Clients, Did You Know? 💡 

You Can Identify At-Risk Members Through Gym Insight’s Check-In Software

When a member starts to show up less frequently, it is never good news. It is understandable that life can get busy sometimes, or there could be a problem with an injury, but once those visits start to become more sporadic, they may already have one foot out the door.

And since it is much easier (and less costly) to keep a member rather than attract a new one, one of the most important aspects of the Gym Insight software should be the member check-in. Gym Insight tracks all members’ activity, and the retention tool is designed to alert you of which members are at risk of canceling.

Don’t let these members fall through the cracks. Send a personalized text or make that needed phone call asking if everything is okay. A little personalized attention goes a long way in the gym industry. If they are struggling, losing motivation, and not seeing the progress they would like, meet with them personally and come up with solutions.

Science Corner 

Molecular Evidence: 3 Minutes of HIIT Outperforms 90 Minutes of Moderate Exercise

A recent study published in Cell Reports Medicine, and covered extensively in the last couple of weeks in mainstream media, detailed that HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts may be even more beneficial than originally thought. In the past, HIIT was often favored by those wishing to burn more fat quickly while maintaining muscle mass, but now there is even more evidence showing why people should include this type of cardio in their workouts.

High-intensity short workouts trigger far more changes in circulating proteins and metabolites than much longer moderate-intensity sessions. Nearly 25 percent of measured blood proteins shifted after sprinting, many linked to cardiometabolic protection, inter-organ communication, and metabolic remodeling. In comparison, moderate exercise only affected a tiny fraction.

To put it simply, when a person is experiencing a short HIIT session, it is like a loud bell ringing in their body and waking up the proteins and the metabolites. These, in turn, tell your body to get stronger, improve endurance, have a stronger immune system, burn fat more, protect the heart, and basically renovate a person’s health. It all happens in a few quick minutes. The longer, less strenuous workout receives a much more subdued response, with most of the proteins and metabolites still coasting along without change.

The study is not proclaiming moderate exercise lacks value, as any exercise is good exercise. However, if searching for a more widespread molecular response that effectively changes the body’s systems dramatically, HIIT cardio is the better option.

Gym Life 🏋️

“My Last 12 Cents”–Joe Cirulli

Joe Cirulli had his start in the gym industry during the 1970s in Florida. The gyms he would work at all failed and closed their doors overnight. Struggling, he slept in empty lobbies and later in his car. He knew he hit rock bottom when he went into a McDonald’s to buy a 16-cent Diet Coke and only had 12 cents in his pocket, couldn’t pay for it, and walked out.

In 1978, he signed a lease to open his own gym. The lease left him obligated for $168,000. He only had $1,700 in the bank. As renovations were being done on the building, he sold memberships even though the doors hadn’t opened yet. Without a working bathroom for some time, members would use other businesses around the area when they needed to use the restroom. To say it was a rough start would be an understatement.

But a funny thing happened. He kept moving forward. He kept hustling. And by the time Joe turned 26, he had saved up $100,000 in his bank account. He learned that if he put his mind to it, he could do anything. Fast forward, Gainesville Health & Fitness has been growing for decades. Now with three locations in Florida and 28,000 members, he has done pretty well for himself. For every gym owner who is wondering whether to keep going, the formula can be simple. Sell the memberships, pay the bills, keep true to the dream, and show up every day.

Pro Tips 📋

The Forgotten Retention Tool: Scent

While gym owners focus on equipment and pricing to improve member retention, they are overlooking some of the basics. One of the top reasons people cancel their gym memberships may surprise you. Usually ranked in the top three complaints is the smell of the facility. Knowing you could be losing out on tens of thousands of dollars a year because of a lack of cleanliness should have you stepping up your janitorial game with deep-wash cleanings of equipment and air fresheners around every corner.

The brain’s emotional and memory centers are directly linked to a person’s olfactory system (sense of smell). Bad smells will limit enjoyment regardless of what the person is doing. A child could be experiencing Disney World for the first time and filled with excitement, but if the odor of the place stinks, negativity will be associated with the Mickey Mouse crew. A gym that smells musty and like stale sweat will have people heading for the door.

But you can’t just spray Febreze around your facility and call it a day. There is a science behind which scents will do the most good for your gym. Peppermint can reduce fatigue and increase alertness. Citrus scents can reduce exercise-related tiredness. Lavender promotes relaxation and would be perfect for a Recovery Zone. And interestingly enough, cleaners with ammonia, which produce a strong chemical odor, provide a temporary surge of focus. Think of it as the smelling salts of cleaning supplies.

As a gym owner, you have enough to worry about. By putting out the right scents in your facility, you can move on to other pressing matters. Like how to keep people from doing bicep curls in the squat racks.

Feedback Loop 🗣️ 

The Gym Owner’s Newsletter

Happy Halloween! We hope the information in each newsletter helps you find inspiration and ideas for your own gym! While failure is often a good teaching tool, learning from others’ mistakes will save you a lot of hassle. 

Thanks for taking the time to read our monthly round-up. Let us know what we can do for you!

Contact: 1-855-367-4967 / 855-FOR-GYMS

October 20, 2026 Ed. 35

Gym Management Software

Lawrence Fagan, President, Gym Insight