- January is historically a busy month for fitness and gyms.
- The second Tuesday in January is often known as Abandonment Day.
- Strava says it has been the most common activity interruption for its users each year for more than five years.
If you’ve returned from vacation to find your gym packed with the January masses of fitness enthusiasts, then you won’t have to wait long before the crowd starts to thin out and things calm down again.
Every year, people flock to the gym in hopes of kick-starting their New Year’s resolutions and finally tackling that health boost they’ve been talking about. However, as we all know, many who start do not finish. It is a story as old as time.
Not only is the January slump an old story in fitness circles, but it’s also a scientifically proven phenomenon. Strava has the data to prove it, so it can predict the exact date each year, and Quitter Day 2025 is quickly approaching – this is when your gym will start to wind down.
When is Quister Day in 2025?
Strava says Quitter Day falls on the second Tuesday in January each year. For more than five years, it has been the most common activity interruption for Strava users and this year it falls on January 14.
So if you go to your gym that day and think things are a little calmer than they have been in recent weeks, you’re probably not imagining it.
Not that we are in favor of anyone failing, of course. In fact, Strava has published a series of useful tips backed by new data to help people maintain their fitness commitments in 2025.
Strava, one of the best fitness apps, especially for outdoor adventurers, says the most popular trend when setting goals is the week-by-week approach. In a given month, only a third of Strava runners who met or came close to meeting their goals actually tracked perfectly against them. There are also seasonal cycles: runners are most likely to be on the track in the summer months (in the US and UK), from July to September, while January and February are the months when it is least likely. athletes are likely to achieve their goals.
Strava’s tips for staying on track with your goals include joining a running club or exercising as a group, introducing variety to keep things fresh, and making rest a priority.
So if you’re starting to feel that struggle in January, try these helpful tips and remember that if you miss January 14, that’s a big deal. And if you’re a more committed fitness enthusiast, you can start counting the days until you can find a little more locker room space and, finally, some free treadmills.
