Why do some people join a health club but rarely or never use it? The question has always perplexed me personally, as it simply isn’t logical.

I came to the conclusion some time ago that they must be experiencing valid benefits from being a sleeper that we’re not aware of and don’t acknowledge as a sector and so the quest has been to explore this topic.

Coincidentally, HCM’s long standing partner, Leisure-net Solutions, is in the throes of rebranding to Active Insight and launching a new consumer insight panel and so the timing was right to collaborate to explore this question methodically, to establish in more detail the reasons for this consumer behaviour.

The result of this initial investigation is a new research study, first published here in HCM and called The Active Insight/HCM Health Club Sleeper Insight Report 2023. You can read the intriguing results in Julie Allen’s report on page 46.

So what did the consumer insight panel report? One notable finding was the difference between the sexes when it comes to prestige, with 14 per cent of men saying ‘I like the social status of being a member at a specific club’ versus 8 per cent of women, while both sexes agreed that ‘it feels good to have a membership’ (15.6 per cent).

The highest scoring reason given was ‘So I can go if I want to’ at 23.2 per cent, showing the value people put on freedom of mind, convenience, potential and hopefulness.

A multitude of questions revealed that some feel ‘healthier’ (6.4 per cent), ‘more active’ (8.4 per cent) and ‘fitter’ (8.8 per cent), simply by being members of a health club, even if they do not attend.

Further research is needed to establish if this is some kind of placebo effect; whether being a member makes it more likely that people will make healthier choices in other areas of their lives; or whether the power of positive self-identity can give mental health benefits, for example.

In an age where creating hope and positivity to safeguard mental health is a priority for so many, it seems that being a member of a health club can help, with the consumer panel agreeing with the statements ‘It will encourage me to be more active’ and ‘it will motivate me to go eventually’.

Interestingly, FOMO is also a motivator and some are prepared to keep paying to secure their membership in cases where numbers are limited, especially if they have friends who are members.

We must never stop working to support members in motivating themselves to exercise, but it’s definitely time to start recognising and respecting the fact that some get powerful benefits from simply being sleepers.