Two in five teens stopped gym after two visits, despite free membership

Two out of every five teenagers who applied for government-funded gym membership only worked out twice or less and then never returned throughout their six-month free membership.

A government spokesperson said that from a sample of 292 youths who applied for the scheme at a single gym, 175 attended more than twice.

That means 40 per cent of those who applied for the free membership attended on only two or fewer occasions.

Still, a sports and youth ministry spokesperson labelled the first year of the initiative as a "success", saying that gym operators were reporting “steady engagement from participating youths”.

It is not known how often the remaining 60 per cent of free gym members used the facility: while the ministry spokesperson was asked for broader statistics about users of the free membership initiative, that data was not provided. 

Under the government’s free membership scheme, young people born between 2005 and 2007 are eligible for a six-month government-funded gym membership at the location of their choosing.

A six-month gym membership can cost anywhere between €225 and €450, and most gyms provide a discount for students.

When launching this measure in May, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the fund would cost the government around €2 million and that 12,000 people were eligible.

The measure next year applies to young people born between 2004 and 2009

The ministry spokesperson said over 7,300 youths born between 2005 and 2007 applied for a membership.

While the spokesperson was asked how many of those consistently attended the gym, the reply provided only cited figures of those who attended more than twice.

"From a sample gym we consulted, 175 out of 292 youths who applied attended more than twice, giving a clear snapshot that many young people are continuing to make use of the membership beyond the initial sign-up".

They said that following the measure's "success" the free membership scheme is expanding next year to all youths aged between 16 and 21 years, "allowing even more young people to benefit from free access to fitness facilities across the country.”

“This forms part of the government’s wider commitment to promote well-being, physical activity, and long-term healthy habits among our youth,” the spokesperson said.

In general, people who are new to the gym are likely to quit after a few months. For example, a UK 2020 study of 1,726 new members of a gym found that members, on average, dropped the frequency of attending by 88 per cent throughout a year.

Among those members, half had quit by month six, and only a quarter went at least once in the final month of the 12-month period. 

Matthew Rand, Elizabeth Goyder, Paul Norman, and Robert Womack wrote the paper.