{budget}fab*

gym memberships: are they worth it?

Posted on 08. Feb, 2010 by dara in penny pinchin'

At the start of every New Year, gyms tend to be packed with new members embarking upon their quest to fitness. Gym memberships are on “sale” everywhere and you see more diet commercials than normal. However, I have heard the occasional horror story about a gym membership gone bad after an advertised sale or promotion.

Typically the gym crowd thins out after a few weeks as people drop their new fitness plans or get tired of heading to the gym. With the recent surge in Wii popularity and games such as Wii Fit and Your Shape, I am curious to find out if gym memberships are worth the money. You can order fitness routines from the comfort of your home using On Demand cable services or turn on your Wii for a quick workout. This adds an additional convenience to working out in my opinion and I’d say that some activity is better than no activity.

I would ultimately suggest that before you splurge and jump on a gym membership that you start in your home by building a regular fitness routine. This way you’re not locked into a contract where you’re paying money for something you aren’t using as much as you thought you would. Once you build a regular fitness routine, then I’d suggest shopping around for gyms that have the equipment and/or programs that suit you best.

So what do you think {budget}fab* readers? Are gym memberships worth the money or should you pinch those pennies and develop a fitness routine at home? Take our poll below and let us know what you think!

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Tags: are gym memberships worth it, gym memberships