Now is the time many gym operators start to think about what offers they can run to lure in the New Year’s resolutioners.

Although many resolutions soon fall by the wayside, January certainly brings with it a nationwide appetite for change, stoked by media reports on detoxes, diets and exercise fads; there will be no shortage of interest from prospects in the first few weeks of the year.

So how do you make sure New Year joiners stick with their fitness resolutions, even if they give up on other resolutions? How do you make sure that by February they’re already getting hooked on exercise, and by April the gym has become an integral part of their lifestyle?

There’s no other time in the year when a gym membership is such an easy sell. People may have the urge to get fit and lose weight pre and post summer too – the other regular peak in new membership sales – but exercising outside seems so unappealing in January.

However, rather than seeing January as a quick win business opportunity – the chance to sell memberships and personal training – clubs need to be thinking longer-term. Members must be supported in changing their behaviours, and external influence will be important – persuading the medical sector of the value of fitness in preventing disease, for example, so other trusted professions are also encouraging regular exercise.

But in the shorter term, how can clubs best support members in achieving their resolutions? Do they need to go as far as offering everyone a wellness check with an exercise and diet programme? If that isn’t feasible, how about running talks on nutrition, a diet club, accessible fitness challenges? Could staff have more informal chats with members about their goals? We ask the experts.