January is typically the busiest time for gym registrations, as revelers try to shed a few pounds after a week of festive excess.
But gym owner Clayton Leah is taking an “unconventional approach” and turning down new starters at the busiest time of year.
The 31-year-old, co-owner of Ascendancy Fitness, in Warrington, Cheshire, is suspending memberships during January to try to provide a better experience for gym-goers.
It says it made the decision to ensure current members can continue their physical activity without interruption.
Clayton hopes this will push other gyms in the same direction and wants to encourage people to start living a healthy lifestyle at a different time of year.
Clayton said: ‘We thought this year there was a real chance we could get a lot of registrations in the New Year, because even during November and December membership numbers had been steadily increasing.
‘That was a warning sign that we could have a very busy month in January and that would just upset all of our current members who have been with us for so long.
‘We wanted to try to break the mold. Trying to take an unconventional approach and protect our current members – that’s the most important thing for us.”
Business partners (left to right) Jack Bramhall and Clayton Leigh, who run Ascendancy Fitness in Warrington, Cheshire
Sarah Holland, one of the personal trainers at Ascendency Fitness, bans new members in January, a common time to sign up for the gym after holiday excesses.
The gym hopes that by suspending memberships in January it will provide a better experience for its current customers.
Clayton hopes his move will encourage people to not simply sign up for the gym during the first month of the year.
He says people are drawn to the gym during January because of “New Year’s resolutions,” often a motivation to lose weight or get in shape.
“People want to lose a little weight in the New Year and make a pact to join the gym and then obviously there’s an influx of members,” Clayton said.
‘When you make those resolutions in December, because you make them at that time, it’s natural that the motivation isn’t there forever.
“That’s why there’s this big influx in January and February comes and people tend to slow down a little bit.”
Clayton says this is not the first time the gym has suspended new members. He said: “The only negative response people have is a case of ‘I was going to join but now I can’t.’
‘To those people I say ‘well, you should have joined sooner.’ Now you have taken something from someone and they want it; It’s always like that.’
Ascension Gym opened its doors in February 2018 and Clayton says it has more than 650 members.
Gym owner Clayton Leah says, “When you make those resolutions in December, because you make them at that time, it’s natural that the motivation isn’t there forever.” “That’s why there’s this big influx in January and then February comes and people tend to slow down a little bit.”
There is now evidence that just 20 minutes of physical activity a day dramatically reduces the risk of cancer, dementia and heart disease.
Exercise can reduce the risk of serious diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
According to the NHS, being active can also reduce the risk of premature death by up to 30 per cent.
The NHS recommends that adults aged 19 to 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.
This could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Alternatively, you can do 75 minutes of intense, vigorous activity per week.
He suggests doing a combination of strengthening activities, such as yoga, lifting weights or carrying heavy shopping bags, moderate activity that increases your heart rate, such as brisk walking or bicycling, and vigorous activity such as running or swimming.