Can't afford a fancy gym membership? Check out your local YMCA.

qwikstreet

Wow. If my Y was that expensive I wouldn't of joined. I don't care that I can walk there. My family annual is less than some of your quarterlies.

dougpconnell219

I remember the y where I used to live adjusted the rate based on income. Don't know if they still do that.

atypicalsmith

The cost at my Y for a single person is $42. It is also about eight minutes away. Only three more remotely in this area: A Fitness Planet for $10.00 a month but is half an hour away. I either (a) would never go or (b) burn way more money in gasoline than the $32.00 difference. There's another gym just a little further away which is sleazy looking, has hardly any machines, and is $30.00 a month. My Y has a swimming pool, three fitness rooms, a gym, a huge hot tub, a sauna, inexpensive but excellent PTs, and lots and lots of free classes. I do Zumba once or twice a week (anywhere else you pay at least $4-5 a class, so that's a minimum of $16 - $32 saved right there). Other free classes include spinning, yoga, pilates, etc., and there's no signup for them. Plus all the people are very nice, both employees and other members. I've never had to wait for a treadmill or any other machine, as there are plenty. I just signed up for a six-week, twice a week for an hour group PT session with an excellent PT for $40.00. I wouldn't trade my Y for any other facility!

dalygirl2014

They just closed the y in our area.

MKEgal

I used to have a Y membership and swam 3x a week, got up to doing at least a mile every time.
That was back when I had a real job and disposable income.
Now, there's no way I could afford it.
They are supposed to support the community, give discounts to low-income people, etc.,
but they don't. Their _discounted_ rate was still something like $30/mo.
I go to PF, which is $10/mo. I'd love to have access to a pool, but can't afford it. And the
24/7 of PF is a bonus.

cindy_h_va

Try swimming. Join a Masters team. The US Masters is a swim team for adults, for any level, age group and fitness goals. Find your local team at www.usms.org. even if you don't know how to swim the coach will teach you. Team dues are usually cheaper than the admission fee to the pool itself, if you go regularly. Plus, you get professional coaching. Masters coaches are certified. Most of them have been or are still competitive swimmers. Much better than getting instructions by some staff from the rec center. Each practice you burn 400-500 calories easily. Swimming with a team also helps with motivation. Much more fun than working out alone. I definitely push myself much more since I joined my team.

Alluminati

The Y here is the most expensive. So, no.

qwikstreet

Well I was wrong. Granted the last time I belonged to something like Gold's was in the 20th century and was paying 30-35. I figured inflation would hit the gym market too.

Like I said your mileage may vary. For families though, most Y prices and benefits still outweigh the cost of signing up 4 people to a regular gym.

DoneWorking

I would have to drive a bit to get to the Y around here, and they do not have anything like a gym. One of the few negatives of small town living. The health clubs within driving distance are too expensive. They know they're the only two shows in this part of the county.

970Mikaela1

No y in my town. But our city's rec center costs me 29 a month and 8 more for my daughter's membership.has everything thing we need.

aubreyjordan

I love the Y. I have been to a few gyms over the years, and the Y has always been my favorite (been a member at 3 different locations, as I have moved a lot). It is definitely cheaper in a small town compared to the large metropolitan area I am in now. I pay $53/mo for a single membership. I had no start up fees because I am a teacher. They do have a scholarship program that will cut your fee in half if you qualify. The staff has always been helpful. I don't mind paying a bit more to go to the Y.

ds1007

I use SworkIt Pro on my iPad, which I stream to my TV. It lets me set an amount of time I want to workout, and then I can opt between strength, cardio, stretch & yoga. I think the Pro version was $3.99. I like it as I'm just getting back into exercising, but I can see it as supplemental for those that are more advanced in their workouts. The routines are random, so there's no repetition, at least not yet for me.

marinabreeze

I live in a decent-sized city and it's the most expensive option unless you have a family (it's just myself and DH, and DH doesn't do gyms so I'd get a single membership). I have a Planet Fitness black card for $20 a month which lets me work out at both the one near my house and the one on the way to work.

nicsflyingcircus

Yeah, our local Y is like 90$ a month for a family membership. Just... no.

lindaloo1213

I belong to the Y but I wouldnt if it werent for the amazing discount through my job. Otherwise every other gym is cheaper here.

yusaku02

Just googled my local Y, $66/month
No thanks. That's more than twice what I pay right now.

TheArchyBunker

I don't know where you live but where I do the Y is one of the most expensive gyms in the area! Average cost for a membership for 1 persons $50/mo, family plans starting around $80/mo. More like can't afford much go to Planet Fitness - $10 or $20 a month

Hornsby

The YMCA in my town is 3 times the price of Golds.

lishie_rebooted

I looked at joining the Y up here but when I looked at the hours (6am to 9pm) and how crappy the parking is, I never bothered looking up how much it was.

I just checked, 52$/month plus a 52$ sign up fee.
And they list a 3$ shower pass.... so I'd have to pay extra to use the shower??

ew_david

The Y here was much more. I got rid of it. Plus it was a constant battle for the 1 squat rack they had.