Overcrowding Annoys Gym Goers   26 Aug 2016

Overcrowding Annoys Gym Goers

Over half of New Zealanders say gym overcrowding is their biggest pet hate

Auckland, 26 August 2016: Hacked off by all the people at your gym? According to the results of Canstar Blue’s most recent survey, you are not alone.

The nationwide survey investigating New Zealanders’ gym-going habits reveals that for 51% of us not being able to use equipment because of all the other people exercising is our biggest gym-related pet hate.

Gen Y is more likely to view overcrowding as a problem (59%) than both Gen X and Baby Boomers. More females are annoyed (56%) than males (44%).

Overcrowding is a pet hate for Aucklanders (55%) more than those from any other region and particularly compared to people in the Waikato (43%), who are the least concerned about crowds at the gym.

The top five pet hates of gym goers are:

• Overcrowding (not being able to use equipment) (51%)

• Dirty or smelly changing and shower facilities (38%)

• The gym being smelly or untidy (37%)

• People not using a towel (making equipment sweaty) (33%)

• Others hogging the equipment (31%)

Access to facilities is increasingly important to consumers when it comes to their overall satisfaction with gyms says Canstar New Zealand General Manager, Jose George.

“New Zealanders are saying that the equipment and facilities a gym offers is increasingly important to them. It’s the second highest rated key driver of satisfaction. This is a significantly higher rating than last year.

“When you couple this statistic with the increasing amount of people who place importance on staff availability you start to build a picture of how important the facilities a gym has is to people.”

Kiwis want to work out in a clean and tidy environment where they don’t have to wait to use the equipment they want, George continues.

“We also asked people about changing and shower facilities and the condition of the equipment and these were similarly important to gym goers. People leaving equipment sweaty was a pet hate for 33% of people. Thirty eight per cent of those surveyed were concerned about the state of shower and changing areas.”

Baby Boomers are the most likely of the generations have a problem with people hogging equipment (43%) in comparison to Gen Y (31%).

How often do you go?

The majority of people (27%) go to the gym three times a week with very few (1%) never going or going more the seven times a week (4%).

Baby boomers are more likely (7%) to go to the gym seven times a week than those from other generations.

Why did you join?

The main reason (46%) for people joining the gym is to improve their fitness.

When it comes to other motives, the results are split along gender lines. The second priority for women (38%) is to lose weight and for men (25%) to gain muscle. Losing weight is also important to men with 23% rating it as a reason for joining the gym.

How much are we spending a month?

On average New Zealanders are spending $58.77 a month on gym membership.

This is mostly equal across the country however the average is higher in Canterbury where people spend $65.86.

Baby boomers spend significantly higher than the average monthly spend ($73.16).

Gyms

Canstar Blue customer satisfaction ratings - gyms

This year CityFitness retains the top spot for overall satisfaction rating highest for staff availability, equipment and facilities, social atmosphere, value for money, personal training and group fitness.

Jetts has cemented its four star rating while Snap Fitness has risen in the ratings to also reach four stars.

The Canstar Blue survey asked gym goers rate their gyms across eight variables:

• Staff availability

• Equipment & facilities

• Social atmosphere

• Value for money

• Membership flexibility

• Group fitness

• Personal training

• Overall satisfaction

Gym habits by region:

Auckland: Aucklanders are more likely to go to the gym only for the classes (17%) and go to the gym six times a week (8%). They are more likely to go to the gym to gain muscle (19%), have a pet hate of people talking to them (15%) and others using their drink bottle (16%).

Waikato: Those in the Waikato are most likely to find it embarrassing working out in front of other people (29%) and prefer to work out with a friend rather than alone (40%). They are more likely to join the gym to lose weight (34%) and have a pet hate of people looking at them while they are working out (37%).

Wellington: Wellingtonians are least likely to find it embarrassing working out in front of other people (9%) but more likely to go to the gym more than seven times a week (7%). They are most likely to be going to the gym to improve their fitness (54%) and more likely to have a pet hate of dirty or smelly showers and changing facilities (46%).

Canterbury: Cantabrians are more likely not to go to the gym as much as they thought they would when they joined (33%) and start an exercise programme as part of a New Year’s resolution but fail within weeks (16%).

About the survey

Canstar Blue commissions respected professional market research agency Colmar Brunton Australia, to undertake research on our behalf using SSI NZ panel.

The outcomes reported here are the results from a survey of Kiwis who regularly visit a commercial gym that is part of a chain (i.e. has gyms in multiple locations), where they pay a membership/attendance fee (i.e. not a free gym). In this case there were 560 people surveyed.

*This geographical breakdown outlines exceptions only.
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