There are a multitude of reasons to focus on your health. After all, the state of your health impacts everything from your outlook on life to how much you pay for life insurance.
If one of your resolutions for 2024 is to get healthy, you may be looking into area gyms. If so, you may also be wondering how much you can expect to pay for a gym membership. The answer to that question is "it depends." According to data from GoodRx Health, a typical gym membership costs between $40 and $70 per month. However, the amount you pay will depend on factors such as where the gym is located and the amenities offered. Here, we break it down for you.
Factors that impact gym membership price
There are multiple factors that determine how much you'll be charged for a gym membership.
Location
Major metropolitan areas tend to have a higher cost of living overall, and that can trickle down to the cost of joining a gym. If you live in (or near) a city with a high cost of living, you may want to look into gyms toward the outskirts of town. The reason is twofold: Rents near the heart of town are more expensive, and that expense gets passed on to gym members, and gyms surrounded by businesses mean more potential customers stopping by after work. The less desperate a gym is for customers, the more it can charge.
Amenities
You can count on gyms with expensive amenities, like Pilates reformers, swimming pools, saunas, pickleball courts, and fancy dressing rooms to charge more for those niceties. There's no reason to pay for the amenities unless you plan to use them.
How you pay
Some gyms offer a discount to members who pay their entire annual membership fee upfront instead of making monthly payments. A gym may also offer a discount to those who set up autopay from their checking accounts.
How often you plan to work out
While this does not apply to all gyms, some offer a price break to those who only plan to work out a couple of times a week. This is particularly true when a gym is built around classes. For example, a gym that offers yoga, Pilates, or swim classes may require frequent class-goers to pay more than those who drop in less frequently. These are sometimes referred to as "tiered memberships."
If you're in school
Many gyms offer discounts to college students. If you can provide proof that you're a student, there's a chance that you won't be stuck paying full price.
The company you work for
Most companies have figured out that the health of their employees directly impacts productivity, days missed, and insurance rates. Some of those companies will cover a portion of an employee's gym membership cost in hopes of keeping employees healthy. Before signing up for a gym, find out if your employer offers this benefit.
Your insurance
While Medicare "Part A" and "Part B" generally will not pay for a gym membership unless you have a medical diagnosis requiring physical therapy, Medicare Advantage plans may. These plans, known as "Part C" or "MA," sometimes offer health and wellness benefits like gym memberships. It all comes down to which plan you choose.
No matter what type of insurance you have, it can pay to read your handbook to learn if your plan covers fitness programs and/or gym memberships.
If now is not the right time to join a gym
If you shop around and find that a gym membership does not currently fit into your monthly budget, you have other options. Here are some ways to get moving without putting much of a dent in your personal finances:
- Draft a friend (or friends) to walk or ride bikes with you. Come up with a schedule you can stick with.
- There are some great exercise videos available for free on YouTube. Take advantage of them.
- Download fitness apps. Choose the type of workout you're interested in, and find an inexpensive app that works for you.
- Check with your local community center to learn about the types of fitness classes it offers.
- Look into a streaming service. As you would with a fitness app, choose the type of workout you would most enjoy and check how much it would cost to stream the instruction you're looking for.
Remember, paying to join a gym only makes sense if you're going to use it. If not, there are more alternatives today than ever before.
