No Better Time To Get Fit: Gyms Are Slashing Prices
One of the first things to get the ax when people cut back is the monthly gym membership fee — which means that gyms all over the country are slashing prices in order to attract new members to replace the ones who are sloughing off.
Many gyms are offering the usual "resolution" special — waiving joining fees for the month of January, and even high end clubs may be offering special recession deals this month. The LA Times gives a few examples of deals they've found:
* Lapsed members of the upscale SportsClub/LA (thesportsclubla.com) were recently invited to return with no need to pay the one-time initiation fee, which can be at least $600, and no membership dues for two months, a savings for some of at least $330.
* A two-week free guest pass at Bally Total Fitness (ballyfitness.com), which recently filed for bankruptcy reorganization but says it plans to continue operations;
* One month free, then 50% off the monthly membership fee, through March 6 at Curves (curves.com);
* No enrollment fee at Gold's Gym (goldsgym.com);
Of course, some clubs are more expensive than others, so be sure to shop around for the best deal. Also, be sure to be very, very clear on the details of your contract. Canceling a gym membership can be a pain — so it's really best to look for a month-to-month option.
If you already have a membership and you're thinking of quitting, contact the membership office and see what they can do for you. You might be able to freeze your membership — or maybe renegotiate it entirely.
And before you toss that membership — consider cutting back on other things and committing to using it more. Used correctly, a gym membership can save you money.
From MSNBC:
Robin Elton, 32, a stay-at-home mom in Landenberg, Pa., who’s always on a tight budget because of her single-family income, says she’d cut out her cable subscription before dropping her $78 a month family membership to the local YMCA.
“I consider it to be an investment in our health,” says Elton. “Going to the gym motivated me to quit smoking and continues to motivate me to watch my diet. The way I see it, this saves me boatloads of money later on doctor and dentist bills.”
Since joining the gym a year ago, Elton goes to the gym about three times a week and has lost 20 pounds. In addition to saving the money she would have spent on cigarettes, she quit buying junk food, too.
The gym also offers family entertainment. Rather than making a trip with her three kids to the mall or movies, where they’d spend more money, the family often heads to the Y to swim or shoot hoops.
“All in all, I think my gym membership is one of the best deals going,” Elton says.
Work out for less: Shape up and save in 2009 [MSNBC]
Gyms Are Slashing Prices [LA Times]
(Photo: strobist )
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Comments:
The Bally's freebie is a scam! They eat you alive with fine print.
Noooooo! Stay away!!! All you January-March exercisers just clog up the gym for those of us who go year-round!
@Jubilance22: Tanning isn't free with the $10 plan - and I'm far too ugly to subject myself to that just yet, but there's one by me and I'm thinking of joining.
Right now though, the only thing I'm doing is running and I can do that outside for free. I'll think about it.
If I can get boyfriend to come with me, I'll do it.
I <3 my local Boston gym with no contracts EVER and sweet promotional deals all the time like 3 months for $99.
In many locations YMCA is also waiving registration fees until Jan 31st.
I concur. To receive the two-week free guest pass @ Bally's you have to endure a 1 hour "high pressure" sales pitch.. The sales rep has the ability to deny you the full two weeks.
I find that sales reps for gyms are much like used car salesmen.
Watch out for Bally's. They're infamous for being almost impossible to cancel out of. Personally, I cancelled my gym membership in favor of walking outside.
I wonder if my community fitness and aquatic center is slashing their prices as well, though I don't know if you can go much lower than $200 per year
I was a member of the YMCA until recently. Their prices aren't horrible...it's about $70 a month for my wife and I (with her discount from work), but they just raised their rates another $2 a month. So now I am fixing up a home gym in our basement. Going to cost about $2,000, but should pay for itself in about 2 years.
I work on a college campus and our fitness center costs only $15 a month and is taken directly out of my paycheck. I can take all the aerobics classes I want!!
Wait, I'm confused. I thought one of the few *benefits* of a sour economy was being able to justify canceling my gym membership.
Absolutely. Man, the Rezzies (New Year's Resolution) make my workouts 45 minutes longer because they just sit on the machines and talk or rest, and then they'll sit and dutifully check off each...set...of...their...workout. Arrrrrgh.
@Underpants Gnome: Absolutely. Man, the Rezzies (New Year's Resolution) make my workouts 45 minutes longer because they just sit on the machines and talk or rest, and then they'll sit and dutifully check off each...set...of...their...workout. Arrrrrgh.
@Saboth: Yeah, I was suprised to pay $40 a month as a student!.
Even with a full-time job now, $70 is just too much...
I'm a big fan of the shows on Fit TV and just following along with their programs. They are always different and there is no boring routine to break. However, it does require paying for cable.
Run from Bally's. They will do anything - including swapping contracts under your nose as you watch with bemused horror - to rip you off. And their contracts are infamous for being awful for escaping from, once you've wised up that you've been conned.
Speaking from personal experience at the former and from 2nd hand experience at the latter.
I just canceled 24 Hour Fitness at $60/month. There is membership for sale at Costco, $299 for two (2) years. So, in five months I would be way ahead each month.
Nonetheless, I am using the fitness room where I live now to save money.
I am all about my planet fitness, $10 a month, unlimited 24/7 access, free personal trainers, and for another $10/mo, unlimited tanning.
I won't be cancelling. It's worth it even if I only go 2 days a month since a day pass at Bally or the athletic clubs is $7.
I joined a high end gym for a registration fee of $10 since the first month was free. It's also month to month, so if I get tired; I just give notice and keep it moving.....
@Trai_Dep: Even once you manage to cancel your membership (our contract was up and we were month-to-month), they still send us mailings ALL THE TIME. It is now 5 years later, and somehow they found our new address and are still sending us "Come Back!" letters.
I lost nearly 30 pounds after joining Curves in college, but I had to quit because it was driving me nuts: the techno Disney music, the techno Christian music, the repetitiveness, the crappy hours...having said that, the people were nice. It wasn't bad for a little while, and the environment was non-threatening or whatever, but by the end I was losing my mind.
@Underpants Gnome: Makes sense for my area though, since Jan-March is the coldest time of year here, aka the time when you can't exercise outside. Some may be losing the gym membership in favor of exercising outside, although if you are doing that you should be picking up again come October-November. Its not surprising that more people come to the gym during that month for those reasons.
If you are not at the gym to use it though you shouldn't be there.
@acklenheights: Ohhh, those people. They always look really confused as to why they're not losing weight...as they sit for 15 minutes on the machine, doing nothing!
@Saboth: Our family membership (wife and I) went from $51 to $54 last year, and up to $57 this year. I don't like that trend, YMCA!
But I feel really bad negotiating with a non-profit, so I'll take it.
@Underpants Gnome: At my YMCA, the parking lot is about a minute walk from the front door. It's amazing when 4-10 cars are parked on the yellow fire lane curbs right in front of the building...and the people are inside working out! You jerks, you're here to work out and couldn't walk an extra 20-30 steps?
@Jubilance22: I've been a PF member for almost a year now. Their prices are awesome and I totally dug the no-nonsense (i.e. no pressuring sales people) approach to signing up. Best deal I found in Colorado Springs.
@soloudinhere: Whoa, your PF is open 24/7? I'm jealous.
Still love them though. I've been a member for about a year and it's great. And ridiculously affordable.
OR, you could join a place like Planet Fitness, where if you don't mind purple and yellow strength equipment, the fee is only 10 bucks a month anyway.
Bonus, if you pay 20 bucks a month, free massage chairs and free tanning.
I like it a helluva lot better than the likes of Golds Gym, with their preening bodybuilders who look at the average person with a nasty sneer on their beefcake faces.
Totally didn't see this comment before I posted myself. Yeah, mines not 24/7 either, but this is SO much better than any of the $40-60/month places. Can't stand Curves, can't stand Golds Gym.
PF has what I want: A lot of machines (no waiting), clean facilities, nice staff, cheap price.
@selianth: I went in just to see what specials they were running and they quoted me $299 for a year, no down payment and my job covers $200 of it. I told them I wanted to think about it but would be back the next day. Of course the guy did the hardsell and said I could purchase it now and have 3 days to change my mind etc etc but I wanted to think it over. Returned the next day only to find that the price had increased $50!! IN A DAY!! I had the guy's quote in writing and they all acknowledged the sudden price increase but they were not budging.
Oh yeah great job guys, now I TOTALLY want to sign a fine print filled contract with you.
I joined Fitness 19 in Brooklyn Park, MN for only $49 down and $19 per month. The nice part is there are no contracts so I can cancell at anytime and they have small group fitness classes. I came from an Anytime Fitness and they were $30 per month and one year contract.
Costco has 24 Hour Fitness for 2 years at $299 although it does exclude some of the extra fancy locations.
I got rid of my gym membership several months ago and instead purchased a membership at the local community centre. It cost less than half what the commercial gym did and it's a 5 minute walk away versus a 20 minute commute.
The community centre's weight room is a bit grim and small but there are fewer machines to injure my spaghetti arms. The indoor run/walk track is a huge plus.
@TinkishDelight: Hee.
My guy touted a "deal so special that Corporate doesn't know about it". Verbally, of course. When I asked to get it in writing, he said the computer would automatically put it in. When I tried reading the contract, he tried to take it back, saying "No one actually reads those," but I insisted. Pointed to the All terms must be in writing clause and he said, "They don't mean that".
...I could go on, and on, and on. By that point, I was just leaning back and enjoying the spectacle of lying liars lying for the simple pleasure of it. Easily the most dishonest class of salespeople I've ever run across, but painfully inept at it.
30 comments, 8 glowing reviews for "Planet Fitness"
I hope they are paying you.
@Trai_Dep:
Couldn't agree more. I can't believe they're still in business. I've heard so many HORROR stories from friends and family I will probably never set foot in a Bally's.
I love Planet Fitness. I've been a member for about a year and a half now. I go 4 or 5 days a week. My only complaint is that it isn't closer to my house. I live across the street from a YMCA (but can't afford the $60/mo membership) and have to drive 20 minutes to get to my closest Planet Fitness. You can't beat $10.00/mo with no contract though.
@Underpants Gnome: Amen to that. I've run into the same stuff. You don't need to hang onto/sit on the machines to visit, and if you're going just to be seen (look at me-I'm WORKING OUT), please quit the Y and go down to one of those meet markets (Curves/Lifestyles/etc.).
@batsy: Sorry, I guess you didn't say if you were a student or not. But I guess I don't understand why it still costs you money to use the facility if you work there..
@HungryTuna: A one-HOUR sales pitch? At least I've never had to endure that from a used-car salesman.
@lalaland13: If there's anything worse than Disney, it's techno Disney. And I say that as a fan of techno in general. You have my sympathy.
@DePaulBlueDemon: I must be lucky. I've never had an issue with Bally's and have been a member for years in both OR and NY. I just renewed my husband and I for another year at $25 a month. Pretty sweet deal considering no other gym in our area was less than $100 a month for the 2 of us.
OK, you guys just pushed me over the line... I drive right by a Planet Fitness on my way home from work every day. Guess I'll stop in and sign up.
@revmatty: I have to ask, what do these more expensive gym chains have on the Y? Most YMCA's have trainers if you want one, and the equipment tends to be very good.
Plus, they offer monthly memberships, which is great if you aren't sure if you can pull off an exercise routine. A yearly membership is a better deal, but it's only realistic to try a short membership before you make a big investment you may not use.
@Saboth: Still, the Y is great if you don't have the space or the means to pay for a home gym. Also, if a person expects to move/travel domestically a lot, there's a Y almost everywhere, while moving exercise equipment is expensive and impractical.
@dripdrop: My college gym is free to all students and faculty. Still, if you're not part of the institution directly, $15 is a real steal.
To be honest, though, I wish my college gym would replace the equipment. The exposed foam and duct tape are starting to get a little gross, and they've stopped including the gym as part of the orientation tour because it turned the athletic prospectives off.
I belong to Planet Fitness, and I saw they were running a promotion where it was $1 to join and $10 a month, no contract. I thought that was a great deal to go in and work on machines and tan.