Why Are Gyms Busy on Monday’s?

There is, perhaps, nothing quite as annoying as arriving at the gym, only to find it jam-packed with other patrons. Filled to the brim, it is nearly impossible to find an open treadmill, an available locker, or even a matching set of free weights.

And while we, obviously, always encourage our readers to remain committed to their gym membership and routine, we understand the frustration one could feel when the gym is jam-packed.

That’s why, below, we are going to review just why gyms are so busy on Monday’s and what times, throughout the week, the gym is typically most busy.

By reviewing why gyms are so busy on Monday’s and what times throughout the week the gym is most busy, you can better plan your arrival to the gym to avoid the large crowds and get your workout in.

Busiest Gym Days – Explained

While it is easy to claim a particular day of the week, or time of the day, is the most busy at the gym via anecdotal evidence, we wanted to utilize a more scientific method to determine the busiest days and times.

To do so, we are going to utilize the Google Maps app.

The Google Maps app utilize live, real-time location data of their users to showcase the busyness of a gym throughout the day.

In addition, via their historical data, the Google Maps app is able to show the best, and less ideal, times to go to the gym.

Below, we are going to look at the busiest days of the week, and times throughout the week, for gyms located near Atlanta, Georgia. We will be looking at our local LA Fitness, Planet Fitness, and Lifetime Fitness gyms.

Sunday’s

Monday’s

Tuesday

Wednesday’s

Thursday’s

Friday’s

Saturday’s

Key Takeaways From This Data

While, we admit, this is a rather small sample size, there are a few key takeaways from the data. And that is, that mainly, gyms see their busiest days on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

There appears, via the data, to be a steep decline in gym attendance on Saturday and Sunday’s. In addition, although a good number of people appear to go to the gym on Tuesday’s, there is a slight decline from the previous day.

In addition, looking at the data, gym attendance appears to fluctuate by time depending on the day of the week.

Perhaps, not surprisingly, a majority of gym members attend the gym most often after 5:00 PM on weekdays. With the majority of gym goers being adults, many of whom work typical 9:00-5:00 working hours, it should come as no surprise that a majority of gym members will attend the gym after 5:00 PM.

However, something that stood out to us, was that a large number of gym members will attend the gym during the lunch hours on Friday’s. We believe this is due to the fact that Friday’s typically mark the start of the weekend.

With the upcoming weekend, and typical plans being set for Friday’s and Saturday’s, we believe that gym goers simply try to squeeze in a workout on Friday’s at lunch before their weekend plans start.

Why Are Gyms So Busy on Monday’s?

However, as this article is attempting to explain just why gyms are so busy on Monday’s specifically, it’s important to take a step back and look at that day of the week in particular.

Across all three of the gyms we reviewed, Monday’s appear to be one of the busiest days for gym members to attend the gym. In addition, Monday’s, more than any other day of the week, sees a large number of gym attendance throughout the day, with little gaps between the hours of the day.

Below, we are going to provide some explanations as to why gyms are so much busier on Monday’s than nearly any other day of the week.

• Recovery after a long weekend – perhaps the most obvious answer as to why gyms are so busy on Monday’s is due to the simple fact that, for most people, Monday’s are utilized as a recovery date from the previous weekend festivities. With many people having plans and errands to run on the weekend, they may not have time on Saturday or Sunday to attend the gym. As such, they may feel bad for skipping the gym for two days straight and will commit to restarting on Monday.

• A great way to start the week – in addition, for many gym goers, Monday’s offer a new start to the week. And what better way to start the week then by going to the gym and burning a few calories?

• To reduce anxiety related to the workweek – similarly, for many people, the workweek can induce significant bouts of anxiety. For those individuals, going to the gym can be a great way to blow off some steam and reduce their overall anxiety and anxious feelings.

• Less things to do – and lastly, for many people, Monday’s are simply a rather boring day of the week. With few events or plans on the day, individuals may opt to workout on Monday’s when they have less things to do and may find themselves bored.

What Times Are Most Popular at the Gym on Monday?

While we’ve reviewed the most popular days of the week that gym goers attend the gym, it is also interesting to look at what times are most popular on Monday’s for gym goers to attend the gym.

And, interestingly, it appears that Monday’s see a significant number of gym attendees throughout the entire day, save for the hours between 2:00-4:00 PM.

It appears, via the data we looked at, that gym goers simply prioritize their going to the gym on Monday’s, regardless of time.

And, as stated above, the reasons for doing so are mainly to recover from the previous weekend festivities, reduce their anxieties related to the workweek, and to dispel feelings of boredom related to the relative uneventfulness of the day.

How to Avoid Crowds at the Gym on Monday’s?

While you may not be able to fully avoid the crowds at the gym on Monday’s, there are a few steps you can take to help you avoid the larger crowds.

Firstly, be sure to check Google Maps for your specific gym and utilize Google Maps’ live data regarding the busyness of the gym. By doing so, you can better plan your trip to the gym and look to avoid the busier times.

In addition, you may want to limit how long you workout for. If you have a shorter workout or one that does not utilize more popular pieces of equipment at the gym, then try to do those workouts on Monday’s.

And lastly, you may simply try to attend the gym at less popular times. Typically, early mornings, mid-afternoon, and late nights are when the gym is least busy. if you can, try to attend the gym at those hours to avoid the larger crowds.