Actionable Strategies to Increase Member Attendance at Your Gym

Phil Ingram
3 days ago
3 min read

A bustling gym floor, packed classes, and the constant hum of activity—this is the picture of a healthy fitness business. The key metric for a gym's long-term success isn't just membership numbers; it's member attendance. An empty gym is a sign of a disengaged membership base, which is the first step towards high churn rates.

Getting members to sign up is only half the battle. Keeping them motivated and coming back week after week is what builds a thriving, profitable community. Here are some actionable strategies to get your members off the sofa and onto the treadmill.

1. Build a Community, Not Just a Facility

People can lift weights anywhere, including at home. They come to your gym for the environment, the energy, and the people. Fostering a strong sense of community is your most powerful retention tool.

Know Their Name and Their Goal: Train your staff—from the front desk to the personal trainers—to greet members by name. More importantly, please encourage them to learn about their members' fitness goals. A simple, "Hey Sarah, how's the training for that 10k coming along?" shows a level of personal investment that big-box gyms can't replicate.
Host Social Events: Organise events that aren't centred around a workout. Think about a summer BBQ, a pub quiz night, or a charity fundraiser. These events allow members to connect on a personal level, turning gym acquaintances into actual friends. People are far less likely to skip a workout if they know they'll see a friend there.
Celebrate Member Success: Create a "Member of the Month" feature on a notice board or your social media channels. Highlighting someone's hard work and progress is incredibly motivating for them and inspiring for everyone else.

2. Gamify the Fitness Journey

A little friendly competition and a clear sense of progress can be powerful motivators. Turn the routine of working out into a more engaging experience.

Launch Fitness Challenges: Run short, focused challenges like a "30-Day Consistency Challenge" (visit 20 times in 30 days) or a "Climb Everest" challenge on the StairMaster. Offer a prize for everyone who completes it, creating a shared goal for members to work towards.
Use Leaderboards: For certain activities, a leaderboard can spark friendly competition. Whether it’s for the fastest row time or the most classes attended in a month, public recognition can push people to try that little bit harder.

3. Make Your Loyalty Program Work for You

Rewarding members for their loyalty is a proven strategy, but you need to reward the correct behaviour—and that behaviour is attendance. A simple, direct reward for showing up can be the nudge someone needs to choose the gym over the sofa.

This is where a modern loyalty platform like meed can make a significant impact. You can use our free 50-member tier to launch a digital check-in rewards program in minutes.

Instead of a complicated system, it’s beautifully simple:

Reward Every Visit: Place a QR code at your reception. Every time a member visits, they can scan it to collect a digital stamp. It provides an immediate, positive reinforcement for walking through the door.
Incentivise Discovery: Offer bonus stamps for trying a new class or attending during quieter, off-peak hours to help manage footfall.
Offer Valuable Perks: Members can redeem their collected stamps for things they want—a free personal training taster session, a tub of protein powder from your pro shop, or even a discount on their next month's membership.
No App, No Hassle: Crucially, your members don’t need to download yet another app. They join via their phone's camera, and their stamps are kept in a simple web wallet. This removes the friction that causes so many people to ignore loyalty schemes.

By making it incredibly easy to be rewarded for their commitment, you give your members another compelling reason to make visiting your gym a consistent habit.

Increase Member Attendance at Your Gym

Getting more members to attend regularly is about creating an experience that makes them feel a part of it and don't want to miss. By combining a welcoming community, engaging challenges, and an innovative, simple rewards system, you can ensure your gym is always buzzing with the energy of committed, happy members.