Give your body a workout, not your wallet
It's that time of year when many of us will be taking the incentive to join a gym and burn off the Christmas puddings. Gym membership is a big expense however, so here are a few tips to help cut down on costly fitness fees.
Local leisurecentres
The least pricey gyms are the kind that you find in your local leisure centre. They’re so cheap because they’re partly funded by local authority or run on a not-for-profit basis. Although not all have the latest equipment and machines, some leisure centres are in the same league as private health clubs.
In most leisure centres, you have the option of either taking out a monthly subscription or the opportunity to pay as you go, costing only a few quid per session. If you’re unsure as to whether or not the gym is your cup of tea, try paying for the first few visits and if you decide to carry on then take up the monthly membership.
People on benefits usually receive great discounts and some county councils offer cards which give you money off on leisure activities and other activities in your city. Contact your local council for more information, or give your local leisure centre a ring for their membership prices. Healthinsurance discounts
BUPA offers a year’s off-peak membership with Fitness First when you sign up for a year’s cover. If you only have time to visit the gym during peak times you can pay an extra £10 for a peak membership package (£15 for London). Free trials
Before you commit yourself to a 12-month membership it’s a good idea to check out the facilities and see if it’s really something that you want or need. Here’s a list of the free trials available with the major gym chains:
Fitness First offers a free one-day trial – just sign up on the website to get the voucher through the post.
LA Fitness also offers a free one day-trial which you must use within three weeks of applying for it.
Cannons health clubs offer a free health check and day’s membership for you and a friend.
January offers
All the gyms are in serious competition at this time of year because more than 100,000 people will be signing up as to honour their new year’s resolution. This means offers galore or gyms cutting their prices to reel you in. When signing up, be sure to check the small print to see if your fees will rise later in the year, and check for any other hidden costs they’ve sneaked in there.
Off-peakmemberships
The vast majority of gyms offer a cheaper membership on the condition that you only go for sessions during off-peak times. Off-peak times are usually before 4-5pm on weekdays and after 4-5pm on weekends but the times vary from club to club, even those from the same chain – so it’s best to contact your local club for more info. Here are some clubs that offer off-peak memberships:
Fitness First’s off-peak membership gives you unlimited gym use during off-peak hours.
Virgin Active is gradually phasing out its off-peak memberships so they aren’t available at all clubs, but if you contact your local centre they’ll be able to tell you more
David Lloyd offers a range of off-peak memberships to suit your needs. Contact your local club for details.
Cannons health clubs have off-peak memberships which suit people who work shifts or evenings.
JJB Fitness clubs let you save about a tenner a month by choosing their off-peak option (it varies through different centres).
Transfer fees
If you know someone who has a gym membership which they don’t use (maybe an unwanted gift or a well-intentioned impulse buy) – then get them to take a look at the conditions of transferring their membership. The fees for transferring are often less than those of a membership fee so you could cut your costs if the monthly fee isn’t too bad. This doesn’t apply to all gyms though so make sure you check with whichever your friend or family member belongs to.
Special offers
Gyms will offer you all sorts of packages to get you to join. Be aware that some offers are simply cleverly worded to make them sound much better than they are. Here are a few decent deals:
Fitness First has a two-week pass which costs from £14 and with no obligation to join after the 14 days, ideal if you want a bit of a longer trial than the free one-day option.
Virgin Active has some good offers, depending where you live. They offer fixed price membership for life in some centres and they also give incentives to join your friends up by offering you £5 off your membership a month when you do so. Check with your local centre as the offers vary.
David Lloyd hand out discounts for a range of things such as holidays, travel, wine, electrical goods and entertainment, expect 10% discounts.
JJB Fitness is giving away free bikes to all their new customers! Even if you won’t use it – you can sell it on eBay and cover the cost of a few months’ fees. They also aren’t charging a joining fee. If you’re already a member then you can recommend a friend and get a whole month free.
Ask your company
If you work for a large company, you might be entitled to free or discounted gym memberships. Lots of big businesses offer this to their employees as an incentive to work well and stick with them; Powergen, for example, is just one company that offers this with its careers – and it always has vacancies. If you’re not sure if your employer offers these benefits then ask your manager. If not, then why not try asking the director of the company to set up a scheme? There’s no harm in asking!
Go to a university
If you’re a student, or you work in a university, you can get fantastic deals at your uni’s gym. Not only this but lots of universities open up their services to the general public. The cost for these is usually much lower than that of a normal gym and they’re likely to have reasonably good quality equipment. Prices and facilities will vary dramatically between sites but you can hunt down your nearest uni on the UK's university directory.
Don’t go to a gym
If you’re really serious about cutting down on your gym costs then there’s a simple solution – don’t join one. There are plenty of ways you can lose weight, build up your strength or keep your heart steadily pumping without going to a gym. Take a look at our article on fun ways to exercise that won’t cost you the earth.
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