Paying for gym visits individually or on short-term plans is only worthwhile if you have a consistent attendance record spanning over a year
Grade BMedium benefitMoneyLow costLittle timeNo willpower
According to three years of data from U.S. gyms, members who signed contracts with monthly fees exceeding $70 attended the gym just 4.3 times per month on average, which works out to over $17 per visit. Meanwhile, a 10‑visit pass costs only $10 per visit. Collectively, these members paid roughly $600 more over their membership period. Unless you’ve already been going to the gym regularly for at least a year, buying individual passes or short‑term plans is far more economical.
- Cost
- Buying passes individually ends up costing more per visit compared to an annual membership. You’ll need to honestly estimate how many times per month you actually plan to go.
- Benefit
- This study analyzed three years of data from 7,752 members at three U.S. fitness clubs. Members opting for monthly plans costing over $70 visited the gym just 4.3 times per month on average, resulting in a per‑visit cost exceeding $17. In contrast, a 10‑visit pass costs only $10 per visit. Over the same period, these members ended up paying an average of $600 more than they would have with a yearly membership. Additionally, the proportion of monthly‑plan members who kept their membership for over a year was 17% higher than that of annual‑plan members (based on three years of U.S. panel data).
- Notes
- This is just one study using data from the United States. Nevertheless, its underlying principle is universally applicable: people tend to overestimate their future self‑control. If you’ve already maintained a consistent routine of going to the gym at least twice a week for a full year, then an annual membership does prove to be the cheaper option.
Sources · 1
- DellaVigna S, Malmendier U (2006). Paying Not to Go to the Gym. American Economic Review 96(3):694-719. doi.org/10.1257/aer.96.3.694