Are gyms worth the monthly membership costs??

freckles88
freckles88 Posts: 44 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
basically, I'm thinking of joining a gym to help me lose weight but I don't know if its wirth paying thr monthly membership charges when I could just go and run around the local park or something...

Thing is because I work for my local council (not directly but employed in a school) I get discount off our local leisure centres so I can get get membership for £24 a month which is includes access to all our leisure centre gyms - so I could go to the one nearest work on the way home and then one about a mile from where I live on a weekend - its a proper gym with tredmill, bikes running machines and all that, and membership includes unlimited access to the pool, jacuzzi, sauna as well as unlimited fitness classes like zumba, yoga, pilates etc etc. Which I didn't think was too bad to be honest as I was considering joining a yoga class which is like a fiver a month so for an extra £4 I can get all that... Should I go for it??

Replies

  • stephanielynn76
    stephanielynn76 Posts: 709 Member
    It's only worth the money if you actually USE it! My gym membership is worth every penny. I would do without other things if I had to in order to keep it!
  • bigbrownkid
    bigbrownkid Posts: 83
    its worth it, if you get a membership you will feel motivated to go because you are spending money. also try to make it part of your daily routine then its defiantly worth it.
  • KatyE213
    KatyE213 Posts: 447 Member
    Definitely worth it if you intend to use it. And £24 per month is really good, I pay £40 a month for mine. For me its an incentive to go - like its paid for so I have to go. But apparently lots of people pay every month and don't use it! So I suppose its what works for you really.
  • NyxDominique
    NyxDominique Posts: 271 Member
    Correct, worth it if you use it.

    I have had a gym membership for 2 years.

    The first year I didn't go at all.

    Then I started to go while I was going back to school. Finally it was worth it. Several hours a week.

    Then started to work from home, and invested in a stationary bike and tredmill. Haven't looked back since. I like staying in the nice AC or warmth of the house. Plus, I get to use my own shower!
  • Thamantha
    Thamantha Posts: 102 Member
    I think it really depends on how much you are honestly going to use it.
    If you are going to be there three or four times a week, every month, and you use the equipment then it is totally worthwhile.

    However if you are like me and get a boost of gym going for a week followed by not going for a month, then it is probably better to cut the membership, and just try to keep active outdoors, or pay per visit if that is allowed.

    Personally, I found the gym handy because i wanted to start exercising but didn't want to run outside my house and be seen getting sweaty by people who were not likewise engaged in getting sweaty.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    I think £24 a month is a great deal for all that! I personally couldn't be without the gym although it certainly is possible to get fit and lose weight without one. (Winter and english weather may not be so good though when you want to go for a run!)

    My gym at the moment is £20 a month, cheapest I've seen but it only has weights and a few cardio machines. I would love to have classes included but I didn't want to be signed up in a fixed contract on £45 a month to get that - Considered Bannnatynes gym, it has everything but really is that expensive :( I just do P90x at home which is good, and considering taking up extra classes somewhere for Zumba.
  • MrsRazor7
    MrsRazor7 Posts: 332 Member
    I think that they are worth the money. But, only if you plan on using it. I joined the Y a couple of months ago, and it has really helped me and I love it there. It also sounds like it is pretty convenient for you, so that is an extra plus. I say do it! Use it for everything it has, and you will love it. :smile:
  • ElimyW
    ElimyW Posts: 16 Member
    Like others have said, it's definitely worth it if you will use it. I signed up for mine, and made myself go because I was paying for it, and now I couldn't give it up!! I'm like you and have a membership that gives me access to any of the council's leisure centres. I use three different ones (one near work, and two near my house) and it's fantastic! It means I can always find something to fit what I'm feeling and doing that particular week - I love it :)

    Hope you find something that works for you :happy:
  • kymmixxx
    kymmixxx Posts: 151 Member
    It's only worth the money if you actually USE it! My gym membership is worth every penny. I would do without other things if I had to in order to keep it!


    couldnt agree more!!
  • LilMissStrawberry
    LilMissStrawberry Posts: 34 Member
    I was hesitant about getting a gym membership because I wasn't sure it was worth it. Being a student I was worried about paying $17.90 a week when I knew I could run outside or something. But it started to become winter and I started making excuses about running outside when it was cold or rainy. I decided to take exercise classes but they were $5 a class so it just worked out cheaper to join the gym, provided I go at least 4 times a week.

    I absolutely love it but I would make sure you're going to use it before you sign up.
  • Izzy62
    Izzy62 Posts: 62 Member
    Hi, I pretty much agree with all the above - worth it if you use it!

    I use our local authority gyms and pay £30 a month and that includes all classes. I also have a bike and elliptical at home, but I'm way more motivated to work out in company. I also find the instructor's are worth their weight in gold, I may be lucky there and not all may be the same, but they are knowledgable, friendly and not judgemental in the slightest.

    I just had a pretty major knee op and I can't tell you how good it was after 8 weeks of not moving being able to go back into the gym! Was like going back to my second family. One of the instructors had had a similar op and is helping enormously with my rehab.

    Worth every penny to me :)

    Oh and they even suspended my membership for the two months after my op so I didn't have to pay when I couldn't use the facilities!

    Izzy xx
  • Hoteffinmess
    Hoteffinmess Posts: 121
    I agree with many of the folks here. It's worth it if you use it! I didn't use mine for a month or so after I got it but I was STILL paying for it!! I consider it my allowance. I rarely go out or buy things for myself. My gym time is me time, away from the kids and boyfriend. TOTALLY WORTH IT!
  • Ilovedrinkingtea
    Ilovedrinkingtea Posts: 597 Member
    I go to my gym 2 or sometimes 3 times a day mon to fri. If I didn't go to the gym, I'd start to feel angry and aggressive. It's a great stress reliever. It also keeps me away from the tv, the couch and the fridge xx
  • simplysara9
    simplysara9 Posts: 521
    If you are going to use the membership and make exercise part of your daily life then it is definitely worth the money!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    That sounds like a bargain! Based on the per-class cost, you only need to use it 5 times a month to make it worth your while, so try and make sure you do a couple of times a week.
  • melt57
    melt57 Posts: 60 Member
    Its hard to tell whats going to work best for you until you try. I had a gym membership a few years ago, and I went for about six months but then lost interest. Later I purchased an elliptical which became a large clothes hanger. Now I just run outside, and I like it best of all. Make sure if you do sign up that you can cancel down the road if you decide its not for you, without a high cancellation fee.
  • midnightsukie
    midnightsukie Posts: 38 Member
    i did the same thing, we got cheap membership last October and i used it loads in winter. now its summer i have taken up running outside (i think the gym built up for fittness to do this). but i stopped usiing the gym in March as i wasnt in gym mode and had other things to do.
    BUT my gym have frozen my membership till October now so i dont have to pay for it during summer and then when its cold and dark i can use it.

    Its worth checking if they do a "freeze" on your membership if something like this suits you better. check the T&C! :)
  • Jessabelle12
    Jessabelle12 Posts: 145
    If you're just starting out weight loss I'd just go to the gym/swimming (whatever your membership would cover) and see how often you would be going and if you would actually stick to it. I was losing weight for over a month before I got mine when I realise I was going swimming 4 or 5 times a week and wanting to go to the gym more than once. but couldnt afford it. So now I have it and it actually makes me go more cause I dont need to worry whether I've got the money or not.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    All they gyms near me are rubbush :(
    All are too far, opening times that don't suit the employed, and rubbish equipment.
    There's nothing but treadmills, ellipticals, classes, saunas and a pool with people just floating about in it.

    All I need is some heavy iron to move about, and trying to hold two of their girly barbells in one hand is do-able, but just not practical. Any functional exercises and I've got no chance.
    There's got to be a gym based on fitness somewhere, I just can't find it :(
  • velvetkat
    velvetkat Posts: 454 Member
    I joined the gym mainly because the rainy season in Florida was coming soon and I by the time I would get home from work the clouds would be building and I wouldnt be able to do any outdoor exercise. I have a pool in my backyard and even though I go to the gym everyday and have for the last 4 months I still get exercise in my pool when the weather is good. Just cant depend on it. My gym also has a pool and racquetball courts as well as all the machines and classes. I also purchased training to learn how to use all the machines correctly.
    For me it has been worth every penny as it keeps me motivated and I feel better when I come home from the gym. it has helped me lose 45 lbs of the 77lbs I have lost.


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  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
    It's only worth the money if you actually USE it! My gym membership is worth every penny. I would do without other things if I had to in order to keep it!

    This is true for me too. No matter the weather outside, I can get my exercise in. Love my classes along with my weights and treadmill. And it doesn't allow "life" in my house to interrupt my workout.
  • arhzon
    arhzon Posts: 150
    Some gyms are, and some aren't. Look for a gym where you can at least get a little bit of training on how to work out, because wandering about the gym just using machines according to the pictures of the muscle groups (or just walking on the treadmill for hours) really limits the progress you can make.
  • LittleFootHafner
    LittleFootHafner Posts: 302
    A few months back, I was like you, and completely undecided whether I would use a gym or not.

    I went into one near me, and was told that they all offer a 1 week trial for free. I tried working out on my own, and I didn't find I was motivated enough. Then I tried a few classes, and fell in love! Maybe see if you can try it out before committing??
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    like another poster said, its only worth it if you use it. I use it atleast 4 times a week, and it has child care while you work out so i get some "me" time. so for me YES its worth it!
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    Some gyms are, and some aren't. Look for a gym where you can at least get a little bit of training on how to work out, because wandering about the gym just using machines according to the pictures of the muscle groups (or just walking on the treadmill for hours) really limits the progress you can make.
    our gym has an 8 week program to introduce you to a full body work out that you "graduate" from. they are VERY good about making sure you know what your doing.
  • Moonlight17
    Moonlight17 Posts: 173 Member
    Price wise it is worth it! And as many have said before it is more than worth it if you make the most outta the gym and workout properly.

    But gym is not for everyone and I've lost weight very well with fitness DVDs and turbo jam/fire DVDs as well as the Jillian Michaels range and P90x in the comfort of my own living room. And when the weather is good I go out for jogs :) x
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i have never been to the gym, i run round the park, have some dvds and a stepper at home which work just fine for me & my exercise needs.

    Each to their own!
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