People who fork out for the gym fortnightly rather than annually1 will turn up for workouts more often, according to new Australian research.

People who fork out for the gym fortnightly rather than annually will turn up for workouts more often, according to new Australian research. 

Behavioural specialists say that members who pay an up-front yearly fee go less frequently because they don't have a regular reminder² of their commitment printed on their bank statements.

A team from the University of Wollongong compared people who paid for a year's gym membership in advance to those who signed a contract but paid by fortnightly salary deductions³.

The results, published in the international journal Marketing⁴ Theory, showed annual payers worked out five times a month on average, compared to eight monthly visits for those on fortnightly schedules.

This second group were motivated by regular reminders⁵ of the real cost of missing a visit, said Professor Sandra Jones from the university's Centre for Health Behaviour and Communication Research.

"People look at their pay slip and think to themselves 'I paid $20 this fortnight and didn't get anything for it,' which motivates them to go to the gym more often and get their money's worth," Prof Jones said.

"But if they pay in advance it isn't until they get the renewal⁶ bill at the end of the year that they realize how much money they've 'wasted' and by then they are out of the habit of exercising."

This proves that the method of gym payment can seriously affect people's activity levels in this study, at least, by up to 50 per cent.

The findings have important implications for the promotion⁷ of physical activity and support a change in the way gyms operate, the researcher said.

"I am not suggesting that facilities shouldn't charge up-front fees , as these are often necessary to cover equipment and running costs," Prof Jones said.

"But since we seem to be dealing⁸ with a reminder mechanism⁹, up-front payers could be sent a regular reminder of what the last month has, in effect, cost them and encouraging them to make full use of their membership."

This would benefit gyms, too, because members who attend more regularly are more likely to sign up for another year, she said.