New Year's Resolution: Is Joining a Gym a Good Idea?

According to experts, for anyone starting 2024 with a new resolution to buy a new membership, heading back to the gym to eliminate the holiday season is a waste of time and money.

According to a DailyMail 2020 study, nearly 1,700 people are making a new resolution to get back to the gym starting Jan. 1 to ditch the holiday food. Compared to those who start training in the summer or fall, this group of people is less likely to stick to a regular fitness regime.

Those who purchase a gym membership starting in January are more likely to train three times a month, as opposed to those who train roughly five times a month in the summer or fall.

Signing up for the warmer seasons motivates people to hit the gym more often and stick to the habit, because motivation doesn't come from a New Year's resolution.

“Early January has a strong message with 'New Me' and 'New Start' that pushes people to buy a gym membership,” said study researcher Dr. Matthew Rand said.

“But this motivation, which comes from social pressure and the need to start fresh, is not as strong as the motivation when you enroll at another time of the year. “Because you decide to take care of yourself personally rather than relying on resolutions,” he continued in an interview with the Daily Mail.