SG Gym Membership Guide – Gym Access – Part 1 of 3
Singapore Gym Membership Guide
With more people getting more conscious about their health, more are also making steps to improve their fitness by exercising regularly. Some prefer to exercise outdoors, while some will chose working out in the comforts of a gym. In the process of choosing and getting a gym membership, you’ll probably wish to maximise your savings and get the best value out of your gym membership.
Choosing the right gym will not just allow you to get fitter, but it will also mean that you will be more likely to workout at the gym regularly in the long term and achieve your fitness goals. That said, the process of researching and choosing a gym to get those extra value in Singapore can be pretty overwhelming. You’ll most likely be considering factors like how well equipped the gym is, its opening hours, number of locations, fitness services offered, and its cost. Everyone has different needs, preferences, considerations and budgets. With so many factors to think of, choosing a gym to join may not be as straight forward for many.
To help make this process easier, FitXHub will be covering this in detail and also provide the FitXHub Singapore Gym Membership Guide in 2 editions, the Gym Access Edition (available now) and the Group Class Edition (available soon). The Gym Access Edition is for those who go to the gym mainly to workout on their own, with friends or with a personal trainer, without the need for group fitness classes. The Group Class Edition will be for those who go to the gym to attend group fitness/exercise classes. These classes include Les Mills programs (BodyCombat, BodyPump, BodyBalance, Grit), Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling (spinning), HIIT class, WOD class & many more.
This Guide will cover the many factors that you may consider in order to help you make the best decision and maximise your savings! It can be used as a checklist for you when you are doing your research for a gym membership.
The Gym Access Edition will be covered over 3 blog posts as we will be going through many factors in detail. So, do come back to check out the upcoming blogs!
Gym Access Edition
Statistics1 (IHRSA – 2020) indicate that about 40% of gym goers attend group fitness classes. This means that the remaining 60% workout on their own or with friends or a personal trainer, on the gym floor. This Gym Access Edition of the FitXHub Gym Membership Pocket Guide is aimed at helping this segment of gym goers.
This Gym Access Edition will be covered in these 3 parts over 3 blog posts:
1. Gym Membership Details & Costs
2. Gym Operational Details & Services
3. Gym Equipment & Facilities
Source: Pexels (William Choquette)
Part 1 of 3 – Gym Membership Details & Cost
Joining a gym may sound simple and straightforward but is it really that simple? As mentioned above, there are many things to factor in and consider before signing up a gym membership. Do not just be attracted to an eye catching ad and sign up for a gym membership blindly. As the saying goes, ‘The devil is in the details’. Let’s go through the ‘details’ so that you are more aware of what to ask and look out for. This will enable you to ask the gym membership consultant the right questions and clarify the finer terms and conditions of the membership or promotion.
1.1 Membership Minimum Commitment Period
The gym monthly membership fees may appear to be a good deal but most good deals comes with strings attached. In this case, a lower monthly membership dues will also mean a longer minimum commitment period. This simply means that one will have to commit to pay the gym membership fees for the stipulated minimum commitment period. This minimum commitment period can vary from 3 months to 12 months or 24 months in some cases.
Please also be aware that your membership does not automatically end/terminate at the end of the minimum commitment period. If you have signed up on a 12 month contract and do not wish to continue your membership after the 12 months, please make arrangements to have your membership cancelled before the end of month 11. All gyms require their members to give a minimum of a month’s notice for membership terminations.
Should one terminate their gym membership before the end of the minimum commitment period, a penalty fee will be imposed based on what is stipulated in the membership agreement. This will be explained in further detail in this post below.
Tip: It’s good to continue your gym membership beyond the minimum commitment period as it not only keeps you motivated to go to the gym regularly, it will also mean that you get to keep the same membership rate that you paid when you first signed up. Should you cancel and decide to rejoin later on, there’s a good chance that the new membership rates may be higher.
Though uncommon, a few gyms base their membership fees on a credits system. A gym member purchases a set of credits that are valid for a stipulated number of months. The purchased credits can be used during this period for either gym access/usage or attending group classes. The gym membership ends when the credits run out or the credits’ validity date ends.
The good news is that with the change in the gym consumer behaviour, more gyms are offering memberships with no minimum commitment period. Even the bigger fitness brands are adapting to this by offering membership options with a shorter commitment period. If you are someone who prefers to try out different gyms to workout at, this will suit you well as you don’t have to be tied down to a specific gym.
1.2 Membership Cost
The main factor that most will look at when choosing a gym is the cost of the gym membership. While some gym goers do not mind spending more for a better gym experience, most are still cost sensitive. Is the gym giving you value for the price you are paying or are you happy with a no-frills gym at a lower membership fee?
Most gyms have different categories of gym membership fees. The fees can depend on various factors like:
◦ minimum commitment period
◦ peak hours or non-peak hours access
◦ single or multiple location access
◦ student or senior rates
◦ limited service rate (eg. gym only with no group class)
◦ payment frequency (per entry, monthly, yearly)
| Here’s a short list of gyms based on their membership fees. | |
| Monthly Fee | Gym |
| $2.50-50 per visit | ActiveSG Gym, ArkBloc, iGym, The GymPod, FiitBoxx, Fire City |
| $30-50 monthly | ActiveSG Gym |
| $50-100 monthly | ArkMove, Anytime Fitness, Fitness Workz @ HomeTeamNS, Gymmboxx, Safra EnergyOne, Sports Hub Gym, 24X Fitness |
| $100-150 monthly | FiitBoxx, Platinum Fitness, True Fitness |
| >$150 monthly | Fitness First, Pure Fitness, Virgin Active, TFX Fitness |
| *Prices indicated are for reference only. Please check with the respective gyms for their current membership rates. |
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Another point to take note is that some gyms include GST in their price while some don’t. Please check to confirm this with the membership consultant to be sure.
1.3 Membership Payment Options
Most gyms will require you to pay your membership fees monthly. Here’s a short summary of the different payment options offered by the gyms.
| Payment Frequency | ||
| Per visit | Pay for every visit to the gym. | Pay via gym app or over the counter. Good for those who don’t want to commit to pay monthly and pay only when you use the gym. Gives you the flexibility in terms of time and ability to train at different pay per entry gyms. |
| Pay monthly | The most common payment frequency used by most gyms. Often used when on a minimum commitment period membership. |
Preferred payment method is usually via monthly credit card deduction or inter-bank GIRO. By paying monthly, you will be more committed to going to the gym regularly as you will want to get the most value out of what you have paid for. |
| Prepaid Visits Pass | Offered by some gyms. | Payment via gym app/website. Most common pass offered is a 10 visit pass. Pass validity period varies from gym to gym. |
| Prepay yearly | Offered by most gyms. | Payment at gym in person. This annual prepayment option usually gives you the best membership rate. Tip: Do check if the gym offers interest free credit card instalment plans. |
1.4 Additional Fees & Membership Details
There are a few other details that we need to be aware of other than the membership cost, minimum commitment period and payment options. It is good to be aware of these details as some of these do add on to your overall cost of getting a gym membership.
a. Joining Fee
A joining fee may be charged by some gyms. This is on top of the monthly membership fee. In some cases, instead of a joining fee, the gym will require you to pay for the first and last month of your gym membership to join.
Tip: Do check with the gym membership consultant if there are any promotions that offers a discount on the joining fee.
b. Admin/Registration Fee
The admin or registration fee is charged by most gyms. This is to pay for the administrative/registration work to process your membership. Unlike the Joining Fee, there isn’t any discount or promotion on this.
c. Cancellation/Termination Fee & Terms
This is a detail not to be missed especially if you are on a minimum commitment period membership. Cancelling your membership before the end of the minimum commitment period will incur you an early termination/cancellation fee. The amount of the cancellation fee will be clearly stated in the membership agreement. Most gyms
Another point to note about the minimum commitment period is that if you are on a 12 month contract, it will have to be 12 paying months of your membership. So in the event you froze/suspended your membership during the 12 months, only the paying months will be counted towards your minimum commitment period.
You should not be charged a cancellation fee if you have served your minimum commitment period.
d. Membership Freeze Options/Fee
While we can be committed to exercise regularly, there may be times where the unexpected happens and we are not able to exercise or go to the gym. It could be an unexpected short-term (1-6 months) overseas work posting or a sudden serious illness. Know your options to freeze or suspend your gym membership.
This simply means that you just need to put your gym membership on hold temporarily without cancelling your membership. The allowed length of your membership suspension varies from gym to gym, so do check with the gym staff to clarify.
Do take note that you will still be required to pay a small fraction of your monthly fees during the membership suspension.
e. Gym Access Card/Key Fee
If you are joining a gym that has 24hrs access, you will need to purchase a gym access card or key fob. The access card is needed as the gym is only manned by staff at certain hours of the day. This is a one off cost and will be your key to get into the gym.
However, not all gyms that operate 24hrs require you to purchase the gym access card or key fob. Some utilise their gym app, while some gives you the option to purchase the gym access card only if you want to access the gym after usual gym manned hours.
Get The MOST VALUE From Your Gym Membership!
This wraps up our first of three parts to our Singapore Gym Membership Guide – Gym Access Edition. Whatever your motivation is to join a gym, FitXHub aims to provide you with the information you need to get the best value out of your gym membership. With so many factors and considerations, we hope that our guide will make your gym research process a lot easier!
Do look out for our upcoming blog posts where we will going through the remaining 2 parts of this guide on:
◦ Gym Operational Details & Services
◦ Gym Equipment & Facilities
References:
- IHRSA Global Report – 2020
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