Survey Shows Why People Skip Workouts and How to Fix It
Most of us are no stranger to skipping a workout class. Maybe we were a little too cozy in bed, riding out a hangover, or recovering from a night of tossing and turning. It happens. But turns out, we’re creatures of habit in more ways than one. Not only do most people skip workouts for the same reasons, they tend to skip on the same days, too, according to new data from ClassPass, the monthly subscription service that lets members book everything from yoga to HIIT to open gym time.
ClassPass analyzed three years of booking data to see when and why people actually bail on workouts. As it turns out, we’re a lot more predictable than we think. The biggest spike in missed classes? July 5th, Daylight Savings Sunday, the day after Election Day, and January 1.
"One of the more surprising patterns we uncovered is how late cancellations spike around specific calendar moments—not just early mornings or weekends," said Jeff Bladt, who leads marketplace strategy at ClassPass. "Year after year, certain dates reliably derail fitness routines."
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Out of all the skipped dates in the calendar year, January 1 stands out as the most unexpected, Bladt says. While it’s the day most associated with fresh starts, it also seems to be the day when the most people ghost their goals just as the new year begins.
"You’d think New Year’s Day would be the biggest fitness boom, but it’s actually the flakiest day in terms of cancellations," he says. "Across the U.S., more people ghost their workouts on January 1 than any other day."
Out of all the days of the week, the data also revealed that Sunday mornings are the flakiest time slot overall, and early bird classes (think 5 to 6 a.m.) top the list of most likely to be ghosted.
"Both Sunday mornings and early weekday mornings reveal an intention gap between someone’s 'planning self' and their 'present self,'" Bladt says. "These time slots usually reflect strong intentions—to start the week fresh, to build a habit, to squeeze in fitness before the day gets busy. But when the alarm goes off, the snooze button often wins."
Bladt emphasizes that it's not just one type of workout class taking the hit; everything from HIIT and spin to yoga and strength training sees a drop-off.
"It’s more that life happens, people want to sleep in, they prioritize social plans, and they miss those early classes," he says.
Reig McConnell, CPT, CNC, and U.S. Army veteran, has heard just about every excuse for skipping a workout. But he has a few tricks for keeping his clients motivated, starting with helping them stay focused on their purpose.
"To help keep my clients from bailing on their workouts for the long term, I use the analogy of building a house," he says. "Just like a house, your body is built brick by brick. At the end of this month or year, they’re going to have to live in what we’ve built. Reminding them that every workout is a step in the right direction helps keep them motivated throughout the process as they work toward their final goal."