Keep thinking about canceling my gym membership

Pucks_and_Balls · January 2015

Before I jump into this, I just want to say that I do not have any major problems with my gym. The staff is friendly and seems to care about the members, the classes keep me engaged and I've met some nice people, though not any best friends. I can recognize just enough faces to have someone to small talk with or say hello to.

That said, I keep thinking about canceling and just working out at home. The upsides are obvious: saving close to $50 a month, still having DVDs and a streaming workout subscription at a much lower price (less than $10 a month for the service I use), being able to run/walk outside. Not to mention when I'm at home, I obviously don't have to gear up only to see that every machine is taken (happened the other day when all the ellipticals and almost all the treadmills were in use) or that a group class is too crowded, or that there's people talking and disrupting a class. I'm also more introverted, so sometimes alone time is really what I welcome.

My biggest problem is that I can't utilize the group exercise classes like I want to. When the schedule comes out every month, I find that I can only make a few of the classes because the ones I want to go to are either when I'm working or when I have other commitments. And because of the building hours, I can't go on the weekends at all, not even to just use the machine. I work both Saturday and Sunday, and by the time my shift is over, the gym is either closed or is closing in an hour. I don't feel it's worth it to get done with work on a Saturday, get dressed and get to the gym when I'm not going to have a lot of time here.

The cons are that because my job is from home, I might feel isolated if I stop using a gym. (But to be fair, I'm not a total hermit. I still leave the house for other things.) I would also lose access to a swimming pool, as my gym has an Olympic-sized pool and I don't really have to lane share when I'm there swimming.

Did anyone else successfully ditch the gym membership and just workout at home? I'm not so much asking if I can still lose weight with DVDs as much as I am asking how hard was it for you to let go of your membership.

dbmata · January 2015

If you're not going to use it, cancel it. Don't waste the money.

DopeItUp · January 2015

I got tired of the drive and the hassle so I just built a home gym (about a year ago). It's really nice and it pays for itself in about...oh 5 years.

JeffseekingV · January 2015

Join Planet Fitness. For how cheap it is, you can just use it for the machines.

ninerbuff · January 2015

I agree if you don't intend to use the gym, then cancel, but IF working out at home with DVD's was your answer, then weight shouldn't have become an issue. Be objective, but also be honest with yourself.
Remember that exercise is for fitness and health and can ASSIST in weight loss, but it's not necessary to do if weight loss is the goal.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

tomatoey · January 2015

Yes - I started at home and did really well. I only went to the gym for access to equipment so I could do alternatives to things I could no longer do at home bc of injury. I'd like to quit my gym, personally, except I don't have a cable machine, stationary bike, etc. I do think having access to the variety of options at your gym is a huge bonus if you can afford it and live in a cold place. Cross-training minimizes risk of repetitive strain injuries. (If you live in a warm climate, no big deal, just get on a cheap bike, walk, hike, pick up a ball, whatever, but outdoor winter activities tend to be more expensive than $50 a month.)

I've worked from home, and it's really nice to have a place to go on a daily basis that's neither work nor home. And it sounds like you could theoretically get a lot of value for that $50, except for the scheduling - is there a gym with better hours for you? Mine (not PF, though I'd go there!) is open 24/7.

Pucks_and_Balls · January 2015

I live in a smaller city (population roughly 40,000) so unfortunately, there aren't too many other options. There is a Planet Fitness, but part of why I do stay at my current gym is because I like the classes, which PFs don't offer. The other gyms/studios that have classes cost about the same as I'm paying now, if not more, and the scheduling issues would still be there. (I do my yoga at a separate studio because I wasn't able to focus in yoga classes at the gym.) However, with the yoga studio, I could just go there and pay for a class pass every three months, which has worked out pretty well. I would have a little easier time getting there for things.

I'm trying to get a job not working weekends because I'm starting to get an interest in running, and running means races on weekends if I want to take it that far. (There are, of course, other problems at my job, but I'm generally sick of working weekends.) Hopefully I can achieve that and add two days where I can be at the gym.

47Jacqueline · January 2015

If I didn't belong to a gym, I would get multiple passes for independent studios like yoga, Zumba, etc. I like going to classes and spend enough time by myself when I choreograph Zumba classes to teach.

Also, a bike is a great alternative to running because you can use it for transportation as opposed to getting dressed to work out. I have a folding one because my apartment is small, but the reality is I never fold it. ;-)

TheDarkestStar87 · January 2015

It depends on whether you find it easier to motivate yourself at home or by going to the gym. I used to live 100 yards from a brilliant gym and went pretty much daily. After we moved I lacked the motivation to cycle to to nearest gym (don't own a car) so just started doing stuff at home. My mum on the other hand can't be bothered with home DVDs but is really motivated when she's got classes scheduled.

lakhena · January 2015

Last week, I canceled my gym membership because I hadn't been there for a few months, despite loving the place. The trainers remembered me and thought it made perfect sense to try at home workouts until my work situation allowed me to get back to the gym again.

I find looking at fit people exercising motivates me, so I'm currently looking into a 24 hour gym. It solves the problem of my work hours colliding with my gym schedule. Does your small town have a 24 hour gym?

Pucks_and_Balls · January 2015

lakhena wrote: »

Last week, I canceled my gym membership because I hadn't been there for a few months, despite loving the place. The trainers remembered me and thought it made perfect sense to try at home workouts until my work situation allowed me to get back to the gym again.

I find looking at fit people exercising motivates me, so I'm currently looking into a 24 hour gym. It solves the problem of my work hours colliding with my gym schedule. Does your small town have a 24 hour gym?

This sounds like me. I currently have two jobs, so sometimes I feel like my time is in short supply as it is, which makes home workouts more convenient. (The second job is only part-time, but I am hoping to work there full-time at some point.) My gym does have the option of freezing memberships instead of outright canceling, so I might try that.

My city has a Planet Fitness, but I don't know if it's open 24 hours.

KatieMusselwhite92113 · January 2015

I don't belong to a gym, and I totally agree with your view. We live in a community that has a gym, and I use it periodically and each time I resolve that I won't go back for various reasons. I prefer to workout at home. I own a stepper, a kettlebell, and some dumbbells, and I do HIIT videos, kettlebell videos, cardio kickboxing, and some light strength training videos. I will occasionally hit the gym for the treadmill because I don't have one (yet) but I tend to deal with the "everything is taken" problem most of the time and it is a buzz kill. So, when I want to go for a run (like right now, as I am training for a 5k) I do it the old fashioned outdoor way

If you have the self-motivation to workout at home, I'd say put the money you would have spent on your membership into a few pieces of basic workout equipment, and create a PLAN to make sure you stay on track. It is easy if the gym tells you that your zumba is at 8 am, but a different thing when it's just a DVD you pop in. If you don't tell yourself when it's going to happen, it might not happen at all. I have a google calendar for my workouts (maybe kind of excessive, but I tend to get that way about organizing myself) and I stick to it almost all the time-- very few exceptions. Good luck

sheliajim · January 2015

I got rid of my gym membership and I have dvd's at home and as a student, I can utilize the gym on campus for free. If I really feel like I want to go to a class, I can pay a small fee and go to the Y and participate.

GLH2576 · January 2015

We keep our gym membership for a couple of reasons. First, my wife enjoys water aerobics and the classes that are offered by the "Y" (where our membership is - along with 12,000 of our "best friends.") I expect this is similar to your enjoying the classes that you can only get by having a gym membership. Physically it is what she can do the most of and she has several real friends she has met through that activity. For myself, I use it mainly when the weather is bad. For example, this week it is raining today then turning much colder with temps well below freezing. I'd rather go to the Y this time of the year and do the machines or run on the indoor track than bundle up to go for a walk outside. When the weather is better I tend to not go to the gym as much. However the Y has a rejoining fee so canceling and restarting a membership is not necessarily a cost saving move. Fortunately my schedule is very flexible so I can try to go the the Y when it is less busy. When I go and cannot get on any machines and when the free-weight area is packed I just use the indoor track or leave and return at a slower time.

FitPhillygirl · January 2015

Before you cancel your membership, find out if they will let you freeze your membership for a short period of time. This will give you time to work out at home and see whether or not you like it better than going to the gym. Or maybe you can find time to work out at home and go to the gym a few days a week

Notreadytoquit · January 2015

After 25 years of being a gym rat I had to call it quits due to medical issues. When finally able to be mobile again none of my clothes fit and regular check up stated I was overweight at 162#'s. Very sobering.

I loved my gym ... home away from home, especially when the electric or water went down still had a place to shower. Aerobics classes morphed into cycling & Zumba, yoga became a class for show-offs incorporating hardest moves that just didn't fit with my body's current needs. Now I've done yoga/stretching for over 40 years and what was being offered is not the best stretching options for flexibility & lifelong wellness. So sadly I cancelled.

Though not often recommended on MFP I have discovered the calorie burning power of doing everyday chores with gusto. Never bend over ... retrain yourself to squat instead using perfect form and holding core tight. Do things that need doing with best effort ... cleaning, mopping, painting, walk the dog 1/2 hour every day, etc and log calories burned. See if you can meet your daily goals for exercise. If not supplement with those videos. I have a whole collection I never use. Also have treadmill & all the fitness toys which I do use.

Workouts don't have to be uber intense to burn calories, you just have to keep moving & try to get in your 10,000 steps. While I still believe No Pain No Gain ... now the pain comes after an intense session. These old joints let me know I've gotten in a good workout.

MoiAussi93 · January 2015

I quit my gym and have never regretted it. I started running outside and doing body weight exercises. I found I actually go more often now. There is never a wait for anything!

I had some of the same issues you did...most of the classes weren't things I was interested in and the ones I did like i were at inconvenient times or needed a reservation. Having to wait to use machines really threw off my motivation. Crowded locker rooms could be annoying to me.

My gym didn't have a pool...so if that is really important to you it changes things. But if it is just something you do for variety you might find the benefits of quitting make up for that loss. You could take the $50 a month you spend and put part of it towards the occasional outside class or a new piece of fitness equipment. The rest can be saved or spent on something fun.

ninerbuff · January 2015

Personally I haven't paid a gym membership since '97, and one of the perks of getting a part time job at a gym is free membership. Lots of the kids that work at our gym are just happy to have the membership along with the standard wage pay.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Pucks_and_Balls · January 2015

ninerbuff wrote: »

Personally I haven't paid a gym membership since '97, and one of the perks of getting a part time job at a gym is free membership. Lots of the kids that work at our gym are just happy to have the membership along with the standard wage pay.

My gym was actually hiring for (well, maybe still looking for; I'm not sure) part-time front desk and childcare people. If I didn't already have a part-time job in addition to my full-time job I would've applied, but three jobs is just insane.

I actually would like to teach fitness someday when I don't have as crazy of a schedule. I tried to get a Zumba license, but with staffing issues at my FT job plus the fact that I worked evenings until recently, that never worked out. I hope to get re-licensed again someday or pick up a fitness certification though.

christydawnfitness · January 2015

Hey, girl. I don't go to a gym I do all my workouts at home. Follow me on Facebook, I post workouts all the time! www.Facebook.com/christydawnfitness

Keep thinking about canceling my gym membership

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