day (like the song) so that one day 12, you're completing all exercises together. ✅Gyms could also schedule winter-themed classes like indoor cycling classes that 'ride' to the North Pole or aerobics classes in Christmas jumpers. Research suggests that people who exercise in groups are less likely to cancel their membership than those exercising alone. Community-building helps people form social bonds with one another. Christmas socials during or after a class can be a great way for people to connect at the end of the year. It doesn't have to be a big event (God knows we're all slammed with those in December), but a fun session with the chance to socialise can be a great way to keep people coming back. Several years ago, Energym took one of its RE:GEN bikes to Gymshark HQ in Solihull for a challenge to see if its employees could power the company's Christmas tree lights. Retaining current members is cheaper than obtaining new ones, so keeping everyone happy in December may reap rewards later in the year when memberships are up for renewal. ✅Gyms could also offer gift memberships. These could be gift cards for monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annual membership. It could help you lock new members in ahead of January. ✅You could also run a Black Friday offer for membership or classes. Early bird offers for January might be useful here, too. Some gyms will offer December as a free month and start annual membership from January 1st. Guest passes can also be a good way for people to try the gym during the quieter period. December is generally known to be a quiet time for gyms. Members often have less free time during the festive season, and with all the indulgence, the gym can be the last thing people think about. But the gym is where we members can mitigate some of the bad habits associated with the season—the gluttony, the low energy, the tiredness—by encouraging people to visit or get settled into a new membership before the intensity of the January kicks in. Find out more about the electricity-generating RE:GEN for your gym