GYMS are one of the great businesses of our age - places that charge a fortune so you can run alone, on the spot.
Yet this week a massive loophole has opened up which can permanently cut £400 a year off Virgin Active, LA Fitness or Cannons gym membership.
In a nutshell, get Pruhealth's private medical insurance policy, which can cost as little as £20 a month, and gives free or heavily subsidised gym membership worth up to £80 a month.
Thus for gym users, it's worth doing even if you're not interested in the medical insurance.
The condition is you must "go to the gym" - assessed by how many days you swipe in. Pruhealth has confirmed that "visits are recorded when your card is swiped on entry; what you do when in the facility is at your discretion".
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So if twice-weekly workouts are beyond you and the gym is near home or work, just swipe when walking past to get you over the threshold. Existing members of these gyms can access the deal too.
How the costs are worked out
The cost is worked out quarterly based on your prior three months' attendance.
Regular users: an average of two or more visits a week. This qualifies you for free gym membership at Cannons and LA Fitness, and £5 or £15 a month at Virgin Active.
Occasional users: an average of one to two visits a week. The fee is discounted between 25% and 75%, depending on the club.
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Infrequent users: less than once a week. Here the discount is negligible.
However, a big plus is that, unlike normal gym membership, it can be terminated at any time by cancelling the insurance.
How to calculate whether you'll save
Step 1: Assuming you are only interested in the gym membership, get a Pruhealth quote, but request the most basic cover level.
Step 2: Add any additional gym costs. Everyone must pay a £25 activation fee and the "occasional user" rate for three months while your usage is assessed. Then add in any remaining cost for the year for your specific club.
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Step 3: Calculate if you'll save. The biggest savings are likely for under 45, nonsmoking, regular users or those who swipe-and-go.
If you are with a free cashback membership site like Quidco or Topcashback, it will pay you to sign up.