January and February are notorious months for inspiring waves of new gym members who hope to follow through on their New Year’s resolutions to get in shape and improve physical health. 

For Giordanna Zuniga, a Diablo Valley College student who shows up for gym classes on campus at 6 a.m., the new routine is challenging.

“It’s hard to wake up that early just to go to the gym and work out for an hour,” Zuniga said. But, “I think I’m going to continue because I have class right after so it helps me wake up and feel more energized before I start.”

Zuniga’s schedule is similar to many others who seek to get in shape for the new year. But it’s often what happens after the January surge to the gym that reveals people’s commitment to working out.

According to Zuniga, her gym class was full during the first week of the semester, but by the second week she noticed that “it cut down to half of the people, so now there’s probably like 20 people going.”

“When school gets harder, probably less people are going to [go to the gym],” Zuniga added. “If I’m going to be tired all day, it’s not going to be worth it.”

The DVC gym is one of many in the area that experience fluctuations in visitors depending on the time of year. For those who sign up at the nearby gym In-Shape, located in Concord, morning classes like cycling and barre, which combine ballet and weights, tend to be the most sought after.

“After the New Year, there is a big increase [in participants] for all of those resolutions,” said Alex Walters, a 29-year-old barre instructor who has been working at In-Shape for five years.

In January, classes will typically have between 20 and 27 people, Walters said, and usually those clients stick around in February, with an average of 20 to 23 per class. 

But as February rolls into March and beyond, people’s dedication dwindles. 

Check-in data reveals that the number of people who drop gym classes and cancel their gym memberships three months into the year is close to the number of those who started at the beginning of the year.

During the first two months, an average of 1,100 to 1,200 people check into the gym each day, Walters said. This contrasts sharply with months like October, November and December when the average daily check-ins total about 750.

Breaks and vacations starting in March, and continuing through spring, cause gym numbers to wane, Walters added, though they quickly pick up again as people prepare for summer.

Also, just because people sign up for gym memberships in the new year doesn’t mean they end up attending. In many cases they cancel their memberships after just a few months. 

“It’s common for people to sign up in January, because of their New Year’s resolutions, and then they just don’t come in,” said Nai Martinez, who works as a Membership Experience Ambassador at the front desk of In-Shape.

“Then they’ll come in months later and be like, ‘I signed up months ago and I just never come in. I want to cancel my membership.’”

Whether due to lack of time, energy, discipline or a combination of the three, most people’s resolutions to get in shape in the new year face a steep uphill climb. For Zuniga and her 6 a.m. workouts, only time will tell.  

“I’m just going to go for as long as I can,” she said.