Every January 1, New Year’s resolutions are put in place. The most common resolution: to get in shape. In these harsh winter months, the only way make an attempt to do so is by joining a gym.

During December and January, many gyms receive a 15% increase in memberships. However, by February the majority of these new memberships are cancelled. Unfortunately, because many of those new members get roped into a year long contract, they have a whopping 12 months of gym bills to look forward to. In some cases, people sign for the year long contract to ensure they stay active for the whole stretch. The idea is to guilt yourself into going for something you’re already paying for.

Although this is the time of year that gyms make most of their money, it is also a great time to get a good deal on a membership, if you are serious about it. There is heavy competition in the gym world during the new years bump, so gyms lower their prices to ensure success. One tip is to negotiate with the employee signing you up: the majority of the time, you can get your enrollment fee at a significant discount or even talk your way completely out of it.

The shady side of the gym business is how many memberships they sell. Gyms often oversell memberships in order to make a profit. They do so banking on the statistic that 60% of these people won’t show.

If you are interested in joining a gym, December is the right month to do it, but try to avoid the two week rush at the beginning of the new year.

IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS