It’s a common New Years resolution to work out more. So we join a gym with the good intention of losing weight, toning up and getting into a routine we can stick to. Yet for many of us, these good intentions are short-lived as our busy lives take over and before we know it, workouts are missed, our bodies are out of shape and maybe we’ve even given up all together! Well, if this is you, there may be a new motivation to get you back on the wagon.
Gym-Pact is a “motivational fee” program developed by two Harvard graduates, Yifan Zhang and Geoff Oberhofer, where customers agree to pay more money if they miss their scheduled workout. Having learned in her behavioral economics class that people are more motivated by immediate consequences than future consequences, Zhang had the idea to apply this concept to workout motivation. “People see gym membership fees as a sunk cost,” Zhang said, “especially if you pay at the beginning of the year…but if missing a workout costs people money, they’d be more motivated to stick with it.”So far, the program looks like a success. Two pilot programs have launched with small groups at Bally Total Fitness and Planet Fitness where Gym-Pact pays the membership fees if members agree to workout at least four times a week. If a member misses any of these scheduled workouts in any given week, they pay $25 and if they leave the program without a valid excuse, other than illness or injury, they pay $75.
This concept isn’t necessarily new, but it’s proven to be effective especially with short-term weight loss goals. With soaring obesity rates, I think anything to entice people to get moving is a good thing and in this time of economic hardship hopefully members will be more inclined to hold on to their money and avoid weekly fees. Perhaps the program could better ensure long-term participation by offering an additional bonus every six months for those members with perfect attendance. This cash bonus could be subsidized through a partnership with the Public Health Commission of Massachusetts (or any state that takes on the program). There’s a lot of potential with Gym-Pact and I hope for its wide success!
