Wow…that is epic.
Think the most expensive gym membership I have seen round my area is David Lloyds at £100 per month. I don’t think they would iron my shirts either. 
I’m always amazed to hear what some gyms cost! Each to their own, but I’m thankful my local council-run gym is £19.99 and has classes, a pool and a fully fitted gym for that price.
(Not that I ever go 
)
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Some people think paying for a gym is stupid, but signing up to a good one and getting a PT changed my life. As well as feeling good about training properly, I stopped spending so much money on junk food and lunches at Pret and started cooking healthy meals at home, and more than saved the cost of the gym. (It did take a very long time to work out how to make simple, tasty, cheap meals - for a while I was spending a lot of money and a LOT of time cooking very elaborate recipes every night).
Before this I was a member of a cheaper gym chain and trying to work out without any guidance, so I wasn’t doing very well, ended up injuring my shoulder and feeling utterly miserable (and eating badly to cheer myself up). It definitely works for a lot of people, but I found paying for some guidance was a worthwhile investment.
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Well in central London it’s just the going rate. It is what it is.
But it was in context my point - for me personally, I need those extras to make me go. If I could go to a £19.99 a month gym (which don’t really exist in the City of London) I would.
On a note, Vitality offer 50% off the Virgin Active membership if you get their health insurance (Health Insurance | Private Medical Insurance | Vitality) - even with the cheapest rate (usually around £30 a month) you can save more than that on the gym membership PLUS it makes it a rolling monthly contract so you can cancel at any time.
It’s that reminder of what people in central London pay for things which shocks me and puts me off ever moving there.
As I said, each to their own. I’m not judging at all, I’m merely surprised by the premium people can pay for living in the capital.
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It’s not as bad as it seems. I’ve never had an issue financially.
There are plenty of Gym Group and Pure Gyms in central London! Pure Gym just bought the Soho Gyms chain, which I was going to when I started with my PT, they’ve got them all around Holborn, Charing Cross, and through the City.
I’m at Gymbox now, which is a little cheaper than Virgin, £77 a month. I really miss Soho Gyms though, it had a really nice vibe there which I don’t feel at Gymbox.
I didn’t say there weren’t those gyms, but they aren’t £19.99 a month. The cheapest closest one to me is £39.99.
The POINT really, again, was that it’s not always about how cheap it is to motivate some people. FOR ME, it’s about the general feeling of the place.
It’s the equivalent of flying - Ryanair and Emirates could theoretically get you from A to B, but people still pay more to get to B with airlines other than Ryanair.
For me I love a gym membership. I like going to classes such as Circuit Training and Boot Camp, having a routine helps and any gym with a swimming pool is a massive plus as I prefer swimming to all other forms of cardio.
However with my wife’s random work hours, 2 kids and little money I’ve had to knock gym memberships on the head. Instead i do press-ups every morning and get my cardio in by running once a week and playing football and volleyball (the latter with my wife, so we’re still spending time together.)
But it’s each to their own. I find doing work-outs at home and running more challenging mentally to start. Whereas at the gym I am in the zone and want to crack on.
Like anything it’s all about figuring out what motivates you and then using that whilst trying to keep it cost effective.
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Totally agree, as I mention, I go to Gymbox! The cheaper options didn’t work for me, for the same reasons you mentioned. But just wanted to share that there are some around at all price levels. Puregym Holborn is £19.99 and a colleague tells me it isn’t too busy, he books onto classes there fairly easily.
That’s still a good tube journey from me right now, but it would be good for my new place. Still, I like Virgin and it’s rolling monthly so I can cancel whenever.