Don’t get us wrong, we are all for gym memberships because we believe that there is a lot of value and advantages in going to a gym.

But today, were going to share with you some of our experiences from talking to hundreds of customers, which has led us to publishing this blog based on 8 warning signs to cancel your gym membership.

 

Sign #1

You’re not going

Simply put, for whatever reason, you’re just not going to the gym. It could be a lack of motivation, the hygiene, ‘that’ person on the equipment, or you’re just not feeling the vibe anymore. If you haven’t been going for a while, then your direct bank debit will obviously start to pinch your pennies from your wallet.

 

Sign #2

It’s getting too crowded

When we go to a gym, we usually want to get in and out to do our workout. There are a lot of people who go there for the social experience, which is absolutely fine, but we hear sadly that other members are not considerate of others.

Often, we hear this complaint, where somebody is sitting on a piece of equipment and hogging it by leaving their towel on the gym equipment.

Or you want to use a piece of equipment and it has become an area where everyone loiters. This can be extremely frustrating if you are there for a quick workout. More than likely everybody has shared this experience one way or another.

 

Sign #3

Changes to the schedule

This is another situation that can become just as frustrating. We are all generally busy so you may have joined a gym because of a regular scheduled fitness classes.

…suddenly the class schedules keep changing, or the classes keep getting cancelled due to the fitness instructor not turning up!

I don’t know about you – but I’d be pretty upset!

 

Sign #4

You don't use all the gym equipment

You’ve probably been sold on the fact that the gym has hundreds of different pieces of equipment you could use. Then… you realise later on that you only end up just using a few of them.

Some members even spend most of their time in one particular zone of the gym, which doesn’t really give you the value out of your membership.

If this is you, then you need to ask yourself, is this the best way that you could spend your money on your membership? And could that membership money be substituted elsewhere?

 

Sign #5

It’s just not that convenient anymore

Convenience is the most common factor why people join their local gym.

Typically, it’s choosing the location that works well for you. Unless the facility has something very unique then we you may be willing to travel farther.

In most cases though, convenience is a big factor because some members might have a young family or small children to think about, or they might have a busy life and the gym just down the road fits in well with their schedule.

Most people will join a gym that’s within a 5km range of their home or workplace, so if convenience is taken out of the equation, the prospect of having a gym membership may not be as attractive anymore.

 

Sign #6

It takes 15 minutes or more to drive there

Leading on from sign number 5, if you’re leaving from work on the way to your gym, but get stuck in traffic and it takes you a further 15 minutes, you’re most likely not going to make the effort. You’d probably be tempted to go straight home instead!

People are busy and just don’t have that kind of luxury with time anymore.

Longer working hours or working back late is common these days. Once you knock off from work you are more likely to have a few drinks or just relax at home with family.

So, 15 minutes can seem like quite a long time to drive to a gym. Especially if you’re trying to get to a class and if you think that you might turn up late, then it may defeat the purpose.

 

Sign #7

The Fees

Try getting your membership put on hold first if you are still unsure of what you may be doing. But if you’re not making the most of your gym membership, then it is best to cancel as early as possible.

Every month, sometimes every week, you are paying a direct debit and it can all add up, so imagine what you could have used that money for? You could have had enough to go on a much needed holiday or maybe invest in another type of fitness service.

Fees are something that we see constantly being complained about by customers but there’s nothing new to that. Some people tend to have multiple gym memberships because they can’t resist cheap or limited time offer deals. Some gym memberships at the moment have been the lowest ever, but in terms of what people are getting out from the value side of things may be conflicting.

 

Sign #8

Poor Management

Like any business poorly managed it can affect staff and customers. No-one wants to train at a facility that is not well maintained or that allows poor behavior. It is up to the owners and staff to ensure that complaints are acted on.

At the end of the day, gym members are customers and want to be valued. Gyms are a people business that can be quite complicating and hard to deal with every single suggestion.  

However, concerns that are not acted on promptly because of poor management can really cause a decrease in retention and increase the chances of people cancelling their membership.

 

Conclusion

So, there you have it, 8 signs telling you to cancel your gym membership. Hopefully, these have helped you if you are at that point.

As I’ve mentioned at the beginning, gyms are a fantastic place to reach your goals and to make use of their equipment and facilities for your benefit. This blog is to help guide you if the time has come for you to save your time and money to begin investing it on something else or to look for other effective alternatives.