Nowadays the idea of a gym is not merely the place to work out, it’s a whole set of vast facilities that help people meet their fitness goals. Gyms today offer high-quality facilities to their members such as the latest equipment, highly qualified trainers, spa, pools, personalized training, and whatnot. Offering such services leads to high costs which make gyms expensive.
Some people take high gym costs as an investment but some people who are not aware of the benefits and facilities the gym offers refer to it as a waste of money. Despite offering multiple budgetary options gyms are considered to be expensive.
Why Are Gym Memberships So Expensive?
Gym memberships are expensive because gyms have to meet the cost of providing top-class facilities to their members in order to satisfy them.
Following are some of the reasons that make gyms expensive:
- Rent/Utility Bills
- Equipment
- Trainers
- Maintenance
- Personalized plans
- Fitness classes
- Other services i.e. swimming pool, spa, sauna
- Advertisement
- Liability Insurance  Â
1: Rents/Utility Bills:
Making a well-established gym comes with huge expenses to cover, including some fixed expenses i.e. rent and utility bills.
The expectations of people from a gym have made them very costly. For instance, people expect gyms to be located at prime locations, offer 24/7 accessibility, have central heating/cooling systems, strong internet connectivity, and good sound system. Not realizing all of this comes with a cost, therefore to cover these expenses gyms charge high membership fees and are expensive.
2: Equipment
Gym equipment is one of the major reasons why gyms are expensive. Buying a huge variety of high-quality gym equipment in bulk costs millions.
This doesn’t just stop here, gyms are expected to bring in all the updated trends and latest equipment the moment they come into the market therefore to keep gyms up to date they need huge investments.
3: Trainers
Gyms offer professional trainers to train their members. These trainers are qualified professional coaches and fitness experts who provide complete trainer guidance and assist you in achieving your fitness goals.
4: Maintenance
Gym equipment may malfunction or degrade due to excess usage, Therefore for them to last longer and function smoothly gyms require timely equipment and infrastructure maintenance.
5: Personalized plans
Gyms offer personalized fitness plans as per the needs and requirements of their members, these plans may include flexible exercise plans, training by professionals and qualified trainers, and customized meal/diet plans. The main idea behind these plans is to fulfill the needs of an individual as per their requirements therefore these plans are significantly expensive.
6: Fitness classes
Gyms offer professional fitness classes to their members i.e. Pilates, Aerobics, Zumba, Boxing, Dancing, and many others. These classes are led by professional experts and take place in a suitable environment which comes with a high cost.
7: Other services i.e. swimming pool, spa, sauna
Other than providing a workout environment, gyms offer other services i.e. swimming pools, spas, and saunas to their members. These options are particular for those people who want all in one place.
8: Advertisement
In order to attract new audiences gyms often use marketing and advertising tactics. It is one of the hidden expenses a gym may have. Nowadays marketing and advertisement is an expensive things to do whether you do it via social media platforms, billboards, TV commercials, or by endorsing a celebrity it costs more than one thinks.
9: Liability Insurance
Gyms usually sign up for liability insurance in order to protect themselves against being sued and prevent bankruptcy. Liability insurance helps gyms play safe against any injuries or accidents that happen due to the negligence of the member. Similarly, the insurance helps the gym in settling in court and helps float while covering all the medical costs.
In order to cover all these above-mentioned expenses gyms charge a high membership fee, as membership fee covers around 80% of the gym’s income.
Alternative options you can opt for
Fitness and health must be a priority of an individual and the rising costs of membership should not stop one from going to gyms. In such conditions, there are multiple options that an individual can opt for:
- In-expensive memberships
- Take online fitness sessions
- Home Work-out
- Avail Coupons/Discounts
- Join Fitness CommunitiesÂ
1: In-expensive memberships
Gyms offer multiple membership packages, you can avail low-cost memberships and avoid opting for expensive services like spas, and personalized fitness plans to stay on your budget.
2: Take online fitness sessions
Online fitness sessions are the new trend. Many fitness coaches offer online fitness sessions to fitness enthusiasts who don’t like going to gyms. They offer multiple options of online fitness plans after analyzing your needs and requirements, you can choose the most suitable plan for you.
3:Home Work-out
You can also choose to work out in the comfort of your home and do all the exercises as per your needs. You can also invest in some equipment and make your own gym at home.
4: Avail Coupons/Discounts
Many Gyms offer coupons and discounts, you can also avail any of them at the time of admission. These may include student discounts, seasonal discounts, referral discounts, or any collaboration discount codes with celebrities or fitness coaches.
5: Join Fitness Communities
You may join online fitness communities, these communities will not just keep you motivated to reach your fitness goals but also help you engage and socialize with other fitness enthusiasts.
Some of the fitness communities include Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, and JeFet, and can be downloaded via Apple or Play Store on your IOS or Android Devices for Free.
Conclusion
Nowadays gym membership has become so expensive in order to meet the cost of facilities it offers to their members. Similarly elevated living costs have made it very difficult to avail such memberships, therefore there are multiple options available that one can opt for in order to stay fit and achieve their fitness goals.
