Meet the gym owner who has BANNED new members from joining this January – and why his existing gym-goers love him for it

January is normally a peak time for gym registrations, as revelers try to shed some pounds after a week of festive excess.

But gym owner Clayton Leah is taking an ‘unconventional approach’ and turning away new starters at the busiest time of year.

The 31-year-old, co-owner of Ascendancy Fitness, in Warrington, Cheshire, is suspending memberships in January to try to provide a better experience for existing gym-goers.

He says he made the decision to ensure current members can continue their fitness journey without interruption.

Clayton hopes it pushes other gyms in the same direction – and wants to encourage people to start living a healthy lifestyle at a different time of year.

Clayton said: “We thought this year there was a real chance we would get a lot of registrations in the new year as we had continued to grow in membership even in November and December.

‘That was a warning that we could have quite a busy month in January and that would only irritate all our existing members who have been with us for so long.

“We wanted to try to break the mold. Trying to take an unconventional approach and protecting our existing members is the most important thing for us.”

Sarah Holland, one of the personal trainers at Ascendency Fitness, who bans new members from joining in January – a common time to sign up for the gym after a festive overload

The gym hopes to provide a better experience for their existing customers by suspending memberships in January

Clayton hopes that his action will encourage people not to just go to the gym in the first month of the year.

He says people are drawn to the gym in January because of “New Year’s resolutions” – often a motivation to lose weight or get fit.

“People want to lose some weight in the new year and make an appointment to join the gym, and then obviously you get an influx of members,” Clayton said.

‘If you make those New Year’s resolutions in December, because you make them at that time, it’s only natural that the motivation won’t be there forever.

‘That’s why you have such a large influx in January and in February there is a tendency for people to drop out.’

Clayton claims this isn’t the first time the gym has paused new member participation. He said: ‘The only negative reaction people get is: ‘I wanted to participate, but now I can’t.’

‘To those people I say: ‘Well, you should have been there earlier.’ Now you’ve taken something away from someone and they want it, it’s just always that way.’

Ascension Gym opened in February 2018 and Clayton says it has more than 650 members.

Gym owner Clayton Leah says, “If you make these resolutions in December, because you make them at that time, it’s only natural that the motivation won’t be there forever. That is why you have a large influx in January and in February there is a tendency for people to drop out.’

There is now evidence that just 20 minutes of physical activity a day reduces the risk of cancer, dementia and heart disease

Exercise can reduce the risk of serious diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

According to the NHS, being active can also reduce the risk of premature death by up to 30 percent.

The NHS recommends adults aged 19 to 64 do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.

This could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Alternatively, you can do 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.

It suggests a mix of strengthening activities, such as yoga, lifting weights or carrying heavy shopping bags, moderate activity that gets your heart rate up, such as a brisk walk or bike ride, and vigorous activity such as running or swimming.