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Going to the gym is great for your physical and mental health. But, it doesn\u2019t come cheap!\n<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how you can save money on a gym or health club membership.<\/p>\n
With gyms, you should always try before you buy. If you sign a contract only to find that you don\u2019t really like the atmosphere in the gym, or it doesn\u2019t have the equipment you\u2019re looking for, then you\u2019ll be wasting your cash.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s a good idea to try out a gym before you make a long-term commitment.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, many gyms offer free passes for a trial period.<\/p>\n
Here are a few examples of gyms that offer free trials:<\/p>\n
You can also use GymTicket.com<\/a> to find free gym passes at participating gyms, health clubs, and fitness centers. The site offers a directory of more than 20,000 gyms and health clubs across the country.<\/p>\n Some gyms are super pricey, setting you back $70 or more a month.<\/p>\n So consider joining a cheaper gym. Cheap gyms tend to be no-frills, but they still have the equipment you need.<\/p>\n Some local gyms are cheap, so it\u2019s a good idea to call around for prices.<\/p>\n Or you could check out one of these low-cost chains:<\/p>\n People swear by Costco membership discounts<\/a> and deals and how much money they save by taking advantage of such money saving offers.<\/p>\n In the past, Costco has run offers on gym memberships, like one for 24 Hour Fitness. It doesn\u2019t seem to be offering this membership anymore. But, it\u2019s always worth having a look to see if there are any deals on gym memberships available.<\/p>\n ClassPass<\/a> is an option to consider if you prefer fitness classes to gym memberships. You pay a monthly amount and get access to a network of studios, without having to pay for expensive classes individually.<\/p>\n The cost of a ClassPass varies depending on where you live. There is a free trial available though, which again, varies in duration depending on where you live.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re trying to decide which gym to join, make sure you search online and compare prices. You can put together a list of gyms near you, along with the price of membership.<\/p>\n You should also use the internet to look for deals and discounts.<\/p>\n You may be able to find good discounts on sites like Groupon<\/a>. And on a gym\u2019s website, you may be able to find membership discounts or deals on classes.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s always worth searching online for deals.<\/p>\n Speak with a manager, rather than a salesperson and try to negotiate a deal. Managers are more likely to be able to negotiate a better price for you on a membership.<\/p>\n Or you could ask for some free bonuses, like a month\u2019s membership for free or not having to pay the initiation fee. Negotiating won\u2019t always work, but it\u2019s always worth asking.<\/p>\n Some places will lower their monthly rates for large groups. In fact, many fitness clubs offer family or household discounts. So you and your spouse or roommate for example could get a discount if you sign up together.<\/p>\n You could even get a group of friends together and ask the gym manager if they\u2019d be willing to offer a deal for the group.<\/p>\n Some insurance providers offer gym discounts to customers.<\/p>\n For example, with some Aetna plans<\/a>, you get discounts on memberships to the YMCA and 24-Hour Fitness Clubs.<\/p>\n Eligible United Healthcare<\/a> members can get reimbursed up to $200 in a six month period.<\/p>\n So, it\u2019s definitely worth asking your insurance company whether you can get any gym benefits through your plan.<\/p>\n One of the biggest costs of the gym can be a cancellation fee. Like we said above, trying out a gym before signing a contract is best. But you may still have to cancel your gym membership in the future for whatever reason.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why you should read the contract, so you don\u2019t get stuck paying a huge cancellation fee or a penalty for a membership you don\u2019t use anymore.<\/p>\n For example, one club might ask you to give them two months\u2019 notice to end the contract.<\/p>\n So, always take time to read the fine print and keep a copy of any contract that you sign.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve joined a gym, you should still monitor how much the gym\u2019s charging new members. Your gym might lower the cost of a membership to draw in new customers, but it won\u2019t offer that rate to existing members. So if you find this to be the case at your gym, ask the manager if they\u2019d also give you the lower rate.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a college student, you may be able to get a discount on the gym. Just take your student ID along with you. You\u2019re more likely to find student discounts<\/a> if you live somewhere with a major university, but even if you don\u2019t, it\u2019s still worth checking.<\/p>\n The PassBook<\/a> is a program sponsored by the American Health and Fitness Alliance. It gives people free passes for health clubs, studios and spas.<\/p>\n You can only get these passbooks if you live in the following areas:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll get free passes to fitness clubs and for things like yoga, Pilates and weight training classes. It\u2019s a pretty awesome program.<\/p>\n A really good option, especially for families, are community recreation centers. Not only will you find the usual gym equipment there, like free weights, and fitness classes, you can often find additional features, like kid\u2019s programs, water slides and swimming pools.<\/p>\n You may be able to pay just for each time you visit, which keeps costs down. Or you can pay for a membership for the year. It\u2019s usually far cheaper than your regular gym.<\/p>\n To learn more, check with your city\u2019s recreation center.<\/p>\n Some employers will pay for part or all of your gym membership through corporate wellness programs.<\/p>\n Here are a few examples of gyms that offer cheaper corporate memberships:<\/p>\n If your employer doesn\u2019t have a corporate wellness option, then just ask the HR department about setting up a corporate membership at a nearby fitness center so that employees can get a discounted membership.<\/p>\n If you join the gym at the right time, you can often get a better deal. For example, if you join the gym near the end of the month, the sales associate might be more likely to give you a deal on the monthly rate.<\/p>\n Similarly, if you join the gym in the summer, you\u2019ll get a better rate. This is because in the summer the weather is warmer, so many people want to exercise<\/a> outside instead. Gyms tend to waive their initiation fees during the summer months. So consider signing up then to get a better deal.<\/p>\n You might just want to skip the gym altogether. After all, who says you have to go to the gym to get a good workout. I\u2019m a huge proponent of exercising at home. You have more privacy, you don\u2019t have to wait to use the equipment, and best of all it\u2019s totally free!<\/p>\n You can easily find workouts online or even right on your phone.<\/p>\n There are tons of apps on the Google Play and App Store, like Home Workout<\/a>, which offer free workouts. YouTube is another great place to find exercises, like yoga and strength training.<\/p>\n Did you know that working out and being healthy can actually make you money<\/a>?<\/p>\n Really!<\/p>\n There are apps out there that\u2019ll pay you to walk<\/a>, lose weight, and more!<\/p>\n Here are some apps that pay you to be healthy:<\/p>\n There are so many ways to get a cheap gym membership, so give them a try.<\/p>\n And let us know in the comments section how you save money on the gym.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n2. Join a low-cost gym<\/h3>\n
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3. Check Costco for cheap gym memberships<\/h3>\n
4. Get a ClassPass & save at hundreds of studios<\/h3>\n
5. Compare prices online<\/h3>\n
6. Negotiate on the price of the membership<\/h3>\n
7. Join as part of a group<\/h3>\n
8. See if your insurance benefits can get you a discount<\/h3>\n
9. Read the contract<\/h3>\n
10. Look out for changes to the gym\u2019s membership fee<\/h3>\n
11. Show your student ID<\/h3>\n
12. Save in cities with AHFA PassBook<\/h3>\n
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13. Consider community recreation centers<\/h3>\n
14. Ask your employer<\/h3>\n
15. Join a gym at the right time<\/h3>\n
16. Skip the gym altogether<\/h3>\n
17. Make money from being healthy<\/h3>\n
Happy Working Out!<\/h2>\n