Equinox gym under fire after banning customers from joining in January

Gym club Equinox is facing backlash on social media after banning new members from joining on New Year’s Day.

The luxury establishment posted a since-deleted TikTok clip on January 1, sharing the news of its policy to its over 45,000 followers.

“When it’s January 1st, but you remember Equinox is not letting new members join today…” the text-overlay on the video read, as a man was seen working out.

The gym would later post a follow-up video, explaining why they weren’t accepting any new members on New Year’s Day.

“It’s not you, it’s January. January is a fantasy, delivered to your door in a pastel-coloured box. It talks about change. It needs a new outfit before it can begin,” Equinox declared.

“Short-cutting, giving up just a few weeks later. You are not a New Year’s resolution. Your life doesn’t start and end at the beginning of the year. And that’s not what being a part of the Equinox is about.

“We go beyond what is possible. We defy expectations. We are not moderation. We want it all, every day. And you deserve it all.”

Equinox gym faces backlash with new campaign

While the gym might have thought they were making a good point, social media users were quick to slam Equinox’s anti-New Year’s resolution campaign.

“Poor campaign choices. People already don’t have support systems in place that keep them in the gym, this no New Year’s resolution BS doesn’t help. Do better,” one user wrote.

“Equinox charges too much money to be this exclusionary,” another added.

“Gyms should really be working hard to make new members feel welcome and not intimidated. This marketing ploy is elitist and gross,” a third commented.

“A very weird and terribly hypocritical campaign,” someone else said.

Others claimed that they’d canceled their Equinox membership upon seeing the TikTok videos.

As of January 2, the gym is accepting new members once again.