Are you thinking about joining the gym but balking at the cost? Here is one way you can save money on a gym membership.
Are you considering joining a gym and becoming more health-conscious? You are not the only one making fitness a priority. Getting fit often tops many New Year’s resolutions. The fitness industry has more than rebounded from the pandemic. According to the Health and Fitness Association, a record 72.9 million Americans (1 in 5 people) were members at a fitness facility in 2023.
A YouGov poll found that 41% of gym-goers canceled their gym membership due to cost. The average cost of a gym membership is $59 a month or over $700 a year.
Budget gyms such as Planet Fitness can cost as little as $15 a month. Higher-end gyms such as Equinox and Life Time Fitness can set you back $200 a month or more.
In addition to the monthly fee, gyms often add an annual fee and sometimes an initiation fee. If you want the lowest price, expect to commit to an annual contract. Gyms know that half of new members quit within the first six months so they will lock you in and get their money whether you continue going or not.
Canceling a gym membership is also easier said than done. There are stories online where canceling one’s gym membership is an entire workout itself with gyms requiring people to cancel in person or by mailing in a certified letter. Otherwise, they will continue to bill your credit card or worse yet, your bank account for eternity.
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Save Money on Gym Memberships
You can save money on a gym membership by exercising at home or doing cardio outside. But what if you prefer the social aspect or the variety of equipment at a commercial gym?
You can bypass signing up for a gym membership from a gym directly and join a gym subscription program instead.
You gain access to a network of gyms, studios, and classes for a single monthly fee. Many fitness subscription programs offer different tiers, where higher fees apply to premium gym franchises and fitness classes.
Many gym fitness subscriptions are offered as an additional benefit by various groups and services such as employers, health insurance companies, and associations such as AAA and USAA. Seniors have long benefited from fitness subscriptions such as SilverSneakers which offered free gym memberships with their Medicare Advantage plans.
The biggest benefit of many gym subscription programs is getting access to multiple gyms concurrently. If you live close to an Anytime Fitness but there is an LA Fitness near your workplace where you want to workout during lunch, you can sign up for both with the one monthly fee and save a lot of money. This is great for people who travel for work and don’t want to be limited to working out in the hotel gym.
Once signed up, you get a code to give to the gym to register for a membership. When you decide to cancel your gym membership, you can do it through the program’s website with minimal hoops to jump through.
You can even limit access to your credit card by signing up using a virtual credit card if you are worried the service will continue to bill you after you decide to cancel.
Gym Subscription Networks
You may have heard of group discounts for hotels, event tickets, services, and more. But for the gym? You can save money on a gym membership by finding out if you qualify for one of the many gym fitness programs.
Commercial Fitness Programs
Active & Fit Direct
Active & Fit Direct has partnerships with over 12,700 gyms and 8,800 premium exercise studios in its network. Active & Fit Direct is available through employers, health insurance, and also many large groups and organizations, including AAA and USAA.
There is a 2-month minimum enrollment period. After two months, membership becomes month-to-month.
Membership Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Fee | Enrollment Fee |
| Standard | $28 | $28 |
In July 2024, Active & Fit announced members will no longer get access to multiple gyms simultaneously with their membership. Instead, you only get to join one gym with the standard membership. Access to other gym chains will cost $23 per month for each additional gym. You can switch to a different gym at any time. The membership change will take effect at the beginning of the next month.
Active & Fit Now
Active & Fit Now is owned by American Specialty Health, the same company behind Active & Fit Direct. The difference between the two programs is Active & Fit Now is open to all US residents 18 years old and up.
You choose from a smaller network of 8,600+ gyms and 2,600+ premium exercise studios.
Membership Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Fee | Enrollment Fee |
| Standard | $32 | $32 |
Active military and veterans are eligible for a $4 discount on the enrollment fee. There is a 2-month minimum enrollment period.
You are affected by the same limit of one active gym membership, similar to Active & Fit Direct. There is a $5 discount for each additional gym membership.
ClassPass
Do you like changing things up to keep things interesting? Then ClassPass might be the option for you. Instead of committing to a single gym or an entire month of Yoga, ClassPass allows you to pay for a month of credits to use however you want.
With ClassPass, you can find tens of thousands of classes, boot camps, gyms, studios, and even salons worldwide. Besides trendy workout options like Solidcore, Pure Barre, SoulCycle, and Crossfit, you can book massages, facials, manicures, and spa time with your ClassPass credits at lower prices than going direct.
Unused credits for the month will roll over to the next month, but you cannot roll over more credits than your subscription plan. For example, if you are on the 20-credit per month plan, you can roll over 20 credits to the next month and have 40 credits. But if you don’t use any of those 40 credits, only 20 will roll over into the next month.
Membership Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Fee |
| 8 credits | $19 |
| 20 credits | $45 |
| 38 credits | $79 |
| 63 credits | $129 |
| 80 credits | $159 |
| 125 credits | $249 |
ClassPass users can purchase additional monthly credits if they run out. User can also change or cancel their plan each month if the chosen plan no longer fits their schedule.
The drawback with ClassPass is it can be difficult to schedule a class for popular workouts and peak times will cost more credits. There are fees for late cancellations of less than 12 hours and missed reservations.
One Pass Select
One Pass Select is a fitness and wellness subscription owned by UnitedHealthcare. One Pass Select is available for health plans and employers registered with the program. Members get to choose from a large network of 20,000 gyms, fitness studios, and classes with their membership.
There are 5 subscription tiers ranging from $10 a month for digital-only content to $159. Members can choose the best tier for their needs. There is a one-time enrollment fee of $29.
Membership Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Fee | Enrollment Fee |
| Digital | $10 | $29 |
| Classic | $34 | $29 |
| Standard | $69 | $29 |
| Premium | $109 | $29 |
| Elite | $159 | $29 |
One Pass Select’s billing period is the 1st of the month. Membership costs are not prorated and you will be charged the full amount for the month regardless of which day you join.
Be sure to sign up as close to the first day of the month as possible. If you join three days before the end of the month, you will be charged the membership fee on the day you join and again a few days later.
Prime Fitness
Prime Fitness is owned by Tivity Health. Members have access to 10,000+ fitness and community locations nationwide. Members have the opportunity to enroll at multiple gyms. The Prime Fitness benefit is available through health plans and employers. One major employer that offers the Prime Fitness benefit to its employees is Walmart.
The membership price varies depending on what each health plan and employer has negotiated.
When you join your local gym with Prime Fitness, you will log in to the Prime website and retrieve the 16-digit member number to provide the gym.
Fitness Your Way
Fitness Your Way is the fitness benefit from Tivity Health for Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plan members. It is similar to the gym options offered to Prime Fitness members but there are higher-end gyms and more membership tiers.
Members can access 13,000+ gyms, athletic clubs, and high-end fitness centers nationwide.
Membership Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Fee | Enrollment Fee |
| Base | $19 | $19 |
| Core | $29 | $19 |
| Power | $39 | $19 |
| Elite | $129 | $19 |
| Pro | $159 | $19 |
| Signature | $199 | $19 |
| Premier | $239 | $19 |
Wellhub
Wellhub, formerly known as Gympass is a comprehensive wellness platform for employers to promote healthier lifestyles to their employees.
When a company subscribes to Wellhub, employees get access to everything from mental health resources to fitness and nutrition plans, and financial education tools. The result is a healthier and more productive workforce.
Wellhub offers access to over 50,000+ in-person gyms and fitness studios, 2,500+ virtual personal trainers, and 70+ premium wellbeing apps with a monthly subscription that starts at $0 per month.
Membership Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Fee | Enrollment Fee |
| Digital | Free | None |
| Starter | $11.99 | None |
| Starter+ | $24.99 | None |
| Basic | $37.99 | None |
| Bronze | $59.99 | None |
| Silver | $99.99 | None |
| Titanium | $139.99 | None |
| Gold | $194.99 | None |
| Platinum | $264.99 | None |
| Diamond | $314.99 | None |
Depending on the employer, subscribers may add up to 3 family members to their Wellhub account.
Medicare Fitness Programs
Seniors with Medicare Advantage plans have long been able to get free access to the gym as part of their insurance benefits.
Studies have shown that seniors greatly benefit from regular exercise. Working out helps improve cardiovascular health, mental health, and increases muscle mass and strength. Weight-bearing exercises also increase bone density, leading to stronger bones and preventing osteoporosis.
Different Medicare Advantage plans have different gym program partnerships. Here are some Medicare fitness benefits available to seniors:
Aaptiv Advantage
Access over 10,000 on-demand classes for everything from sleep, stretching, mobility, meditation, and over 27,000 gym locations across the US with Aaptiv Advantage. There is a workout app for progress tracking and coaching.
FitOn Health
Get access to a large selection of fitness studios, gyms, and digital content at no additional cost with FitOn Health. Every month, you get a set number of credits added to your account that can be used however you want. Choose between classes, gym memberships, and fitness accessories such as yoga mats, resistance bands, and more. All members also get access to FitOn digital content.
One Pass
Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Medicare Supplement, and DSNP members on select plans get access to the One Pass fitness program at no additional cost. You get access to a network of over 28,000 gyms and fitness studios, and over 15,000 pieces of digital fitness content that include on-demand and live-streaming fitness classes.
Renew Active
Renew Active is a fitness program available at no additional cost exclusively from UnitedHealthcare Medicare Plans. Stay active with a free gym membership from a national network of over 17,000 locations or workout from home with thousands of workout videos and live-streamed fitness classes.
SilverSneakers
SilverSneakers is available at no cost for adults on select Medicare Advantage plans. Choose between getting fit at home with live online classes, workout videos, and how-to demonstrations. Workout at over 22,000 fitness locations from national gyms to local community centers.
Silver & Fit
Silver & Fit is available to a variety of Medicare plans. Members can choose from a network of 20,900+ Standard and Premium fitness centers or you can choose to workout at home with tailored workout plans and on-demand workout videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I leave my job or switch health insurance?
Most fitness memberships will allow you to continue being a member even if you change employers or insurance companies. As long as you continue to pay your monthly membership fee, you will keep your subscription active. Should you cancel your fitness subscription, you will need to meet the eligibility requirements before being able to join again.
How much can you save with a gym fitness subscription program?
Here is how much I saved using a fitness subscription membership. I signed up for One Pass Select and the Classic membership tier, paying a $34 monthly fee, $29 enrollment fee, and state sales tax.
Then I joined LA Fitness, which has the following gym membership fees listed on the website:
Here are my savings over the first two years, assuming no future price changes:
One Pass Select:
| Initial Enrollment | $66.78 |
| Monthly fee | $36.04 |
| Cost of Year #1 | $463.22 |
| Cost of Year #2 | $432.48 |
| Total Cost of Two Years | $895.70 |
LA Fitness:
Premier (with $99 initiation fee)
| Initial Enrollment | $197.99 |
| Monthly Fee | $39.99 |
| Cost of Year #1 | $637.88 |
| Cost of Year #2 | $538.88 |
| Total Cost of Two Years | $1,176.76 |
Premier (with $0 initiation fee)
| Initial Enrollment | $108.99 |
| Monthly Fee | $49.99 |
| Cost of Year #1 | $658.88 |
| Cost of Year #2 | $658.88 |
| Total Cost of Two Years | $1,317.76 |
In the first two years alone, I’d have saved over $280 with One Pass Select.
But it gets better.
I also decided to join a 24-hour gym for the times I want to workout when LA Fitness would have already closed at 10 PM for the night. I signed up for Snap Fitness and paid only a $20 fee for the access card.
Snap Fitness:
| Initial Enrollment | $64.95 |
| Monthly Fee | $39.95 |
| Cost of Year #1 | $544.35 |
| Cost of Year #2 | $479.40 |
| Total Cost of Two Years | $1,023.75 |
I would have saved over $1,280 in two years by joining a gym through a subscription vs signing up for the two gyms directly.
Closing $ense
Exercising is beneficial for staying healthy. Joining a gym doesn’t have to be overly expensive. Before rushing out to join your neighborhood gym, explore your options to see what is available. There may be discounts from your employer, college alumni association, credit union, health insurance, and many more that could lower the price of a gym membership.
Ultimately, if you sign up for a fitness subscription program and the initial enrollment fee and monthly cost is less than going direct with the gym, you will be saving money on the gym membership and coming out ahead.
Do you have a gym membership? What are some ways you save money when joining a gym?