The New Year is the busiest time for gyms. So many people make losing weight or getting in shape a resolution, and they flock to gyms to accomplish it. Regardless of whether they’ll meet their resolution, all of these gym membership costs are definitely a waste of money and will keep you from maximizing your hierarchy of savings.
Gym membership costs Americans over $60 per month on average, and expensive gyms like Equinox cost $300 per month. That’s a lot of money to spend for something that you can get for free.
Below are four reasons why gym memberships are a waste of money, and what you can do instead to get in shape and lose weight.
Gym Memberships Suck Up Time
Gym memberships cost time in addition to money. If your commute to the gym takes a half hour to get to, that’s an hour out of your day.
In addition to the time it takes to get there, you’ll spend a great deal waiting around for stations and weights to open up. Should you wait for the 40 lb dumbbells to free up, or just do 35 lb with more reps? This gets pretty annoying when you figure how much you’re spending to be there.
Work out at home or run outside. You won’t have to wait on anybody, and you’ll save a ton of money.
There are Tons of Free Alternatives
How much does it cost to hike, run, or bike outside? Not only are these options free, they’re a lot more scenic than the inside of a gym.
Many people go to gyms for the social aspect – they meet friends and workout or run together. Go on hikes or runs to keep that social component going. You’ll be able to catch up while you hike, and enjoy some incredible scenery.
Another free option is setting up a home gym. Buy a pair of dumbbells for $20, a used P90X workout for another $20, and you have a home gym for $40. You could buy a treadmill, but why spend all that money when you could run outside?
You Stop Going to the Gym
I hear this one all the time – “if I spend money on gym membership costs, it will force me to go”.
That’s not how motivation works. Whatever kept you from going to the gym before will creep up again in no time. If you wanted to watch Netflix instead of workout, a $300 per month membership won’t teach you otherwise.
Problems are never improved by simply throwing money at it – do the hard work and address everything that’s holding you back.
Why Gym Membership Costs are a Waste of Money – The Bottom Line
Gym membership costs are a huge drain on your money and time. The average membership costs over $700 per year, and high-end memberships can cost around $4k per year. After spending all of that money, you’ll also spend time commuting to the gym, and waiting for machines and weights to be available.
Save that money and use one of several free alternatives. Hiking, running, and biking outside are much more scenic, and you can’t beat the price. Home gyms are also a great option – you can build a solid home gym for less than $50.
If you aren’t working out today, don’t assume that you’ll start going after throwing money at the problem. Address all of the reasons why you aren’t working out, otherwise you’ll have a massive expense eating away at your savings.