Gym Membership Tips: New Members and The Injury Gap

It’s exciting when new members join your club. A growing gym membership is important to keep the business running and help the community get healthier.

But is there cause for concern when it comes to new members and injury?

Anyone unfamiliar with exercise routines – and especially those who haven’t been active at any level – certainly need to ease into things with precaution.

“The risk of injury to bones, muscles, and joints is directly related to the gap between a person’s usual level of activity and a new level of activity,” according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “When amounts of physical activity need to be increased to meet the key guidelines or personal goals, physical activity should be increased gradually over time, no matter what the person’s current level of physical activity.”

This means, even those new members who are well versed in fitness need an adjustment period. There’s also the need to consider whether these new members are familiar with the type of equipment you have available.

One in 20 people who responded to a Hayward Baker survey about personal injury said they were never shown how to use gym equipment properly. That same study found that 2 in 5 people have injured themselves while training.

Here are some great tips to help new members properly ease into exercise and enjoy safe use of their gym membership:

• Emphasize good form. Weightlifting with improper movement can cause injury. Provide literature or posters on proper form so that new gym members feel adequately guided.
• Suggest using a spotter. Make it clear that staff can help out and spot exercises during relevant exercises – when bench pressing or squatting, for example. This helps people practice safe workout habits when hitting the gym alone.
• Use your digital platforms to continually promote proper workout habits. If your new members receive email communications about their gym membership, why not also include such routine tips? It might require some up-front work, but it provides a worthwhile selling point for people to join your gym.
• Offer group guidance. New member orientation can guide new members through things like essential warm up, cool down and work out routines fit for each individual’s fitness level as well as learning about the gym equipment specific to your environment.

Wouldn’t it be great to onboard more fitness gym clients? Find a time to chat with us and learn more about how you can start selling pomi.