In this season of good intentions, one business sector in particular sees a spectacular growth spurt.

Magazines and TV advertisements exhort the effectiveness of new exercise and dieting regimes and gym memberships are the main beneficiaries.

Kym Burns managing director at The Athletic Club says: “The average person will gain up to five pounds over the Christmas holidays.”

So at this time of year they run a “size down” programme for Bermudians who might have overdone it on the Cassava pie.

Ms Burns says The Athletic Club have also introduced a special six week body sculpting programme at this time of year which is available to non members.

Callee Frith, general manager of Bermuda's Total Fitness health club says: “We definitely see a rise in membership in January and February.”

Like other clubs, they are not only providing an exercise venue, but also try to promote a healthy lifestyle.

In addition to the weights rooms and aerobics rooms, they also have treatment facilities, a spa and a deli.

But it's a reality of this business that good intentions wear off.

Whereas health clubs in the UK require their members to join for an entire year, in Bermuda the typical payment structure is an initiation fee followed by monthly fees.

This means that if members drop out in March or April, the clubs will see a big decline in income. Addressing the issue of wavering attendance at the gym, Ms Frith says that they try hard to encourage new members to persevere with their new fitness regime. “We really try to work with them so that they stick around.”

She also hopes that members will be inspired by the large range of classes which includes yoga, pilates and novelty classes such as salsa aerobics taught by their new trainer from Columbia, David Velez.

Joanne Bielby, operations manager at The Athletic Club, says: “We follow up on all our members and make sure that if they're not coming in regularly enough we set up an appointment to re-programme.”

If all else fails, a personal trainer can provide the extra motivation needed to keep going to the gym after the initial fervour wears off.

Margaret and Andrew Soucie at Positive Results have formulated an alternative approach whereby clients pay $65 per hourly session with a personal trainer and can exercise in privacy.

Mr. Soucie says: “We wanted to get away from the typical payment structure of an initiation fee and a monthly fee. .. a lot of people, particularly older adults, drop out.

“With us, they get what they pay for. They're in a nice quiet environment, they get their work-out and they're with a trainer.”

He adds that a lot of people find the normal gym intimidating: “I wish I had a dollar for every person who says, let me get fit and then I'll join a gym.”

Although some people might be put off by the hourly fee, for those who would otherwise let their gym membership go to waste, Positive Results may be a reasonable option.

Mr. Soucie says “We're not in competition with health clubs, because we're attracting the people who wouldn't join a typical health club.”