Should I join pricey posh gym with spa or cheaper local gym?

[Needtobefitterrr]

I only do classes and swim at the gym.

There’s an expensive David Lloyd a 10 min drive from me (v expensive!!) that looked amazing on the tour. There’s also a much cheaper local gym that is a 10 min walk from me and a quarter of the price.

I don’t know which to go for!

Pros of expensive gym is lots more classes and my children can join and do classes too. And the spa!

Pros of closer gym is the price, it does have a pool and classes and also only a 10 min walk. No kids option though.

Which should I choose?! Is the spa and the kid stuff really worth it?

For me convenience is the key. I go to a gym which is a 7 minute walk away, or even quicker if I jump on my bike. I never have the hassle of needing to drive there and park. I can walk or cycle and I really have no excuse not to go. I would check the times of the classes and whether suit your schedule. Doesn't matter if there's loads of classes, it matters if they're at the right time for you. I wouldn't worry too much about the kids!

Obviously the cheaper local one!

I’d enquire about class occupancy rates if that’s your main form of exercise as many at my gym are almost impossible to get a place in! I agree a lot about convenience, I wouldn’t go half as often if I had to get the car out every time.

Whichever one you'll actually go to. Either is too expensive if you don't use it. I was a member of a cheap gym for about 6 months but didn't have the motivation to do a programme by myself. I'm now with an expensive one but have done three really good classes each and every week for 18 months. More expensive but better value.

I joined a close cheap gym but then found that it was always rammed, full of groups of teenagers on the equipment for ages which meant I coukdnt get on anything and the classes were always full. I moved to a much more expensive one a bit further out and found it a much nicer place to be and no where near as busy. Both needed me to get in the car tho

I go to one of the cheaper David Lloyd’s, though it’s still much more than the other local gyms. For me it’s worth it because it’s a nice environment, which encourages me to go often, and I use all the facilities - tennis, gym, classes, pool. It’s relatively cheap to add kids on, and they can do their swimming lessons there as well as all the other activities that let you use the spa!

I go to DL 5 times per week, one of the neon things that keeps me going is because it's 'nice' there, definitely makes the difference for me!

That’s interesting about class occupancy rate! I might see if the cheap one does a trial week or something similar to see if it’s too busy…

I really like the DL. But the price of it shocked me!

The one you will actually use. How old are your kids? I wouldn't base my decision on their needs - my son was desperate to go to the gym, but lasted 1 week.

Haha yes I wonder that about mine! They are 11 and 8 and would do the classes on offer. The 11 year old wants to actually use the gym section but not sure if that’d last!

Read the small print on the David Lloyd cancellation policy.

There was a stooshi before about how long you had to remain a member for after you gave notice.

DL require 3 months' notice in writing to let you leave. I used to pay £98 per month there, on corporate discount. I now pay £29 per month at a very nice council gym. The equipment is better and newer. Far less frequent breakdowns of sauna and steam room.

Can you do a free trial of both and see which you prefer?

David Lloyd only offers a cooling off period (ie: you sign up but can change your mind within 14 days) rather than a free trial. So I’d get a refund?!

Gosh three months though! That’s a lot!

But the local gym do a free trial. And they also do no commitment for £10 a month more, which I like!

I'd go for the closer gym over a David Lloyd. It may vary from gym to gym, but I have heard of various issues including difficulty of ending contracts, gender based changing rooms, maintanence and avaliability of facilities. Being family friendly can affect things like practical access to pools to be able to do a fitness swim.

Spas are nice, but as a regular member, it adds extra time to the gym visit so either you end up going in little and often and only using a sample of facilities at a time, or it can end up being an offputting time commitment, or just not using it much. How much additional time are you likely to spend in a spa compared to the additional costs?

It's likely to be worth trying the cheaper gym first and seeing if that's better. You could then "upgrade" to DL if you think that meets your needs better.

Convenience for me, I like in and out in 40 minutes. Mines a 3 mini drive so I'm home straight away....

I'm a member at DL. I really like it, but I do a lot of classes and like to swim outdoors all year round. Whilst it isn't cheap, on a cost per basis, it is worth it for me. The timetable fits in well with my daily schedule. I find it friendly and clean.

In that case I think it is a no brainer to do a free trial at the cheap local gym and see how you get on.

Ypu can always upgrade to the DL if you really get into it and decide you'd enjoy the extra perks.

Choose the one you will use the most, even expensive gyms are good value when you use them a fair bit.

If it wasn't for the dc, I would definitely try the cheap local gym that you can walk to and treat myself to a bit of posh(er) gym tourism via Hussle or Spaseekers occasionally, or a studio Pilates class or a park bootcamp - whatever you feel is missing. You'd still save a lot of money. See what you think of the classes as pp have said and switch to DL if they aren't good....

But the children complicate it - if it really is something you would do regularly as a family, if it means you can go more often, if if means you get better value (do you pay a lot more for the dc....?). Think that makes it apples and pears basically - joining something as a family that becomes part of your family life is very different.

DL has some other small print about when the months notice starts so it can end up four months....

Let's say you need to give full months notice and you tell them on the 2nd of October, I'm sure it was full calendar months or something so giving notice on 2 October is actually considered to be early notice for 1 November (as 2 October isn't a full month of October so it doesn't count) and it's three months from then... so giving notice on 2 October means you still have to pay for November December and January!

honestly it was all over here before. People were going crazy. I can't remember the ins and outs but be very very careful of any deal with them that involves notice periods....

I love DL. It has completely turned my life around, my kids enjoy the classes and I've lost a significant amount of weight, I'm having so much fun and without particularly trying I'm going to the gym 20 times a month.

It's made such a difference to my health. Your kids are old enough to join in on the rebels classes (parent and child together)- there's a holistic meditation/yoga one and a HIT one.

It's crazy money but honestly, it's made me prioritise my health and I have cut costs like my hair colouring at a salon and the recipe boxes we used to get in order to keep it in the budget. I used to spend a fair amount on kids sport clubs and going swimming. Now it's all done at DL so there is some vague justification in my head.

They do a 3 month membership offer periodically. Maybe worth waiting for that so you've got a definitive period and no notice period worries?

Personally the cheap one and then once you are in the gym habit you can decide.

Try the cheap one and see how you get on. If it's not working, think why, and assess as best you can whether you'd use the expensive one better/ more. Unless your kids are dead keen, in which case start with the expensive one and see whether the kids' keenness lasts?

Either way, I'd be open to switching.

I read that proximity of the gym is a key factor.

I would regard having the option to co ordinate DC / exercise planning with the costlier one as a negative factor!

Do you have to pay extra for the kids
At DL?

In winter months, its good to have that facility....something to do on a cold and wet day