Working out side-by-side on stationary bikes at East Lansing's Powerhouse Gym, friends Michael Nye and Brandon Scott are staying true to their New Year's resolutions to get in shape.
The MSU College of Law students are two gym members who help make January busy as new memberships skyrocket at local gyms after the holiday season.
Rob Caputo, an employee at Powerhouse Gym, 435 E. Grand River Ave., said the most popular time for new memberships begins today as students return from winter break. People with New Year's resolutions and plans to go on vacation for spring break converge at cardiovascular and weight machines hoping to burn off excess weight, he said.
Gold's Gym, 4790 S. Hagadorn Road, sees the same cycle every year as memberships shoot up at the beginning of the year and drop down to normal after a few months, said owner Mike Foley.
"Everybody is back in the swing of things and looks at it as a fresh start," Foley said. "As the year progresses, they lose their motivation."
At the Michigan Athletic Club, 2900 Hannah Blvd., business in January and February will be two to three times as high than it is during other months of the year, spokesman Daren Hill said. While the club sees the boom in business every winter, it is searching to find ways to keep people motivated all year long by offering different programs to orient new members with machines and workout programs, he said.
"You can't change people's minds, but you can make the experience more enjoyable," Hill said.
Although gyms welcome the memberships, some managers are encouraging people with fitness goals to trade in their resolutions for more permanent plans.
"We encourage people to stick with it for at least 60 days," Foley said.
It's important to think long term and make exercise part of a lifestyle, not a short-term diet, Caputo said.
"People want to look good when they're 40, not just for the next few weeks," Caputo said. "It is better to do things gradually."
Gym members have their own ideas about sticking it out through the new year.
Nye and Scott said they work out together as part of a buddy system about four times each week. Although Nye said his plan is to feel good about his appearance for dates, Scott said he has a different motivation.
"I want to look as good as my bride in May," he said.
Linden resident Greg Paul said he misses the physical activity when he can't workout.
"Mindset is everything," Paul said. "You can't do it for anyone but yourself."
While many say motivation is a key part of working out, Mark Levine, a second-year MSU College of Law student, said staying interested is only half the battle.
The other half comes down to learning the appropriate techniques of getting into shape, he said.
"People think that by getting in the gym, the weight just falls off," Levine said. "It's not like you go out to play golf for the first time and you're good at it. The same goes at the gym."
