Keep more members for longer by guiding members into making regular gym visits a lasting habit. Read on to find out how habit formation works and get 8 practical ways you can help members build healthy habits.
Retention is a challenge for 82% of UK gym operators. To tackle this challenge, start by focusing on visits.
Retention expert, Dr Paul Bedford, has found that increasing average visits from 1 to 2 visits per week increases average length of stay by 3 months. Getting more members to stay with you for longer boosts retention and your bottom line.
Increasing visit frequency starts with helping members build the habit of going to the gym.
How can you help members form a visit habit? We’re here to help! Read on for:
- How motivation, discipline, and habit work together
- The basics on how habit formation works
- 8 tips to help members form the habit of going to the gym – and practical ways you can guide them through the process
Let’s get stuck in!
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Motivation ➡️ Discipline ➡️ Habit
Want to understand how habit formation works? Start by looking at the relationship between motivation, discipline, and habit:
- Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic. It’s a drive, desire, or emotional trigger that encourages individuals to act and pursue a goal
- Discipline is the ability to stick to a plan or routine. It’s the self-control and perseverance to carry on as motivation fades
- Habit is a behaviour. It’s built over time through repetition until it becomes automatic
Motivation, discipline, and habit work together:
- Motivation ignites the initial spark to work towards a new goal
- Discipline provides the self-control to continue to take the actions needed to achieve that goal
- Habits form because of that consistent, disciplined action. Ultimately, making a behaviour automatic and part of a bigger routine and lifestyle
Habits vs. routines
TipHabits are behaviours performed automatically without much thought. Routines are actions done in a specific order and/or at a set time. For gymgoers, a routine is the habit that gets them to show up for a workout.
How are habits formed?
This relationship between motivation, discipline, and habit explains the basics of how habits are made (and broken). Yet, there’s more involved in habit formation – a subject that’s been extensively studied in recent decades.
The habit loop
The cue-routine-reward feedback loop was discovered in a 1999 study by psychologists at MIT. And later named ‘the habit loop’ by Charles Duhigg. James Clear also wrote at length about the habit loop in his bestseller Atomic Habits.
The habit loop explains a 4-stage process that leads to desirable or undesirable habits:
- Cue – A trigger is experienced
- Craving – A particular outcome is desired
- Response – Action is taken to get that outcome
- Reward – Pleasure/relief is experienced, making the cue even stronger next time round
Example: How this loop could play out for the habit of visiting the gym
- Cue – The alarm goes off and the member sees their gym kit laid out by the bed
- Craving – They want to start the day feeling energised and accomplished before work
- Response – They get up and dressed straight away, walk to the gym, and complete a 30-minute workout
- Reward – They feel alert, positive, and proud starting the day on the right note. The link between waking up (the cue) and going to the gym (response) is reinforced
8 tips to help members form the habit of going to the gym
How can you help your members get into the habit of routinely showing up at the gym for a workout? Here are 8 tips to help.
Tip #1: Make starting easier with a ritual
Repeating a behaviour, also means you are starting that behaviour repeatedly. Starting is the hard part, especially as motivation dips and if discipline is lacking.
Creating a ritual or routine can make it easier to start the behaviour of visiting the gym. So, building an approach that makes visiting a mindless, automatic behaviour over time.
Les Mills habit formation research showed the importance of preparation for new exercisers. A preparation ritual is all about creating visual cues that remind a member of their intention to workout.
The research also showed the importance of creating an instigation ritual to partner the new habit with an existing one.
As part of the ritual creation, members could set an implementation intention using a sentence like this:
Next week, I will exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE].
Research suggests people who complete this sentence are 2-3 times more likely to stay active through exercise in the long-term.
How to help your members put this into action:
During onboarding, as a part of in-person inductions and in your digital journey:
- Find ways to encourage members to prepare in advance for their workouts. For example, by laying their gym kit out or packing it in a work bag the night before
- Help members identify when they’ll visit. That could be at different times each day depending on their schedule. Recommend they tie visits into existing routines
- Tell members about the power of setting an implementation intention. Explain how setting a simple intention for the week ahead can help them stick to their workout plans
Tip #2: Start small; make working out the goal
Especially for new members, committing to 4x hour-long sessions a week can be daunting and difficult. A lot to take on all at once and a lot to commit to (not to mention potentially DOMS-inducing!).
Over-committing is one way to kill a habit before it’s even formed. For new (and even returning) members, it’s better to aim for an achievable length and frequency of visits.
That could start as small as 1 visit a week and that visit could be relatively short. Sometimes getting to the gym is the biggest hurdle. A 5-minute visit is better than nothing, often that’s enough to get going and continue for longer.
5-second rule
TipYou could encourage your members to adopt Mel Robbin’s 5-second rule to motivate them to get to the gym. When they’re tempted to hit the snooze button or drive straight home, challenge them to stop, countdown from 5 to 1, and then make their way to the gym.
Likewise, rather than setting a big goal to start with, new members should consider forming the habit of showing up to the gym as their goal.
James Clear suggests setting an upper limit on behaviour to make it achievable. For example, you can only stay in the gym for 10 minutes to start with, but you need to go every day. After a month or two increase this and move on to setting a new goal.
How to help your members put this into action:
As a part of in-person inductions and in your digital onboarding journey:
- Emphasise the importance of starting small with plans to work out. Give those new, or returning to exercise after a break, permission to aim for 1 visit a week and gradually increase the length of their session. Let them know any extra visits are a bonus to be celebrated
- If you run group fitness classes, give new members and those trying out classes for the first time, permission to join you for 2 or 3 tracks at first. Encourage them to gradually build up to a full class
- Discuss goals. If a member has joined to lose weight or gain muscle, it’s fine to build goals around this. But also consider helping the member set incremental goals with the first being simply showing up consistently
Tip #3: Revisit goals regularly
If habit formation starts with motivation, then to build and retain the habit of working out, having something motivating to work towards is vital.
Goals provide a clear purpose, direction, and sense of progress towards a desired outcome to motivate members on. Goals are often linked to an extrinsic motivator. For example, losing weight or avoiding a negative health outcome.
Using the SMART framework can help members set effective goals:
- Specific – clear, well defined
- Measurable – progress and attainment can be tracked
- Achievable – challenging but attainable
- Relevant – personally meaningful to the member
- Time-bound – clear deadline(s) to create urgency
How to help your members put this into action:
- As well as helping members set SMART goals during onboarding, regularly revisit the subject in your communications. Make these messages timely by sending them at times of year when motivation dips or peaks. Plus, include this type of education in re-engagement messages targeting at-risk members
- Offer members quarterly, half-yearly, or annual goal-setting sessions with a personal trainer. You could make these paid-for or include them in your membership packages
- Find ways to help members track progress. Where members are happy to be featured, celebrate success and showcase achievements in your marketing
Tip #4: Visualise success
Visualisation can be a powerful tool for members building a workout habit. When members imagine themselves working towards and achieving their fitness goals, they are more likely to stay motivated and ultimately be successful.
Author Hal Elrod has written about visualisation at length. Elrod emphasises the importance of visualising not just the outcome, but the process of getting to the outcome too. Both should be visualised as positive and enjoyable.
Members should repeat visualisations daily if possible.
How to help your members put this into action:
- When helping members set goals and plan for success, have your trainers explain how visualisation can be used as a part of the process
- Run a workshop or seminar on the topic. You could also build very short visualisations into warm ups during group fitness classes and PT sessions
- Send members quick prompts through email, your app, or social channels to remind them to visualise their workout. For example, ‘Take 1 minute to picture yourself enjoying your workout today and finishing feeling satisfied’
Tip #5: Reflect on success
If visualisation helps members envision the behaviours that will ultimately build the habit of regularly visiting the gym, reflection helps solidify those behaviours.
When members routinely reflect on how healthy behaviours make them feel, it helps build belief in positive behaviours. Celebrate short-term benefits, finding the joy in the process.
How to help your members put this into action:
- Prompt members to pause for a moment after training and think about how they feel. You could put up posters by exits or even have your staff build the habit of asking members ‘How do you feel after your workout today?’. Suggest positives – like stronger, more energised, less stressed or more accomplished – to get members thinking positively
- Use your gym management software to celebrate when members hit milestones. Create triggers at key visit milestones to automatically congratulate members
- Encourage members to write down how sessions made them feel. Over time, looking back at these reflections strengthens belief in their ability to keep going
Tip #6: Be flexible
Habit and routine are interlinked. But research has found that it’s the routine of working out that has a bigger impact on long-term adherence and habits, than working out routinely at the same time(s).
Working out at the same time every day (or at the same times each week) builds a routine of working out at that time. Yet often that’s the only time that gymgoer exercises and when life gets in the way, that gymgoer skips the visit.
The danger? Over time the habit of visiting slips away, especially when other life pressures ramp up.
Members should think flexibly to reschedule a session rather than skipping it. As well as having the mindset not to let missed sessions throw them off completely.
How to help your members put this into action:
- Encourage members to think of alternatives if they miss their usual workout slot. Let them know it’s ok to make that alternative something quick and easy. Include this messaging in your marketing – for example, emails or in-app news and messages
- If you can see a member hasn’t attended their usual sessions, send them a friendly reminder suggesting alternative times or classes. Try wording like ‘Missed your Monday session? How about Wednesday instead?’ This helps reinforce the mindset of rescheduling, not skipping
- Regularly promote your timetable and the formats your facilities offer. So, members can see there’s always another opportunity to fit in a session. Position it as ‘If you can’t make your usual time, we’ve got plenty of alternatives waiting for you’
Tip #7: Seek out social support
Habits spread through social networks. If members compare their workout habits to others, it can boost motivation to go to the gym. Likewise, scheduling a workout with a friend keeps members accountable to show up.
The more members show up, the more habitual it becomes.
Les Mills research shows that working out in a supportive group helps members to stay motivated and accountable. Group fitness is an effective way to build the habit of going to the gym. Members who attend classes typically visit 4 times a week (compared to an industry average of 1.9 visits a week).
How to help your members put this into action:
- Offer guest passes. Promote your referral programme. Run ‘bring a buddy’ days. All make it easy for members to turn their workouts into enjoyable social time
- Make sure group fitness instructors are trained to learn names, celebrate milestones, and foster a team spirit during classes
- Run gym challenges designed to get members interacting with one another
- Introduce gym-floor based small group training sessions at times when members tend to work out alone. Seeing these in action, encourages those who wouldn’t normally attend classes to get involved
Tip #8: Stay the course
Exactly how long it takes to form a habit is a much-discussed topic.
Forming the habit of going to the gym takes considerable effort. It’s not a habit that comes fast. Research shows it takes about 6 months to form a gym habit.
It’s staying the course and putting in consistent effort that matters. Members should focus on consistency, not perfection. All the tips covered here add up to help create the habit.
How to help your members put this into action:
- Be upfront and remind members that building a workout habit (and achieving any fitness goal) is a long game. Find ways to encourage them on
- During your onboarding process (and beyond) break progress into milestones. Make the journey feel achievable by celebrating key points. That could be based on number of visits or even how long they’ve been with you. Consider offering rewards along the way. Use public shout-outs to recognise consistency
- Inevitably motivation will dip. Have a re-engagement strategy in place that normalises this and encourages them to keep going
The wrap up…
Helping members form the habit of visiting the gym (and even visiting more often) will help you increase retention.
A habit is a behaviour built through repetition until it becomes automatic. Motivation and discipline come together to help habits form. For gymgoers, a routine is the habit that gets them to show up for a work out.
The habit loop explains the process that happens when habits big or small are carried out. In the case of a gym visit habit, the loop could look like this:
- Cue – A member finishes work and sees their gym bag in the car, reminding them it’s time to train
- Craving – They want to shake off the stress of the day and feel more energised before heading home
- Response – They automatically drive to the gym, complete a 45-minute workout, then shower before leaving
- Reward – They feel proud, less stressed, and physically recharged. The link between finishing work (the cue) and going to the gym (response) is reinforced
By using the tips in this article, gymgoers can work towards building the habit of visiting the gym. From onboarding to re-engaging those who stop visiting, there are lots of simple ways you can help members build and maintain a visit habit.
Xplor Gym can help aid habit formation and maintenance in so many ways.
by Megan Greenaway Customer Success Manager at Xplor Gym
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First published: 05 January 2026
Written by: Megan Greenaway