Do you struggle to instill healthy habits in your members? You are not alone. Watching members develop bad, unhealthy habits is one of the most frustrating feelings for any gym owner who truly cares about them.

So, we decided to pull together information on how you can help your members build healthy habits, to ensure they remain motivated in the gym, and see the improvements that they are striving for.

Why Building Healthy Habits is so Important

First off, let’s touch on why it is absolutely vital that you make the effort to help your members build healthy habits, both inside and outside the gym.

Good habits build strong training foundations

When healthy habits are in place, everything is in line to allow members to get the most out of their time in the gym. As you already know, member’s time is limited, so it is vital that everything is in place to maximize their time within the gym to ensure they get the best possible results from their efforts.

Good habits helps promote improvements

Often, healthy habits also lead to direct improvements in a member’s skill and fitness levels. For example, healthy habits such as stretching regularly, getting 10,000 steps per day, and getting enough sleep will all lead to more energy in the gym, better physical shape, and more ability to tackle more complex gym movements.

Good habits breed more motivation

There are very few feelings that are more motivating than seeing results, and with healthy habits in place, those results are much easier to come by.

Motivation leads to even better habits, which leads to even better results, and suddenly, you have an extremely positive and effective cycle in place.

Common Bad Habits Members Need Help Overcoming

Now, let’s focus on some of the most common bad habits that members face, which ultimately impact their enjoyment and progression in the gym.

Irregular training programs

For most people who come to the gym, while it may be a top priority, it likely isn’t priority number one. Whether it be family or work commitments, sometimes members are forced to miss scheduled training if something important comes up, which can lead to irregular training, missed sessions, and a lack of progression.

A lack of sleep 

Another issue many people have is not understanding the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Before you know it, after a couple of nights staying up late or getting up early (or in some instances, both!), suddenly, members’ energy levels will have dropped, and their desire to eat bad foods and make unhealthy decisions will have increased significantly.

Varied motivation levels

We all know what it is like when you try to train when motivation is lacking. Everything feels difficult; you want to be anywhere, but the gym, and continuing to just show up can feel tough. So, when you also factor in all the other daily demands required of your members, it’s easy to see why people go through training peaks and troughs, leading to mixed results and a lack of progression.

A poor diet

Finally, with a lack of time and education surrounding nutrition, many people suffer from a diet that doesn’t prepare them to chase down their fitness goals. Unhealthy food is often viewed as easier to prepare, cheaper, and more convenient, which are all positives that your members who are short on time appreciate.

However, this can result in them getting into bad habits, eating unhealthily, not allowing their body to recover, or struggling to get into better shape.

Ways to Help Members Build Health Habits

So, how can you help members build healthier habits that will improve their training and overall lifestyle?

Creating a community

One of the best ways to help members build healthy habits that will help them get more out of their training sessions is to create a strong community consisting of other like-minded members.

By creating a place for your members to connect, you allow them to share their issues and their wins and ask each other for advice and guidance.

Building a strong community also helps keep members accountable, which helps with issues such as a lack of motivation or poor diet choices.

Create open lines of communication

As a gym owner, it is not just your responsibility to ensure the gym is open at the right time. It is also important that you get to know your members on a deeper level so that you can help each of them individually.

When you do this, you allow your members to feel confident about coming to you and asking for advice and guidance, which allows you opportunities to steer them towards healthier habits and outline the steps they must take to get there.

Email and SMS messaging are the perfect ways to motivate and remind members to stay on track. It also opens the door for them to talk through what they’re feeling. With Gymdesk, we have both email and SMS messaging features built in. And you can even automate reminders based on time of week or other triggers. 

Incentivise through gamification

No matter what it is, incentives are always a great way to motivate people to adopt new habits. When it comes to gym-based gamification, it could be anything from a gym tee for a certain number of visits or a yearly awards event where you highlight some of your best members.

In episode 12 of the podcast Gym Heroes, Jeff Sherman goes into great detail about the value of gamification and how it has helped him improve member motivation and retention.

Provide useful resources

Finally, providing your members with top quality content is a brilliant way to help your team build healthy habits. Remember, not every member has your understanding of what they should be doing inside or outside their gym to improve their performance, and it is your job to pull that knowledge out, and share it with them.

The more educated your team is on the importance of sleep, rest days, and diet, for example, the more improvements they will see, the more motivated they will become, and the longer they will stay as a member at your gym.

Conclusion: Help Members Build Healthy Habits

As you can see, helping members implement healthy habits is vital for ongoing success in the gym, not to mention ensuring they continue to value their membership for many years to come.

Ensure you take the time to ensure you have everything in place to allow as many members as possible to build healthy habits and offer a little extra support to those who need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I encourage my members to establish and maintain healthy habits?

Encourage small, sustainable changes by setting achievable goals and providing positive reinforcement. Foster a supportive community that celebrates individual successes and shares resources on nutrition, exercise, and well-being.

What role does education play in helping members adopt healthy habits?

Education is key in empowering members. Provide workshops, webinars, and informative content on the benefits of healthy habits. Equip them with knowledge about nutrition, exercise routines, and stress management to promote informed decision-making.

What community-building activities can I incorporate to support the development of healthy habits among members?

Organize group activities like fitness classes, wellness challenges, and team events to strengthen social bonds. Creating a sense of camaraderie can enhance motivation and make adopting healthy habits a shared, enjoyable experience.

How can I address potential barriers or challenges members may face in adopting and maintaining healthy habits?

Conduct regular check-ins to identify obstacles and provide personalized solutions such as modifying workout routines or offering nutritional counseling. By addressing individual challenges, you can create a more adaptive and responsive environment for sustained healthy habit development.