First 100 Days: Building Gym Loyalty

Imagine this scenario: Sally is a frequent visitor to her local gym, working out three times a week.

She enjoys the routine but feels a little restless and curious about trying something new, like CrossFit.

One day, she works up the courage to visit a nearby CrossFit gym, purchases a 20-session pack, and is filled with both excitement and nervousness.

However, her initial weeks at CrossFit leave her feeling unsure and overwhelmed. While she wants to fully enjoy the experience, her unease lingers.

Missing the familiar comfort of her old gym, her attendance soon dwindles, and within 60 days, Sally decides to return to her original workout routine. By the end of 90 days, CrossFit is completely out of her life.

But what if things had turned out differently?

Imagine Sally being welcomed with a warm message after her first workout, celebrating her efforts and making her feel part of the community. This small moment of acknowledgment might rekindle her enthusiasm and boost her confidence.

Over the next few weeks, Sally receives continual support, motivation, and resources to help her through her early CrossFit experience. Gradually, she grows to love it and forms meaningful connections within the CrossFit community.

She starts talking about her experience to others and even encourages friends to join. By 90 days, Sally isn’t just another member—she’s one of the gym’s top brand advocates.

According to Michael Wuest, a former CrossFit gym owner and current Head of Marketing, SMB at Daxko, this is the turning point for new gym members.

“The first 100 days of a new membership are critical in shaping a member’s experience,” he explains. “This timeframe determines how they engage with the gym and defines their overall satisfaction and long-term connection.”

Wuest envisions a world where every new member follows Sally’s second path, evolving into brand ambassadors who naturally promote the gym. Such advocacy could significantly increase membership retention and growth.

The Road to Insight

Wuest didn’t arrive at this realization overnight, nor did he find an immediate solution. After spending a decade as a CrossFit gym owner, he began to notice that the initial 100 days were vital.

To address this, he dedicated countless hours to analyzing member behavior, ultimately developing a communication and engagement strategy to retain and motivate them.

What started as a spreadsheet system eventually evolved into Daxko’s Zen Planner Engage, a comprehensive product designed to help fitness-focused businesses thrive.

Zen Planner is a software platform tailored for CrossFit gyms, martial arts dojos, yoga studios, and similar businesses. It offers tools for member management, scheduling, billing, automated marketing, reporting, analytics, and even a mobile app for members.

Crafting Purposeful Moments

For Wuest, success stems from delivering impactful and timely interactions during a member’s initial experience.

“The first step is understanding the member’s perspective,” Wuest says. “Put yourself in their shoes—what challenges do they face?

Then, design moments that address these needs while helping them feel seen and valued. Carefully timed touchpoints during the first 100 days are essential for fostering engagement and loyalty.”

Wuest’s strategy blends both personal interactions and automated communications. For example, after each class in their first week, new members receive welcoming emails or texts that guide them through what’s next. These messages also share resources and tips to make navigation effortless.

Building upon this, extra support is provided, such as advice on recovery, nutrition, and goal-setting.

Zen Planner tracks members’ behaviors—if someone doesn’t meet their attendance goals, the system prompts staff to follow up, whether through a call or text offering encouragement.

This creates a “feedback loop,” allowing gyms to monitor progress and adjust support as needed.

Throughout those first months, the focus remains on helping members develop positive habits and reach initial goals.

Small gestures, such as offering a branded T-shirt at a discount, help foster a deeper emotional and social connection with the gym.

Wearing the shirt not only solidifies the member’s identity within the community but also promotes the gym wherever they go.

Toward the six-week mark, members are encouraged to publicly share their experiences by leaving a Google or Facebook review.

“Sharing their commitment strengthens their bond with the gym and serves as valuable social proof for attracting new members,” Wuest explains.

Extending Engagement Beyond 100 Days

What happens after the first 100 days? Zen Planner provides ongoing tools to nurture relationships and maintain community engagement.

One standout feature of the platform is the Campaign Marketplace, a library of ready-to-launch campaigns tailored for different types of fitness businesses like martial arts studios, CrossFit gyms, and yoga centers.

These campaigns enable gym owners to continually offer new programs and experiences to keep members engaged.

Additionally, Zen Planner incorporates alerts to track at-risk members. If a member starts attending less frequently, gym owners receive a notification, allowing them to proactively address the issue with personalized outreach.

These tools also account for life’s unpredictability. Whether it’s a new job or a major life event, Zen Planner helps gyms track such situations and plan thoughtful responses.

This includes scheduling voicemail drops or logging notes to guide support efforts.

Driving Sustainability and Growth

Zen Planner empowers gym owners to be both proactive and reactive, streamlining member retention while freeing up resources for them to focus on scaling their business.

“Most gym owners are passionate about fitness and helping people, but they often lack the time or resources to create structured retention strategies,” Wuest says.

“Zen Planner Engage solves this pain point while enabling them to grow their businesses sustainably.”

Ultimately, Wuest’s goal is to see gyms succeed. “We’re not just another software company. I’ve walked in the shoes of these gym owners and understand their challenges. Our mission is to help them create thriving businesses.”

Zen Planner isn’t just software—it’s a strategic partner designed to help gyms build meaningful relationships with their members while empowering owners to focus on what they love most.

Source: athletechnews

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.