Gym Price?

[ImInStealthMode]

Could I ask how much you pay for your gym membership? I'm considering joining a local health club at £85 a month (they've got a good joining offer at the moment).

This includes access to an enormous gym, swimming pool, all classes and unlimited access to another good gym much closer to our home - the health club is closer to work.

DP thinks this is wildly expensive because his (Lads Lads Lads style, bring your own towel & soap, probably-got-sawdust-on-the-floor gym) is £38 a month.

Money's not an issue by the way so if I decide to join I'll join, just wondering if he's right to think it's so extortionate, when to me it seems like good value? (It's not the most expensive round here by some stretch).

its an investment, I used to pay £75 per month at a lovely place where I wanted to be - so I was there 4/5 times every week and at times did 2/3 classes on a Friday

I loved it

its cheaper than smoking 10 fags a day at £5 per day

I’d wait until they open and book a tour at peak time to make sure it’s the gym for you.
I was all set on David Lloyd for £85pm because of the amazing pool and all over fanciness but then I went for my tour and it was jam packed with kids. The pool was full and there were kids running round the changing room. I was devastated.

I settled on total fitness because they had an adults only, laned pool, a separate gym for under 18s and a ladies only gym (for when I’m feeling a bit self conscious!) I pay £42pm and it is my sanctuary. Honestly Monday cannot come quick enough!

85 is very expensive BUT for a spa type, all bells and whistles gym I get it. Mine is under £40 but it’s pretty basic.

I’d love a premium gym.
I live 100 steps away from our council gym, with access to all the others. So I was a member, £30 a month I think.
It really was my happy place- despite being in a run down old building, which really wasn’t fit for purpose.
But it was my sanctuary. I used to wait at the front door for DH to get home from work so I could run out and get to a spin or bodypump class.
Then COVID happened and we got loads of gym stuff for home. And now I prefer my spin bike and peloton app because I can put the kids in front of a screen and do a workout whenever I want.

So I realised that actually , it’s exercise and the endorphins that I love. Not necessarily the environment.

But a high end gym, if it was available to me, would be an absolute yes. If it’s something you can afford and will use, then why the hell not.
The one by work sounds like a great option.

I don't think £85 is expensive but I live in central London. Here you pay from £35 to £200+

15.95 per month off peak (which I prefer). About 8 council gyms (three pools, sauna & steam rooms). It’s basic but fine, has a variety of classes. I have no desire to hang around relaxing there and don’t use the changing rooms, I live 5 minutes walk away so can do all that at home.

The only problem is it’s so cheap there is no incentive to turn up to get my money’s worth! During lockdown I joined Les Mills on Demand, that’s only £7.95 per month so I’ll probably keep that going as well, still only adds up to less than £24 per month.

Thanks all! I went for a show round at the £85 one and have now signed up. Really nice attentive staff, loads of machines, good classes and a nice 'relaxed' pool (I'm not a strong swimmer and get a bit intimidated by blokes doing butterfly lengths at high speed).

Also turns out DP's sister just joined the same one so I have a gym buddy if I want one

So now I just have to do the hardest part; actually go!

Ps.. @Laufey I'm in Jersey so they're already open, just a few restrictions (no high intensity classes at the moment and no sauna / steam room).

Love reading you all talking about your gyms.

I wish I was a gym person!!

@ImInStealthMode I am so jealous of you right now! Hope you enjoy the new gym though it sounds fab!

I'm in Scotland and although gyms open 26th April for individual exercise we don't get group exercise classes until 17th May i think. I only go to classes so have ages to wait still

DH runs gyms for a living.

Previous site was a health club, similar price to yours. It had a nice big gym, pools, saunas, steam room, nice restaurant, kids play areas etc. But tbh it was quite old, things were always breaking, the company didn’t invest in the facilities... it was a bit of a nightmare. It’s put me off the larger health club companies a bit.

He now works for a private investor running a single site. It’s £20 pm no pool or spa facilities but everything is brand new, high spec, and is maintained really well. You could join the local council pool (which is nice enough) on top of that and still have a considerable amount of change left from the health club price.

It’s not necessarily a ‘you get what you pay for’ thing with gyms IME.

It’s not necessarily a ‘you get what you pay for’ thing with gyms IME

Yes, I think that's right. For me it was the atmosphere & range of other members. I was a bit cautious about joining a big chain, but I was really impressed by the range of ages (although no children thank goodness) and lack of either bro types or Insta gym bunnies. There are some seriously fit, athletic & impressive members - from an 87 year old woman who works out with light weights every day to a man using a wheelchair, to amazing young men doing callasthetic training . But all really friendly, and there's no hogging of the free weights - almost as many women using them as men. And when I did a huuuuuge sled pull with my PT (I think I was pulling around 4 people plus weights) I had a cheering party for the whole 10 metres. It felt really nice. I live in a friendly bit of the country I think - not a big city, but with a mix of people and professions.

I pay £19.99 a month for JD Gym which gets you the gym, classes (when back on), use of other gyms throughout the country and 10% off JD shops.

I used to pay £9.99 at Xercise4Less so I think £19.99 is expensive!

To be honest, I like going somewhere where it’s busy and everyone cracks on with their workouts. I can’t imagine paying £100 for a posh gym but I‘m just not bothered about a pool, sauna, café, etc.

I teach classes at various clubs and gyms in the home counties and membership varies from £50 a month for all facilities and classes to £150 for same but some gyms are much nicer - they have nicer pools and more than one pool, maybe an outdoor pool too with loungers and give out towels and their cafe is lovely rather than like a canteen - some of the £50 gyms are ex LA and no money has been spent on them for years - they look tired and a bit dirty and same with the equipment. Some of the cheaper ones also offer less classes and less variety so perhaps no pilates and limited yoga.

I'm with David Lloyd. 86 per month, no racquets. Outdoor pool with loungers, indoor pool, spa pool with jets, sauna and steam, gym, nice cafe with soundproof adults only section 😀 excellent adults only timetable. Decent classes. Elemis toiletries. 12 min from work.

I've just joined a gym, got my induction tonight! It's £19.99pm, no pool but a large well equipped area and classes. I'm a runner and have joined to start doing strength work, I'll keep my running outdoors. I've dabbled with exercise from home during lockdown but I don't have the discipline!

Good Luck @Iamanunsafebuilding! I'm also a runner (who has lost her running mojo somewhat) and finding that a bit of a bash on the treadmill in the gym is bringing the love back. Probably because I can go much faster and smoother on the treadmill than I do in real life. Very luck to live somewhere that Parkrun has restarted too so I've got my Saturday morning fix of social running back.

I start with a local running club next Monday to work on speed and stamina. Nervous!

I pay £22 a month for all classes and a swimming pool. I can use three other gyms, another swimming pool and the local athletics cost as well.

@ImInStealthMode

Good Luck *@Iamanunsafebuilding*! I'm also a runner (who has lost her running mojo somewhat) and finding that a bit of a bash on the treadmill in the gym is bringing the love back. Probably because I can go much faster and smoother on the treadmill than I do in real life. Very luck to live somewhere that Parkrun has restarted too so I've got my Saturday morning fix of social running back.

I start with a local running club next Monday to work on speed and stamina. Nervous!

Thanks @ImInStealthMode, I went tonight and enjoyed it! Good luck with joining a running club, I love my running club and I've been inspired by other fellow members. I've entered races and covered distances that I never thought I was capable of!

My local parkrun restarts on 5th June, can't wait!