Gyms see increase in new members for the New Year

Many people’s new year resolution is to get into shape, and gyms are seeing a bump in new members.

Hitting the gym in January can be a popular move. At Monster Gym in Dorval, manager Josée Leduc says there's been a marked increase in memberships.

“We have a lot of new members, new faces, so that's always nice to see around the gym,” said Leduc.

Walking the treadmill, Arman Moradi says finding those new faces help inspire him.

“When you just see the other people working hard, for me, I feel like that's the motivation right there. I see them pushing hard and it's like, okay, now it's time for me,” says Moradi.

A certified fitness trainer and former competitor, Khadijah Khan reminds new gym-goers to start slow.

“Don't be intimidated by the other members of the gym. Start from the very beginning. First you crawl, then you walk, and then you run,” says Khan.

Sticking to your resolutions is easier with friends, says Nick Easterbrook.

“Surround yourself with positive people, like minded people, and just start. Don't try to have everything figured out. Just make sure that you start with one foot at a time,” he says.

Concordia student and regular Monster Gym client Megan Downey-Pierce says it’s worth the effort.

“If it makes you happy, you just keep coming,” she says.

Trent Forian says changing his mindset helped change his routine.

“It's not just a one or two month thing. It's a complete change of your whole morale and how you're looking at yourself,” he added.

Monster gym says while it is busier in January, the hope is all those fitness resolutions will last the whole year.

Leduc says “The ‘new me, new year’ is not really applicable because we're open 24-seven, 365 days a year.”