Vicki Anstey: Simple ways to side-step the hefty gym fees

The vast majority of people who quit their gym membership do so for financial reasons. The number one reason many people give for not working out out on a regular basis is that they can’t afford it. Being motivated to get and stay fit is only half the battle. Boutique Studios charge upwards of £25 a visit, gym memberships can stack up to a good £250 a month and Personal Trainer gym fees start at a mind-blowing £80 per session.  And if you don’t know how to construct a fitness session, add progressions or use equipment, you’re just shooting in the dark. So if you’re on a budget, fitness takes a back seat, right? WRONG.

Here are some simple ways to side-step the hefty gym fees and still reap the physical (and mental rewards) of exercise;

1. Re-frame how you think about physical activity versus exercise…

Physical activity is movement carried out by the skeletal muscles that requires energy. In other words, any movement one does is actually physical activity. 

Exercise, however, is planned, structured, repetitive and intentional movement intended to improve or maintain physical fitness. Exercise is a subcategory of physical activity. 

There is significant evidence that ALL physical activity positively contributes to overall health and well-being. So work on being ‘generally’ active (walking the dog, cycling to work, taking the stairs etc.,) for as much of the day as you can (and we’re not just talking about 10,000 steps, although that helps!) and you’ll see your fitness levels accelerate.

2. Get resourceful and avoid gym fees

With so much variety in the world of fitness, you can find plenty to do for free, or at a discounted or promotional rate. Use those ‘bargains’ to help you decide what you are prepared to invest your budget in. Look for free trials, fitness festivals where you pay an entry fee and can book into several free sessions a day, sign up to ClassPass and access a variety of different gyms and studios for a set fee each month, consider paying for a group PT with a couple of friends, hire a bike, get some friends together and hike up a hill, sign up to ParkRun, or a local running club, research YouTube workouts, enter fitness competitions, get outdoors and use nature as your gym…the possibilities are endless.

3. Find a gym/fitness space where you get max variety for your money.

Where there are different class formats that fulfil all your needs (strength, cardio, flexibility, movement, mobility etc.) Often you can pay a monthly ‘unlimited’ fee, which if you use it to the max, will give you an unbeatable price per class. And crucially, find the right kind of fitness for you. Something you LOVE and that doesn’t feel like a chore.

4. Prioritise fitness in your life.

Going to a yoga class and staying late at work to finish an important project are both ways to declare what we value in life. Exercise is vital to your life in the same way that wi-fi is vital to being able to communicate. And I’m pretty sure you’re paying a monthly fee for having wifi in your home. Seeing fitness as a leisure-time class symbol is ultimately what drives prices up in the first place, creating a social distinction between those who can have memberships and technical clothing and performance-enhancing paraphernalia and equipment and those who cannot. 

As a society, we need to see exercise as a non-negotiable part of life rather than a luxury.

Learn the difference between not being able to afford access to exercise and not really wanting to do it in the first place…learn the difference it makes to your mood. Ditch the pedicure or the new trainers or the night out that temporarily gives you the same enjoyment. It doesn’t last. The effects of regular exercise do – and when you exude confidence and good health, you don’t need expensive clothing or accessories to look (and feel) great!

5. Forget the exercise bit. Look to the other side-benefits of training.

Friendships, improved mental health, injury or illness avoidance, a longer life spent with the people you love…how much value to do you place on those things? Find a supportive, uplifting community outside of work that makes you feel like you can achieve anything. Then the exercise is really just a bonus.