H E A LT H
Joining the gym
January is traditionally the month when many consumers vow to get fit. So
no better time to delve a little deeper into the world of gyms.
AT A GLANCE
Membership
costs.
Survey.
Exercise levels.
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The number of us who get enough
exercise has been at around 40% for the
last 20 years, according to the national
lifestyle survey, SLAN. After the excesses
of Christmas and the dawn of a New
Year, this fact often becomes prominent
in our minds. We resolve to reform and
become fit and active.
While not to dampen spirits, for many
this isn’t long lasting and if joining the
gym is part of our vows as a reformed
character it can be costly (see The
economics of exercise). That said, there are
consumer choice
a greater number of options available
than in the past and choosing wisely
can cut costs (see Our survey says).
Good intentions
Rather than jumping in at the deep end
and setting the bar too high it might be
better to start by making sure we follow
official guidance on minimum amount
of physical activity and work from there
(see Get Ireland Active, Useful websites).
• Adults should get at least 30 minutes
of moderate exercise 5 days a week or
DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011 HEALTH
a total of 150 minutes weekly.
• Children and teens should get 60
minutes every day.
• Medium paced cycling or swimming,
brisk walking, ballroom dancing and
gardening are considered moderate
exercise.
• Active sports (football, soccer, squash,
tennis), fast paced cycling, swimming
lengths, skipping and jogging (mile in
10 minutes or less) are considered
vigorous exercise.
• Vigorous activity counts as double,
our survey says...
Useful contacts
National Consumer
Our survey1 of 20 gyms and leisure facilities from around the country revealed the following findings:
Agency
1890 432 432
• Annual fees The average cost was €428 for 12 months, with the
more expensive gym memberships between €600 and €700. This is
similar to the patterns found in our previous gym surveys from 2003
and 2005. The cheapest prices found in previous surveys were
around €300 to €350 for 12 months, whereas now this can be as
low as €200. Off-peak annual membership was offered by 45% of
those surveyed, with this costing on average €358.
• Joining fees Extra fees can be charged on new gym memberships
and are described in different ways, such as a joining, administrative
or initiation fees. From the sample we surveyed there was an extra
fee 25% of the time, however this sometimes only applied if paying
by direct debit.
• Direct debits Choosing to pay by the month can end up costing
quite a bit more than paying 12 months upfront. Of those we
surveyed who offered a monthly direct debit payment option, you’ll
end up paying on average 34% more than paying for 12 months
upfront.
• Urbanites have greater choice Consumers in cities will have more
options than elsewhere. There is now a greater amount of
competition in the gyms market with the advent of what can be
characterised as ‘low cost gyms’ providing fitness machines and
none of the frills.
• Options A six-month membership cost on average €247 with 70%
of those surveyed offering this as an option. The option to use the
gym on a ‘pay as you go’ basis was only offered by 30% of facilities
surveyed and was more common at leisure centres run by local
authorities or community facilities, which averaged at around €6.80
per use.
• Discounts Most gyms offer discounted membership options: 70%
gave a lower rate for students, 60% for pensioners and 60% if two
people joined together. However only 20% gave discounts for the
unemployed and this was only found at leisure centres run by local
authorities or community facilities. Low cost gyms didn’t often give a
range of discounts, mostly offering the same prices across the board.
www.consumerconnect
.ie
Citizens Information
www.citizensinformatio
n.ie
1890 777 121
021 452 1600
1
Note: Survey carried out between 28 September and 7 October 2010
every minute counts as two.
For others, joining the gym adds the
extra guilt of making a financial outlay
that should in theory drive us to make
use of the gym’s services we have paid
for. And use of gyms seems to be on the
up with more of us now taking exercise
on our own than participating in team
sports.
Exercise patterns
Last year’s Irish Sports Monitor report
found that 9.8% of people surveyed were
members of a gym or fitness centre,
whereas 8.4% were GAA members. Most
were not members of both, with only 5%
of gym members also GAA members.
That said, Gaelic games are still the
leading sports that include a social
element. However the report also found
exercising alone, such as going to the
gym, is the most popular way to get
some exercise, with 27% of physical
activity taken alone. The report notes this
pattern as striking and is explained in
some way by the fact that going solo is
more time efficient than committing to,
say, playing for a local football team.
Overall one main reason reported for
not exercising was a lack of time. The
most recent national lifestyle survey,
SLAN found a similar pattern with 41%
of people who were physically inactive
most commonly quoted having ‘no time’
as the reason why.
Use what you pay for
consumers when joining the gym. There
are definitely more options out there for
consumers than in the past. Basic gyms,
without pools, saunas or steam rooms
can cost less than signing up with a
leisure centre that offers a wider range of
services such as free classes, health and
beauty therapy, tanning and personal
training. If you use a gym/leisure centre
that provides these services and spend
most of your time on the treadmill then
you are paying more than you should. If
you don’t use fitness machines and just
the pool maybe consider using your local
public pool to cut costs. If unsure where
the closest one is to you, contact your
local authority or citizen’s information
(see Useful websites).
Often you don’t have to join up for a
year, and for some consumers short term
membership works well. Winter brings
more hours of darkness and if you’re put
off going for a brisk walk or spritely jog
during winter months the gym might be
a good option to boost your chances of
keeping up with your exercise routine.
Many offer one, three or six month
membership, reduced rates for off peak
times and some also offer an option to
pay as you go (see Our survey says).
Personal training
If we need an even greater boost to
motivate us, some leisure centres and
gyms have personal trainers on staff.
However personal training sessions will
cost extra, from around €30 to €70 per
session. Personal trainers can also offer
private training sessions at their studios
or at your home, who often in addition to
exercise plans, will give nutrition advice.
Be aware that the industry is not regulated
and personal trainer qualifications will
vary. Availing of fitness assessments and
tailored exercise plans that some gyms
offer as part of your membership could
also be a good compromise.
Gym contracts
Joining a gym or leisure centre can also
mean signing a contract which binds the
consumer to certain terms and conditions
THE ECONOMICS OF EXERCISE
If you identify with these extracts from Bridget Jones’s diaries, quoted in the American
Economic Review’s 2006 research on gym usage, maybe this year it’s time to still vow to
get fit. However rather than leap into a gym membership, consider less costly options first.
“Saturday 31 December. New Year’s Resolutions. I WILL… go to the gym three times a
week not merely to buy sandwich.” (Bridget Jones’s Diary: A Novel.)
“Monday 28 April….Gym visits 0, no. of gym visits so far this year 1, cost of gym
membership per year £370; cost of single gym visit £123 (v. bad economy).” (Bridget
Jones: The Edge of Reason.)
We looked at the options available for
HEALTH DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011
consumer choice
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Useful websites
WHITE FLAG AWARD
Get Ireland Active
If your leisure facility flies the ILAM White Flag, the only quality award for
leisure in Ireland, the consumer is assured that industry standards are being
met and that both management and operational best practice is being
followed. For example, before using the gym a fitness assessment or prescreening must be completed. Gym staff must hold a recognised fitness
qualification and a staff training plan must be in place. The facility must have
written cleaning procedures in place that are signed off regularly by
management to show that they have been implemented. A current Health &
Safety Statement and Risk Assessment must be in place together with an
equipped first aid station. Fitness equipment must be well maintained with
reporting and repair procedures in place. Where there is a pool, there must be
a pre-use policy with showers and toilets available before entry. The pool
should also have automatic monitoring of water quality and have controls in
place for storage of pool chemicals. Leisure facilities with the White Flag also
meet a range of other criteria (see Useful websites).
www.getirelandactive.ie
Gyms.ie
www.gyms.ie
Gymclasses.ie
www.gymclasses.ie
Institute of Leisure and
Amenity Management
www.ilam.ie
Little Steps
www.littlesteps.eu
Local Authority List
www.environ.ie/en/LocalG
overnment/LocalGovernme
ntAdministration/LocalAuth
orities/
White Flag
www.whiteflag.ie
Report by
Aisling Murtagh cc
and into paying membership fees for a
minimum period, sometimes for 12
months.
While contracts are binding,
consumers are given some protection
when it comes to terms and conditions
that are considered unfair. The European
Communities 1995 Regulation ‘Unfair
Terms in Consumer Contracts’ deems
that contracts should not cause a
significant imbalance in rights and
obligations to the detriment of the
consumer. Examples of unfair terms
include conditions such as the provider
can change the terms of the contract or
that they don’t accept liability for death
or personal injury arising out of an act or
an omission on their part.
Contracts should be written in plain
language which gives consumers clear
information on what they are signing up
to. The National Consumer Agency
(NCA) is responsible for enforcing this
legislation and consumers should report
incidences of unfairness in contracts to
them (see Useful contacts).
Elements of unfairness have been
found in contracts and the NCA
introduced gym contract guidelines in
2008. Unfair terms included those
stating the facility had no liability
following personal injury or death and
variation clauses such as those stating
management had the right to amend the
terms and conditions of the contract.
Contracts lacking clarity was also an
issue, especially around cancellation and
minimum membership periods.
Other tips before joining
Before signing on the
dotted line
Rather than signing a contract too
quickly take time to read it to ensure you
are happy to agree to its terms and
conditions.
• Understand the terms and conditions
Ask if anything is unclear. If conditions
seem unfair, inform the NCA.
• Suspending membership Check out
what the policy is if you need to
suspend your membership. Some gyms
will only allow membership
suspension due to illness or injury and
when the consumer provides a medical
certificate to prove this. Others will
allow suspension for a period with a
valid reason without a cert.
• Direct debits If you don’t want to
choice comment
Now more than ever consumers can think twice about costs and benefits to being members of a gym
or leisure centre. There are many options out there, however depending on where you live some
consumers have more options than others. Consider if the cost is justified, are you paying over the
odds for services you will never avail of? It all depends what the consumer wants from their gym or
leisure centre. For some it’s simply a quick visit, whereas others like to work out and relax afterwards
in the sauna. It is a competitive market, so if considering forking out for a membership take
advantage of free trials, assess and evaluate membership options. Also consider exercising in ways
that are free or less costly, such as: a walk or jog around the park, exercise classes and swimming
at the local pool. Regardless of whether consumers join the gym or not, fitting the minimum amount
(or more) of exercise into our routines has benefits for our health and wellbeing and should be
prioritised.
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consumer choice
commit to a yearly membership and
the gym offers monthly payment by
direct debit check if you are required
to pay for a minimum period. If there
is no contracted minimum
membership period you can cancel
your direct debit at any time with your
bank and also inform the gym.
DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011 HEALTH
• Try it first Before forking out a year’s
fee only to find out you don’t like the
gym atmosphere, try out a local gym or
leisure centre that offers a free trial. Or
if you have a friend who’s a gym
member, they may be able to get a free
‘guest pass’. However members
sometimes have to pay a fee to bring a
guest, of around €5 to €10. Some gyms
also offer the option to pay per use.
• Take your time While sales people can
be convincing, if taking advantage of
free trials don’t feel pressured to sign
up immediately. Let them know you
are shopping around before making a
commitment.
• Consider the alternatives Paying for
membership and not using it adds an
extra dimension of guilt if we don’t
exercise. Consider other options if you
think the gym is not for you. Classes
such as yoga, pilates and dance can
add a bit of variation to getting fit. A
swim at your local pool is also a good
alternative.
• Word of mouth Talk to friends and
gym users to get their feedback.
• Convenience If you join a gym or
leisure centre that’s not convenient to
home or work, or if you need to drive
there and parking is a problem,
consider that these inconveniences
may stand in the way of regular gym
use.