Month: May 2026

To support my research project, I plan to build connections with local gyms, gym staff, trainers, and beginner users in Kunming, Yunnan province. Since my project focuses on reducing psychological barriers for first-time gym users, creating a strong network within fitness spaces is important for both research access and intervention testing.

I have already connected with two local gyms, Body&Soul Fitness and Hercules Fitness, where I previously trained for around three years. This experience has given me a good understanding of their environments, target audiences, and membership systems, allowing me to engage with these spaces more naturally and understand differences in gym culture and customer behavior.

I interviewed a sales representative from Hercules Fitness, Yang Fang, whose role is introducing new members to the gym environment and membership services. Through this interview, I learned more about how gyms attract beginners, the concerns potential members often have, and why many hesitate before joining.

I also contacted Zhu Zhenghao, the manager and certified personal trainer at Body&Soul Fitness. He introduced me to the current situation of the gym, and I shared my research goals with him. The gym owner showed strong interest in my project and expressed enthusiasm about possible collaboration. I also plan to work there temporarily during the summer to gain deeper insight into gym operations and member experiences.

To compare fitness cultures in different countries, I interviewed the owner of Anytime Fitness (Woodberry Down) in the UK. He emphasized the importance of creating a comfortable and welcoming environment through small details and friendly interactions, helping members feel relaxed and supported from the moment they enter the gym.

In addition, I plan to join gym group chats and online fitness communities to interview beginner users directly about their first experiences, anxieties, and motivations. I also want to speak with people outside the fitness industry, including friends who have never been to a gym or stopped going after a short time.

Through these networks, I hope to create opportunities for observation, interviews, co-design, and intervention testing, helping me develop more user-centered solutions for improving first-time gym experiences and encouraging long-term participation in fitness culture.

How can gyms reduce psychological barriers for first-time users and support long-term motivation?

WHAT What is the issue?

For many beginners, the gym is not a space that“Newbies friendly. Unfamiliar equipment, complex training, anxiety about one’s figure, and fear of being watched or judged by others. It will all make people feel tense and ashamed.

A gym is a place that can both reduce and increase anxiety.This project hopes to rethink the meaning of the gym. It should not merely be a place to “shape the body”, but can also become a third space between work and home.

WHY？

Personally

When I was 20, I lost 40 pounds at home by following Pamela’s workout videos.Why I didn’t go to the gym because Only people with good figures go to the gym and that I didn’t belong there.Later, when I wanted to start strength training and avoid gaining weight again, I decided to go to gym. I spent half of my living expenses on a coach. Because I need professional fitness knowledge to prevent injuries, but the main reason is that having a coach can reduce my sense of shame and make me look like a professional in the gym.

It’s not just me who has this feeling.According to the “2024 China Fitness Industry Data Report”, the number of fitness members in China has reached 87.52 million. However, at the same time, topics such as “afraid to go to the gym” and “fitness shame” are continuously increasing on social media.

Professionally

For my own career planning after graduation, I want to focus on Fast-moving consumer goods brand design and planner.

HOW

I plan to focus on one or two gyms in Kunming, Yunnan Province. My first step is to build relationships with gym owners and staff, so that I can redesign the first-time experience for new customers and develop incentive mechanisms that encourage members to return and exercise more consistently. I selected Body&Soul Fitness and Hercules Fitness, two chain gyms in Kunming. Since I have exercised them frequently in the past, I have a good understanding of their target audiences, brand positioning, and pricing strategies.

For the pilot test, I will structure the process into five steps: (1) a preliminary concern test, (2) participants’ feelings when entering the gym for the first time, (3) the activity route inside the gym, (4) psychological changes when leaving, and (5) an emotional reflection survey. By comparing step one with step five, and step two with step four, I will assess whether the intervention is effective in reducing first-time anxiety and improving participants’ emotional experiences.

WHAT-IF

1）If the project is successful, it can reduce people’s anxiety and uncertainty when they first enter the gym. 

2）It will bring in new members and increase the retention rate for the gym. 

3）In the long term, the role of gyms can evolve from being a “body-shaping space” to a “third space” for emotional regulation and self-improvement.

Stakeholders：First-time Gym Users ，Gym Owners ，Trainers,Beginners to a fitness programme，People who cannot stick to long-term fitness plan.

Bibliography

Create questionnaires and post them on Chinese social media and in local gyms in the UK. And interview the gym coach of anytime fitness (Woodberry down)