It’s the time of the year where we’re all given a fresh start to set our goals for our New Year’s resolutions – find a new hobby, save more money, or improving our fitness. However, albeit a popular resolution, the latter can be particularly difficult. Not to mention, a busy gym can be intimidating for those who are new to fitness, and it can even be discouraging. So, what is the busiest and quietest time to visit the gym in the U.S.?
New research has discovered the most popular and least popular times to visit the gym, so those looking to get into shape this year know when to avoid.
Experts at SET FOR SET analyzed Google data to find the number of visits reported for various gyms across America to determine which times are the most popular and which are the least popular.
Busiest time to visit gym
The busiest time and day to visit the gym is Tuesday at 5 pm, while the second busiest time to hit the gym is Monday at 5 pm. Finally, the third most popular time to visit the gym is Tuesday at 6 pm.
The quietest gym times
On the other hand, Sunday at 11pm is the quietest time to head to the gym, with Sunday at 10pm being the second quietest time. The third quietest time for exercising at the gym is Saturday at 11pm.
Overall, fitness enthusiasts prefer to stick to workouts on evenings and start the week off with exercise, thus leaving room for a relaxing weekend. However, those with occupations that affect their sleep schedule, such as night shift workers, could particularly benefit from visiting the gym at the quietest times as it’s more likely that machines and equipment will be available.
5 tips to stick to your New Year’s fitness resolutions
#1. Plan exercise in advance
While January is a quiet time for your social life after plenty of catch ups with family and friends over Christmas, returning to work and adjusting to a busy schedule can be hectic. When work gets in the way, it can be easy to make excuses to not exercise.
Block out your calendar with your work schedule and any extra-curricular plans – make sure to consider the times where you may finish work later, or it might be your turn to do the school run. Once you have added these to your calendar, you can figure out the days you have free time for exercise, whether that be a morning, afternoon, or even a whole day. By taking an organized approach, you avoid neglecting fitness while ensuring that you have time for other activities.
#2. Stick to full-body workouts
If you’re just getting into fitness, it can be daunting to visit the gym almost every day. Doing too much too soon can also cause burn out if you’re a beginner, or even if you’ve had a long break over the holidays.
Full-body workouts are an excellent way to keep your physical activity up while also leaving room for resting. Doing so means you no longer need to make several trips to the gym during the week to train a different body area in each session. Exercise classes like Pilates and HIIT are a great way to target all muscles in an hour or less, so they’re perfect for when you’re on a time crunch.
#3. Socialize while you workout
Not only does working out with a friend make exercise seem less intimidating, but a fitness partner can also be a great way to push yourself further and keep you motivated.
Whether you head to the gym together, partake in a class, or go for a run, bringing a friend along makes you much less likely to cancel or make excuses, which, in turn, keeps you in the habit of exercising. As well as this, you can track one another’s fitness progress to recognize when either of you have met a goal, whether that be short-term or long-term.
#4. Eat healthy foods to compensate for treats
If you’re holding back on indulging in treats due to your fitness goals, you can implement healthy foods into your daily routine to ensure you consume enough nutrients after having a treat. Without having a cheat meal or snack every now and then, you take the risk of quitting completely – so it’s perfectly fine to indulge on occasion.
Vegetables are a great way to consume nutrients from your meals if you’ve had a cheat day; for example, broccoli and carrots are both packed with nutrients, such as vitamin C, an antioxidant that protects your cells and keeps them healthy. It’s important to remember that steaming vegetables is the best way to cook them instead of boiling them, as doing so retains the nutrients that you need to stay healthy. Without doing so, you may miss out on an abundance of nutrients that would have made up for eating a treat.
A spokesperson from SET FOR SET has commented: “A busy gym can be intimidating for anyone, but especially for those who are just starting out with their fitness goals; acknowledging the busiest and quietest times with these findings can help you to plan your workouts and allow you to take advantage of a peaceful exercise space.”
“It’s interesting to see that many Americans prefer to start their week off with a workout, with Monday and Tuesday being popular days to head to the gym – so, if you find the gym much less stressful when it isn’t too busy, working out in the middle of the week or on a weekend will be much more suitable.”
This information was provided by SET FOR SET, whose mission is to help you reach your fitness goals and become the best version of yourself by equipping you with knowledge and resources.
