Small Nudges, Big Impact: How Simple Changes Can Get More People to the Gym

For years, gyms have tried to solve poor attendance with big solutions: new equipment, upgraded facilities, ambitious programmes, and motivational campaigns designed to “inspire” members into action. But a fascinating piece of research by economists T.K.M. Beatty and B. Katare suggests something far simpler and far cheaper can make a meaningful difference.

Their 2018 study looks at low-cost ways to increase gym attendance, and the results challenge a lot of assumptions about why people don’t show up. The takeaway is refreshingly practical: people don’t need more encouragement or bigger incentives. Often, they just need a small nudge at the right time.

The real problem isn’t laziness, it’s follow-through

Most gym members join with good intentions. They plan to attend regularly and genuinely believe they will. The gap appears not at the point of joining, but in the day-to-day follow-through. Life gets busy, plans change and exercise slips down the priority list.

Beatty and Katare focus on this gap between intention and action. Instead of asking why people don’t value exercise, they ask a more useful question: what stops people acting on intentions they already have?

Their answer lies in behavioural economics, the idea that small frictions, forgetfulness, and present-day distractions often outweigh long-term benefits like health and fitness.

Why reminders work better than rewards

One of the most striking findings of the research is that simple reminders can significantly increase gym attendance. Low-cost interventions such as emails or messages reminding members about their gym access or encouraging them to attend had a measurable impact on how often people showed up.

Importantly, these reminders didn’t offer discounts, prizes, or punishments. They didn’t shame people or demand commitment. They simply brought the gym back into the person’s awareness at the moment when competing priorities usually win.

This matters because exercise is rarely avoided due to conscious resistance. More often, it’s quietly crowded out by work, family, tiredness, or habit. A reminder helps exercise re-enter the decision space.

The power of timing

The research also highlights that when a message is delivered is just as important as what it says. Reminders are most effective when they arrive close to the time someone might realistically go to the gym. A message that lands days earlier is easily forgotten. One that arrives at the right moment can tip the balance.

This reinforces an important point for gyms: behaviour change doesn’t require dramatic persuasion. It requires relevance at the right time.

Low cost, not low value

What makes this research particularly compelling is its cost-effectiveness. These interventions require minimal investment and no major operational changes. There’s no need to redesign programmes or add new services. The impact comes from supporting existing intentions rather than trying to create new ones.

For gyms operating on tight margins, this is significant. Improving attendance doesn’t always mean spending more. It can mean communicating better and more thoughtfully.

What this means for gym operators

Beatty and Katare’s work suggests a shift in mindset. Instead of assuming members lack motivation, gyms can assume the opposite: most people want to attend more often. The role of the organisation is to reduce friction, prompt action, and make attendance easier to remember and prioritise.

This aligns closely with what we see on the gym floor. Members rarely say, “I don’t care about exercise anymore.” More often, they say, “I meant to come, but the week got away from me.”

Low-cost nudges respect this reality, they don’t demand discipline, they support it.

For members, it’s reassuring news

For individuals, this research offers relief. Struggling to attend consistently isn’t a personal failing. It’s a predictable human response to competing demands. When small prompts can make a difference, it shows that consistency is often about structure, not willpower.

The implication is hopeful: you don’t need a complete mindset overhaul to exercise more regularly. Sometimes, you just need the right reminder at the right time.

The bigger picture

Taken together, this research reinforces a broader lesson emerging across behaviour change science. Sustainable exercise habits are built less on motivation and more on systems. Reduce friction. Prompt action. Make the desired behaviour easier to start.

Big changes don’t always require big solutions. Sometimes, the smallest interventions well-timed and well-designed are the ones that quietly keep people coming back through the door.

This article was inspired by the following research article, Beatty, T.K.M. and Katare, B. (2018) ‘Low-Cost Approaches to Increasing Gym Attendance’. Journal of Health Economics 61, 63–76. 


Need help resolving this problem then email me at [email protected] and we can arrange a call and discus how we can help.