Gym memberships vary in price, amenities, and overall atmosphere. Because of this, it’s important to know which deals and offers for gym memberships will help you stretch your dollar as far as possible.
Membership Payments
The first thing to look at is whether the membership fee is monthly or yearly. If you’re planning on going to the gym several times a week, it can be well worth it to pay for year-long membership instead of trying to pay month-to-month fees. In many cases, these monthly fees end up being higher than what you would have paid with a yearly membership had you signed up from the start.
In addition, some companies offer discounts when you sign up for longer periods of time. A common deal is to pay a discounted amount in full for the whole year. This means you’ll end up paying less overall compared to paying in monthly installments. A few gyms also offer deals on yearly memberships if you pay for several months at once instead of month-to-month.
Extra Fees
Be sure to look into any additional fees outside of general dues, such as joining fees and cancellation policies. Not all gyms charge these fees, but they can make a huge difference in your budget if you want to save money on gym memberships.
Best Deals
A few gyms stand out in terms of their deals and discounts. Try their free trial and talk to a sales associate about what services they offer. Remember that there are typically discounts for students, military, seniors, families, referrals, and more.
At the beginning of the year, gyms offer significant discounts to help people achieve their newfound fitness goals. Here are some of the savings that you might be missing out on:
Planet Fitness– $10 per month for the first 3 months
24 Hour Fitness– 3-day free trial
Orange Theory– Money back after 30 days if unsatisfied
Crunch Fitness 3-day free trial, annual fee of $39.90
Gold’s Gym– 30-day free trial
Life Time Fitness– 1-day free trial
LA Fitness– 3-day free trial
Anytime Fitness – 7-day free trial
In terms of general amenities at in-person gyms, these gyms offer a large range of group classes, personal training sessions, and facilities with various machines and equipment. They may also provide child care, kids classes, and even organized sports. Know which amenities you’ll use most so that you’ll know what you’re looking for.
Support Local
Many locally-owned gyms around the country specialize in different types of fitness. Some may be yoga studios, and others strictly offer barre or CrossFit classes. If you’re not a fan of a boring workout routine and prefer using your money for specialized training, research local facilities that are available near you!
Home Gym
A few other things to look out for are how far you live from the actual locations. The further away you travel to get to a gym, the more your transportation will cost in addition to membership fees. Because of this, it might be worth paying slightly more for some equipment that you have 24/7 access to at home.
Having a home gym doesn’t mean that you’d be missing out on group fitness classes either! You can enroll yourself in a virtual exercise class for a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Bodi, Tonal, and Peleton all offer live memberships at affordable prices. Beachbody has content available for only $8.95 a month if you want something pre-recorded to follow along to.
If you aren’t quite ready for the gym then maybe consider this article on Morning Walks.
