As New Year’s motivation fades and gyms (historically) thin out, fitness brands are meeting consumers on National Quitter’s Day with support and long-term habit building
While January 1 has long been the fitness industry’s Super Bowl, some fitness operators are shifting focus to a less-celebrated (but arguably more honest) date on the calendar: Jan. 9, aka National Quitter’s Day, which occurs on the second Friday of each new year.
Rather than chasing resolution-fueled sign-ups, gyms and boutique fitness concepts like Anytime Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness, Basecamp Fitness, The Bar Method and Solidcore are embracing the mid-January reality, engaging consumers as motivation dips and welcoming anyone who hasn’t started yet.
The message? You’re not behind. In fact, you may be right on time.
‘Transformation Challenges’ Rise in Popularity
For Anytime Fitness, that strategy shows up in its first-ever Transformation Challenge, a six-week program kicking off Feb. 2 and running through March 16.
“The Transformation Challenge is fundamentally different from typical New Year’s resolutions and quick-fix fitness programs,” Anytime Fitness global brand president Stacy Anderson said. “We know our members want to take real control of their health and become the strongest version of themselves. We also know the statistics well: by February, most resolution-driven goals have already fallen by the wayside.”
Participants are supported by Evolt body composition scans taken before and after the challenge, helping tailor each member’s plan along the way. The program also layers in specialized coaching content delivered through the Anytime Fitness app and direct to members’ inboxes, offering personalized macros plus weekly guidance across training, nutrition and recovery.
“The Transformation Challenge changes that equation by arming members with their own fitness data in a way most other gyms simply don’t. … This data becomes the foundation for structured support, expert coaching and accountability that keeps AF members on track starting in February, with lasting health results that carry them through the entire year,” Anderson added.
There’s also a built-in incentive. All participants receive a free Challenge T-shirt, and those who follow @AnytimeFitness on Instagram and tag the Transformation Challenge using #AnytimeFitness and #Sweepstakes are entered for a chance to win hundreds of prizes, including a seven-day trip to any destination with an Anytime Fitness location, plus yearlong memberships and more.
New members can join Anytime Fitness for $1 at participating locations and get free entry into the Transformation Challenge. Current members can also score complimentary registration by referring a friend to a participating club — with both the member and their referral receiving free access — or they can opt to pay the $35 entry fee.
The challenge is rolling out globally as well, with Anytime Fitness locations in Canada, Dubai, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and the U.K. taking part.
Orangetheory’s Transformation Challenge runs Jan. 26 through March 22. The eight-week program encourages members to complete 18 classes across any format, from Strength 50 and Tread 50 to Orange 60 or 90. Progress is tracked through InBody scans taken at the start and end of the challenge, and partner perks are available from brands such as Thorne, MyFitnessPal, Hyperice and Omorpho.
Basecamp Fitness is hosting its Transformation Challenge Jan. 12 to March 8, while The Bar Method’s challenge runs Feb. 2 through March 16, asking participants to complete 20 classes in six weeks. Entry costs $25, with all participants receiving a branded water bottle. Club members who sign up in February will receive $10 in retail credit as part of the month’s member rewards.
Solidcore Encourages Its Members To Lock In
Solidcore, meanwhile, is pushing back against resolution fatigue with its “Quit the Noise” campaign, encouraging members to tune out distractions and stay locked in.
In a 30-second spot promoting the message, Solidcore zeroes in on creating a space where outside distractions fade away, including comparison, competition, judgment and perfectionism. Instead, what’s left is the reformer, the coach, the community and the strength participants build within its studios.
Ladder also tapped into Quitter’s Day on social media, using humor to flip the script. “This Quitter’s Day, we’re turning abandoned fitness equipment into… actual fitness equipment,” the strength training app company wrote on Instagram, alongside a tongue-in-cheek video.
Is Quitter’s Day Still a Thing? Some Data Says No
But amid all the Quitter’s Day doom, there is one silver lining. January motivation may actually be built to last, at least for Apple Watch users.
A recent multiyear analysis from Apple’s Heart and Movement Study found that Apple Watch users not only ramp up activity in January but sustain those gains well into February and March. More than 60% of participants increased their daily exercise minutes by at least 10% in early January, and nearly 90% of those users maintained higher activity levels through the following months.
In other words, Quitter’s Day might make for a catchy headline, but the data hints at something more encouraging.
