How much will it cost me to join a gym?
Most health clubs charge a one-off joining fee to cover the cost of administering your membership and introducing you to the facilities. Fees can vary widely, even within chains, so check details with your local club.
For example, Esporta, the third-largest chain in the country with 59 clubs, says its joining fees range from £30 at a club with standard facilities to an astonishing £990 at its top clubs, which offer extras such as tennis, badminton and squash courts.
If you want to play racket sports as well as use standard gym facilities, David Lloyd clubs offer a lower joining fee than Esporta, at £40 to £100.
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Cannons health clubs are among the cheapest on the market for standard facilities, with joining fees of £25 to £35.
Some clubs are moving away from joining fees in favour of more expensive starter packages. Holmes Place, which has 45 clubs in Britain, has three starter packages, costing from £39 to £129, depending on the club, offering sessions with a personal trainer, help with healthy eating and an eight-week fitness review.
But you can pay a joining fee of £29 to £59 if you simply want an induction.
How can I save money on the joining fee?
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It is worth asking for a discount on the joining fee at this time of year because clubs are so keen for your business.
Many even offer “free” membership in January to catch people who are desperate to get in shape. This usually means no joining fee, but you will still have to sign a contract to pay a monthly subscription for up to a year.
And how much will I pay every month?
Subscriptions vary depending on the club location, the kind of membership and whether you will use it at peak times, but as a guide the average monthly fee for a single adult at peak times is £40.
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Holmes Place has three main levels of club: Select, Classic and Privilege. Most are Select clubs and generally have a pool, a gym and fitness studios. Membership costs £46 a month at peak times, £43 off-peak.
Classic clubs, with superior facilities, cost £72 a month at peak times, and £67 otherwise. There are only a handful of luxury Privilege clubs, including the Mayfair Health Club. Membership is £116 a month at peak times, or £91 off-peak.
Always read the small print when you sign up. At Holmes Place, you sign for a 12-month contract that you can cancel only in exceptional circumstances. At Cannons, you need serve only two months of the 12-month contract before you can cancel at a month’s notice.
How can I save money on membership fees?
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Clubs often offer reduced monthly fees if you join with your spouse or housemate.
Check your local-authority leisure centre. Many use private firms to run their gyms, so the facilities are often as good as in private clubs, but fees may be lower and you do not normally need a long-term contract.
At Harpers Fitness, which runs gyms at 100 local authority leisure centres, you might pay £50 to join and £40 a month.