Cheap Gyms Free passes & membership from £10/mth

Gym memberships can make you sweat for the wrong reasons. Never think “it's only £40 a month”. If it's a year's contract, remember that's a £480 bill.

This is a full list of the latest free trials, pay-as-you-go deals and no-frills gyms from £10/month. Plus see what to watch out for with contracts, and what to do when gym deals go wrong.

This is a new guide. Please feed back on how you find the info and anything you'd add.

Don't commit unless you'll use it

Gyms are packed in January, but a few months later, half the people disappear. Resolutions have gone, but they're locked into a contract, possibly paying £100s a year for nowt.

Gyms aren't cheap. Add membership administration fees to the monthly charge and the annual cost is usually north of £500.

Never think a gym costs £50 a month. If you're locked in for a year's contract, always times it by 12 and think of it as a yearly cost. Remember ....

£50 a month might not sound too bad, but over 12 months, that's £600.

Pick the right option for you

If you're podgy with a beer belly and surging with good first-time fitness intention, there's a decent chance your enthusiasm may wane. By signing a year's contract, the only pounds you'll lose are from your wallet. Try out these options first.

• Free passes
  
  Before you join the gym, grab a free trial to test whether the new fitness regime's for you.
• Pay as you go
  
  A new website lets you pay as you go – it can be worth paying a little more for a few months until you're sure you'll continue. Plus no-frills and council gyms often let you pay per visit too.
• Short-term memberships
  
  If you're a newbie, it's better to use short-term membership at first, even if you pay slightly more per use/month until you're sure you'll stick. Plus often no-frills and council gyms will let you pay for a month at a time.
• Work out without a gym
  
  You don't need to join a gym to get buff. If you're on a budget, read these quick tips on working out without a gym.

Free gym passes

In the gym industry, there's a term called 'gym turkeys', meaning folks who come in in January and never turn up again – even though they're locked into a year's contract.

Never join a gym before seeing if it fits. Most offer free day-long trials, and with hidden web deals you can often push them to 10 days. These are also worth it if you don't want to join, but just want a few days in a fancy health club as a treat.

If you can't find a trial offer for your gym, call and ask. It's bound to say yes. Or ask a friend if they've a guest pass.

Short-term gym membership

Paying as you go can work out more expensive. Yet if you're new to gyms, or may not need a full year's membership, it can be worth paying a little more for a few months until you're sure you'll continue.

First check if you've a no-frills or council gym near you, which often offer decent pay-as-you options.

Alternatively, new website PayasUgym.com sells pay-as-you-go passes for 250 gyms across the UK. As an example, LivingWell in London Docklands is £6 per visit. But it would cost £12 per visit direct with the club.

Just plug in your postcode to browse nearby gyms, which each have a star rating from other users. Then register and load your account with a minimum of £3 to buy passes. It sends an email and text message – just flash either at reception.

Do call the gym to check it’s not cheaper direct. This is a new website, so feedback is limited. If you use PayasUgym.com, please feed back your experiences.

Short-contract memberships

Longer trials are a good halfway house between paying as you go and signing up for a year's contract. Here, you pay more for the privilege, but are free to go elsewhere once the trial's up – or to stop paying if you no longer go.

Most major gyms, including DW Sports, Esporta, David Lloyd, Nuffield Health, LA Fitness, Virgin Active, and Fitness First offer shorter or even no-contract options. Here are some of the best ...

Also see no-frills gyms, which offer no one-month membership options.

No-frills gyms

If you can forget saunas, jacuzzis and fit gym instructors, there's been an explosion in no-frills gyms. Prices are £10-£20/month, you can usually cancel any time and MoneySavers' feedback is hugely positive.

More are opening every month, so if you can't find one near you, do check again later. The other boon is that there's often no minimum contract length. Here are the main cheap-as-chips chains.

Cut the cost of year-long contracts

Swanky gyms want you to think contract prices are fixed. They're not. The gym sector is fiercely competitive, so there are tons of ways to slim down the price. If you're signing a contract, do ensure you read What to watch out for in contracts below.

• Haggle
  
  Most gyms employ a commission-driven sales team to sign you up, making them a prime candidate for haggling.
  
  Don't settle for the standard package. With a bit of chutzpah you should be able to slice a wedge off the cost, especially towards the end of the month, when sales staff need to meet targets.

  Once you've got the price down as far as you think it'll go, ask for some free guest passes on top. MoneySavers say Fitness First is the most haggleable gym. Virgin Active can also be flexible. LA Fitness usually won't lower the price but will throw in freebies such as towels and padlocks.
  
  If you go for a gym tour and they won't agree to a deal that day, go home without signing up. The phone often rings a few days later with a new offer. For top phrases to grease the wheels, read the full High Street Haggling guide.

• LA Fitness: 66% off cost of membership with Tesco

  You can join LA Fitness for a third of the normal price if you collect Tesco Clubcard points. When you convert Clubcard vouchers into Tesco Rewards, they are worth up for three or four times as much as when you spend them in-store.

  LA Fitness is a member of the scheme, and you can use Clubcard vouchers as part or full payment towards an annual membership and joining fee.

  Each £5 in Clubcard vouchers is worth £15 in LA Fitness vouchers. So gym bunnies wanting to join in Manchester, for example, could cut the cost of annual peak membership from £930 to £310. All new LA Fitness members pay a £50 joining fee, so don't forget to factor this in. There's more on maximising Tesco Clubcard points in the Boost Tesco Points guide.

• Cheap corporate membership

  Check if your employer offers subsidised gym membership or has a relationship with a gym, which can be at silly prices. If not, speak to your HR department and suggest they set up a deal.

• Get a mate to refer you
  
  Some clubs have 'refer-a-friend' offers where either the referrer or referee gets a gift, eg, towels, padlock or even iPods. So if you've already decided to join, see if you know someone who belongs already before signing on the dotted line.
  

• Special opening rates

  New gyms often offer cheap 'founder' memberships to drum up custom. To find new gyms, scour industry publications such as Club Solutions and Health Club Management, as well gyms' own sites.

• Go off-peak

  Most gyms provide cheaper membership during 'off-peak' hours. This means, if it's possible, for you to visit the gym during the daytime, work lunchtimes or at weekends, you could slash the cost.
  

What to watch out for in contracts

If you're signing up for a year, remember sales staff often work on commission. So if their slick patter says, "If you're ill you can freeze membership, or take a holiday", ask to see it in the contract.

If they say "it's not there but it's fine", make notes there which have legal weight and, if possible, get them to sign to show the promise.

Here's a list of what to check. For further examples, read this useful publication by the Office of Fair Trading.

• How long are you committed for?
  
  This is the biggie. Be wary of contracts longer than 12 months. Also check that they don't renew it automatically. If you're a gymphobe trying to get fit for the first time, do investigate short-term memberships and no-frills gyms first.
• How much notice do you need to give to cancel?
  
  Even when you're out of contract, gyms often require 30 days notice to cancel. Ensure you understand these conditions.
• What happens if your circumstances change?
  
  Ask what happens if you are ill or injured, move house, get pregnant or change jobs. What proof will you need, eg, a doctor's letter. Can you freeze your membership or transfer it to someone else?
• What if your favourite service stops?
  
  If you're only joining because the gym offers a creche, Zumba dance classes or certain equipment, ask if you're allowed to cancel if this is withdrawn.
• What do other members think?
  
  If you're taking a free trial, ask folk in the changing room if they're happy with the gym's contract or service (wait till they're decent first!).

What to do when gym deals go wrong

Sadly, if you’ve signed up to a year's contract and simply ‘don’t fancy it any more’, you’re unlikely to be able to quit the gym early. So think very carefully before signing up to a contract.

In some very rare cases, you may able to get it cancelled. The Office of Fair Trading has laid out guidelines on unfair terms in health and fitness club memberships. While the guidance is aimed at gyms rather than consumers, it may help you negotiate with the club in certain circumstances.

• Lengthy contracts of more than one year
  
  In 2011 the High Court ruled that it was unfair for gyms to tie in members for more than one year (see Tens of thousands can cancel gym memberships news story). If your contract is longer than one year, you may be able to challenge it.
• The club makes big changes to services
  
  The OFT's guidelines say contracts are unfair if they allow clubs to ‘supply something different from what was agreed’, unless the change is minor. So if, for example, your gym closes its creche, or the opening hours change, you may be able to leave.
• Unclear wording on membership terms
  
  The OFT tells gyms that contracts should clearly explain minimum membership periods and notice periods. If the wording's unclear, you may have a case.
• The gym hikes prices
  
  If your contract says the club's allowed to make unrestricted membership fee hikes, this is likely to be considered unfair.
• The gym automatically renews your membership
  
  The guidance says it's unfair to automatically extend contracts, relying on people's inertia or ignorance.

How to complain

If your gym's breaching the contract or it contains unfair terms, you've every right to fight back. If you manage to cancel by following the steps below, please feed back on what happened.

1. Step 1: Complain in person

   When starting a complaint it's best to not go militant unless you have to. The first easy step is to go to reception and explain that you want to cancel.

2. Step 2: Complain in writing

   If the gym won't play ball, write a complaint letter and send it to the head office. Send all letters by recorded delivery, so you can prove they received it, and always save a copy.

   Your letter should mention any unfair contract terms you think your contract may have. If you meet silence or the response is rubbish, write again and be persistent. For information or advice, try calling Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

3. Step 3: Complain to the FIA

   Gyms that are members of the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) must sign up to its code of practice. Members also agree to stick to the OFT’s guidelines on unfair contracts.

   If your gym's a member and you have not had any luck complaining directly, try contacting the FIA. As a trade association, it can offer further advice and in some cases may contact the gym on your behalf. This is worth a try, as it's free.

4. Step 4: If all else fails: take 'em to court

   Hopefully you will settle it, but if you strongly believe in your case, have tried all the steps above and it still won't cancel your contract, taking it to the small claims court is a last resort, although it isn't for everyone. If you're a court novice, try to seek help from an informed friend or advice centre.

   Yet before you get legal on their butts, you're expected to try to resolve things directly, and ideally send a ‘letter before action’ to say you are going to take them to court. If you don't try, the judge is likely to look unfavourably on your case, so always use the steps above first. For more on small claims rules, see the How to Complain guide.

Did this system work for you? If you managed to cancel your contract, please feed back in the Gym Cancelling discussion.