How To Not Feel Bad About the Cost of Your Gym Membership

One problem with people getting excited about coming to the gym, getting fit, and changing their lives is when it doesn’t work out — you spend the money on a 6-month or 1-year pass, or on some personal training courses, and then you don’t put the effort in, and the money goes to waste.

It’s a rough cycle, because you start to associate that big waste of money with the gym, and the whole world of fitness and good health in general. And sure — there are plenty of products in the fitness world that are designed expressly to take your money, and that don’t make it very easy for you to get healthy by using them. There’s a reason new diet books come out by the truckload every year.

But a gym isn’t one of these places — people have been using them, successfully, to get in amazing shape for years.

If you find yourself stuck in that vicious circle of “not wanting to spend too much” for your gym membership because you’re nervous about how it might be a waste of money — read on. I’ve got some tips on how to avoid doing just that.

Make a Realistic Schedule and Stick to It

One of the main problems with getting a brand-new gym membership that you didn’t just pay $10 for is that you want to really get your money’s worth, right away.

There’s nothing wrong with that philosophy — except for the fact that it often leads to a kind of over-commitment at the beginning, when, not realizing that gym-going is a habit you’re going to need to work yourself into, you create a schedule that’s simply unrealistic for your current situation.

Getting to 3-4 Times a Week

Believe me — I want you to be in the gym 3-4 times a week, depending on your needs. There’s nothing that makes a personal trainer happier than seeing their client get into a rhythm that is really working — to see them reach a level of commitment to their fitness that proves how serious they are about it.

But it’s something you have to build to. Most of us lead lives that aren’t exactly empty — and so inserting several hours worth of gym-going into an already “booked” week, right off the bat, isn’t really the best idea.

Instead, try this: accept the fact that you want to get to 3-4 times a week. But start your schedule at 1-2 times, or 2-3 times a week. Be realistic and honest with yourself about how often you can spare the time, how often you’ll make the time, and how often you might find yourself skipping workouts.

Then, build up to 3-4 times a week and really feel like you’re getting your money’s worth from your membership. If you try and do too much, too soon — as with anything — you’ll over-commit and then burn out sooner, and then you’ll really know what it means to waste money on a gym pass.

Find a Gym With Long Hours

Another realistic way to really avoid the regret of not being able to go to the gym often enough is by finding a gym that’s open early and open late.

It sounds simple, but it’s really important — when your gym gives you the flexibility to work out on a Saturday at 10PM, there’s all the more chance you’ll be able to take advantage of that time, and won’t feel constricted by overly-short closing hours.

Put a Price on You, In Shape

Finally, every once in a while, think about this — if it takes you 6 months to get into the best shape of your life in a gym, and you add up the cost of those 6 months, is that a reasonable price to pay for great health?

Everyone I know — and I’m pretty sure everyone reading this — would say yes, no matter what the price. Obviously, just paying for a gym pass isn’t everything — you’ve still got to put that work in. But for many people, it really helps if they sit down and say “Ok, I’m going to spend $400 on X months of gym-going, and that $400 is going to change my life.”