Retention by Stealth (or The Hidden Retention Benefits of HealthSeekers)

HealthSeekers Wasn't Built for Retention. But It Helps Retention Anyway.

HealthSeekers was designed to engage people who want better health but aren't ready for traditional membership.

The goal wasn't retention... The goal was engagement.

Yet operators are consistently reporting retention benefits.... Why?

Building a Culture Where Staff Stay and Members Thrive

In most health clubs, retention is treated as a number to manage.

• A percentage on a report
• A monthly KPI
• Something to fix when it drops

But the reality is simpler, and more challenging:

Retention is a daily behaviour, not a monthly metric.

It’s shaped by what happens on the gym floor, at reception, in conversations, and in the first few weeks of a member’s journey. And crucially, it’s driven by the people delivering those experiences.

That’s the focus of our Retention Leadership Workshop, helping clubs move beyond tactics and start building a culture where both staff and members stay.

Make it Easy to Leave, and More People Will Stay

For years, the fitness industry has relied on friction to retain members.

Long notice periods. Hidden clauses. Phone-only cancellations.

It worked… on paper.

But that model is now under pressure. Regulation is tightening around “subscription traps,” customer expectations are shifting, and the tolerance for opaque cancellation processes is disappearing fast.

We asked recently: what’s the last subscription you tried to cancel?
The responses weren’t about price or value; they were about frustration.

That’s the real issue.

The problem isn’t that people leave.
It’s how they feel when they do.

The old model: friction as retention

There’s a long-standing industry assumption that if you make cancellation harder, fewer people will cancel.

This is technically true... but commercially short-sighted.

Friction doesn’t create loyalty.
It creates resentment… and that shows up somewhere else:

• Negative word of mouth
• Lower trust at point of sale
• Reduced likelihood of rejoining
• Brand damage that compounds over time

People don’t forget bad exits.
And in fitness, where rejoining is common, that matters more than most sectors. 

Your Retention Problem Isn’t Pricing. It’s Silence.

Recently, an article in The Guardian explored something simple but powerful: we’re losing the art of talking to strangers.

• Banks are digital
• Supermarkets are self-checkout
• Food ordering is app-based
• Even everyday services that once required conversation are now screen-led.

We’ve removed friction from modern life, and in doing so, we’ve removed conversation.

And that matters.

Because for many people, the leisure centre, health club or gym is now one of the last remaining places where real, human interaction still happens.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on pexels

Why You Should Stop Trying to Upgrade Every PAYG Member

Pay-as-you-go members don’t always need upgrading. 

But they do need nurturing. 

And leavers can always visit again on PAYG.

Across the public and private sectors, we’re hearing the same story this autumn; strong membership sales and steady PAYG numbers. That’s good news, but it raises a question; are we nurturing PAYG visitors, or simply counting them?

While this might sound like a public leisure issue, it applies to many models, from low-cost gyms to boutique studios. If you sell day passes, 7-day trials, or 'bring a friend' offers, then PAYG customers are part of your ecosystem too.

For clarity, let’s call PAYG visitors casual members, and use members for those on monthly or annual payments.

Keep Your Staff, Keep Your Members! Strategies for both...

How Staff Retention Helps Member Retention

When we talk about retention in the fitness industry, most of the focus is on members. But the same principles that keep members coming back also apply to staff. And when staff are retained, engaged, and motivated, members benefit directly through stronger relationships, better service, and a sense of continuity that builds trust.

Staff Retention = Member Retention

Members join clubs for facilities, but they stay because of people. Staff are the heartbeat of the member experience. High staff turnover disrupts relationships, creates inconsistency, and makes it harder to build the kind of trust that keeps members long-term. Retaining staff is a key driver to retain members. We see it clearly when supporting operators, good staff morale, positive communication (banter even) between teams, means that staff stick around, and members benefit too.

Speedy Onboarding

Following Up: Why Onboarding Still Matters
In the last article, Inductions for Everybody, we explored why and how clubs should promote and encourage all new members to have an onboarding appointment; because members who do stay longer. That’s better for your business, and better for your members too.

The Airline Analogy

As many of us board flights over the summer, we’re given the option of Speedy Boarding; paying more to get on (and off) the plane faster than everyone else.

What if we borrowed this idea in fitness?

Inductions for Everybody

How can we be more efficient and offer a standard service when onboarding new members? And how can we deliver more? The standard industry term is still induction, but many clubs are changing to ‘activation’, ‘welcome appointment’, ‘step 1’, ‘getting started’, etc. If we’re shifting mindsets, let’s use new terminology.

“All of our members have an induction” is often the response when we ask about retention strategies, particularly onboarding.

Club operators and owners believe that they really are doing their best to ensure all new members have the maximum chance of sticking around.

But when we dig under the bonnet, either through further discussion, or analysis of club data, it often transpires that fewer than half of new members actually attend some kind of onboarding appointment.

 

We’ve looked at this issue many times, with many clubs; from leisure trusts and councils, private clubs and independent gyms, even low-cost, low-staff gyms, where inductions really aren’t popular at all.

Embedding a Culture of Retention Through Strategic Training at InspireAll

A Case Study in partnership with Future Fit for Business

InspireAll is a charitable leisure trust managing leisure services and facilities in partnership with Hertsmere Borough Council, Bedfordshire Schools Trust, Hertfordshire County Council and Silsoe Community Trust. With a strong focus on community impact and service quality, InspireAll is committed to delivering positive health and wellbeing outcomes through its gyms, pools, and wellness programmes.

The Context

InspireAll had already begun to shift its focus towards improving member retention, recognising that keeping existing members engaged was just as critical as acquiring new ones. With cost pressures rising and a team in expansion, the timing was right to strengthen internal alignment around member engagement.

Despite having laid much of the internal groundwork, the team wanted an external partner to reinforce their efforts and provide structured training that could help embed a retention-focused mindset across all functions - not just fitness or sales.

That’s where GGFit and Future Fit for Business came in.

Balancing Retention Efforts and Resources: Making It Work with a Smaller Team

Retention has always been more cost-effective than acquisition, but in today’s climate, it's no longer just a smart strategy, it’s a financial necessity.

With rising operational costs, including increases in employer National Insurance (NI) contributions, many clubs and gyms are facing the hard reality of needing to do more with less. Staffing budgets are tighter. Teams are stretched. Yet the pressure to deliver results, including higher member retention, is greater than ever.

So how can your club maintain or even improve member retention without adding headcount or burning out your existing team? The answer lies in working smarter, not just harder. Here’s how...

Who should deliver Inductions?

How to increase induction percentage with limited staff – have everyone deliver them?

If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know we encourage ‘inductions’ for new and returning members in order to improve early engagement, visits, habit building, and ultimately member retention. The question of who should deliver this important appointment came up at a recent workshop, and sparked an interesting discussion.

What’s an induction called?

Before we get into the discussion, and possibly some controversial hot water, let’s talk about the ‘induction’. This term is often used in the fitness industry, but more and more clubs are quite rightly using different names for this appointment, such as Activation, Welcome session, Step 1, Consultation. All have their merits, and we honestly believe anything other than ‘induction’ is a good name.

What’s in an induction?

First-Month Visits Predict Member Retention – Are You Paying Attention?

As we near the end of ‘the golden quarter’ (the period from January to March when gyms typically see a surge in new memberships), with many clubs reporting good sales at the start of 2025, focus must turn to member retention, if it hasn’t already. The real challenge now is ensuring your new members (and those who returned with new health and fitness goals) establish a consistent routine and remain engaged.

One of the most significant predictors of long-term retention is a member’s first month activity. Do they engage in a range of activities in your club, or more simply how many first month visits do they make?

It’s incredible to think that over 10% of joiners never make a visit at some low-cost fitness clubs. And almost another 10% make only one visit, ever. Budget gyms have done some great things in bringing fitness to millions of new members, but while online joining and optional inductions help sales, these practices hurt retention.

Retention Starts with Culture: The Power of Member Interactions

After a positive start to 2025 for many clubs, February is about maintaining membership sales momentum, but more importantly, focusing on retaining all your new members (and the existing ones) as long as possible.

Filling a leaky bucket doesn’t make sense—stop losing members by focusing on retention, not just sales.

Retention isn’t about complicated strategies—it’s about talking to people, consistently and meaningfully.

Boost Member Retention: The Power of Group Exercise for New Joiners

Looking for new ways of getting your new members to stick around longer? Group exercise could be the key.  

This article explores why group fitness classes are a game changer for retention and offers practical strategies to engage with more of your new members.

Onboarding focus

While onboarding often focuses on individual inductions, integrating group exercise into the process can significantly boost engagement and retention.

It may not be easy – many popular classes are full, and the timetable can be a bone of contention with members trying to book, so staff might avoid exacerbating the issues. But you have to work on the harder stuff to get greater success.

Class members stay longer; an average of 2 extra months

But most operators know that class members stay longer. Our research shows that booking a class is as effective as, or more effective than an induction at increasing engagement. 

Members who attend at least one class in their first month make 1-2 more first month visits (FMVs) than those who don’t attend any classes, and they will stay around 2 months longer on average. 

The HealthSeeker Movement

Introduction: A New Focus for the Fitness Industry

With industry bodies pushing to increase engagement in physical activity beyond 20%, the fitness industry must ask itself: Are we focusing on the right strategies to reach the majority? 

While some operator’s memberships are diversifying to include GP services and specialist health checks, these options often come at a premium, leaving many behind. 

If the goal is truly to improve public health, we need a more inclusive approach—one that extends beyond the 15% currently engaged in fitness facilities and reaches the broader population looking to improve their health.

Retention Mastery: scalr Welcomes Guy Griffiths to Drive Innovation and Growth

In a strategic move to fuel growth, fitness software startup scalr has strengthened its advisory board by welcoming Guy Griffiths, founder of GGFit, a renowned expert in retention strategies.

This partnership combines vast expertise in retention and predictive behaviour analytics with data intelligence, offering gym operators an opportunity to leverage new insights for improving member engagement.

Michael Theodore, co-founder of scalr, says: "Our proprietary algorithm predicts individual member behaviours, allowing operators to spot early habit changes. This enables proactive interventions that can make the difference between disengagement and renewed commitment.

Noas Saghir, Guy Griffiths, and Michael Theodore

“Having Guy, one of the world’s leading retention specialists officially join our team as is really exciting. Combining our technology with the knowledge that he’s accumulated over the last 20 years in this industry gives our customers the best possible chance of supercharging their member engagement and retention.”

scalr partners with fitness facilities globally, promoting health and wellness through its trailblazing software. By harnessing behavioural analytics, scalr helps reduce member churn and extend the lifespan of memberships. Great not only for the health of the individuals but also for the bottom line of the operator. 

Guy Griffiths adds: "Member retention remains ongoing challenge for gyms. If we could collectively extend each member’s stay by just one month, the industry would see exponential growth. But achieving this requires more than just wishful thinking.

"By combining scalr’s technological solutions with real-world experience, we offer a powerful proposition for improving member retention. I’m excited to contribute to developing new methods that help people stay on track with their health and fitness journeys. This aligns with my core purpose of getting members to stick around longer, but also linking with my latest mission of engaging and supporting HealthSeekers.” 

Boosting Retention with Education: Empower Your Staff and Your Members

The more we explore the relationship between retention and education in health and fitness clubs, the clearer it becomes that they are deeply intertwined. In fact, a well-educated member is not only more likely to stay committed but also more engaged in their fitness journey.

As well as training, developing, and progressing staff, you need to educate your members on a wide range of topics, which helps with retention for both members and staff.

Staff Education - Technical and Soft Skills

Most staff have technical skills through training, whether a level 1, 2, 3, etc fitness instructor, or lifeguard qualifications, which have mandatory and regular updates to maintain safety standards.

HealthSeekers as a Retention Strategy

Implementing a HealthSeeker project can significantly boost member retention for fitness clubs.

While many gyms focus on upselling or premium memberships, the HealthSeekers model offers a fresh approach, prioritizing long-term engagement over quick gains. By thinking beyond traditional membership structures, fitness operators can discover numerous direct and indirect benefits, from reducing attrition to enhancing the overall member experience.

Future Fit for Business Partners with GGFit to Release Suite of Retention Courses

Future Fit for Business and GGFit Collaborate to Launch Comprehensive Retention Training Suite for Leisure and Fitness Clubs. [PRESS RELEASE]

Future Fit for Business, a leading provider of professional training and development in the health and fitness industry, has partnered with GGFit, a specialist in member retention strategies, to launch a new suite of retention courses. This new training is designed to empower leisure and fitness clubs with the tools and knowledge needed to significantly improve member retention, engagement, boost health and fitness outcomes and build overall business success.

The retention suite comprises three courses, each tailored to different levels of staff. 

• Membership Retention Essentials: Aimed at all staff, this course introduces the importance of retention, what it means to individual roles, and how daily actions can positively impact member retention. 
• Core Retention Knowledge for Fitness Professionals: This course delves deeper into effective retention strategies, focusing on member engagement and personalised support. 
• Advanced Retention Strategy for Management: This course offers in-depth training for managers, equipping them with the strategic insight needed to implement and oversee successful retention initiatives across their clubs.

Why People, Not Technology, Are the Heart of the Fitness Industry

At its core, the fitness industry is, and always will be, a people-driven business. Staff join, develop, and stick around to build relationships, with members and with their colleagues. The personal connections are stronger than most other industries, because of the people.