Inflation is high, times are getting harder and paying several hundred for a gym pass simply does not seem viable these days. However, we do need to understand the reason behind this kind of pricing, so that you can decide whether a gym pass is more worth it to you than you first thought, or you might decide to get a few pieces of equipment for your home if it seems easier.
If you don’t have a gym pass calculated into your budget, you might want to look at how to get a free gym pass in London.
Basic necessities
Utilities are the bare minimum, it doesn’t matter what kind of establishment you are trying to run. With the rising prices gym owners will have to deal with even more money going towards this, as keeping the building warm and lit is a necessity. You can’t exercise properly in a freezing or overheated area and you also shouldn’t really be doing it in the dark.
Water is also free in gyms, as it should be, but the owner has to pay for that too. Paying for the showers of several hundred people a day is also quite a feat, especially since that water has to be heated too. If you calculate these many, albeit small, costs into the upkeep of a gym, you will clearly see what exactly you are paying for.
Your gym might also have designated parking spaces, which are reserved for their customers. This can also be costly, especially if the owner is paying a monthly subscription to keep the rights to those spaces.
Equipment
This is the big one. The equipment in your gym costs way more than you will even spend on your passes, since they are made to be durable, since they are used every single day by several people. This is quite obvious, but many people don’t realize that these machines sometimes need care too. They might rust, bend or break, it happens. When you are paying for your gym pass you are contributing to the fund that is put away so that if any of the machines break, then the owner can swiftly replace it, keeping working out convenient for you. This is also true for weights and bars, which are critical if you want to build muscle mass, and they are a bit difficult to keep and handle at home.
Not to mention, you likely don’t have the room in your own home for all of these machines. Many people would struggle to find a place for even the most basic pieces, like a treadmill, bench and weights. This is no wonder, as more and more people are trying to fit themselves into one bedroom apartments as prices continue to rise.
Another thing to add is that gyms are capable of keeping up with workout trends. For example, Jacob’s Ladders haven’t been very popular until recently, when people started challenges and trends for it on TikTok. After that more and more men and women began looking for this piece of equipment in their gyms, trying to follow what they see online. If it hadn’t been for gyms they would have had to buy a completely new machine, just for a trend that lasted a couple of weeks. Instead, gym owners saw the necessity and did something to keep up with it. This way, everyone was happy.
Gym staff
To keep up with the cleaning, registration processes, helping customers, you will absolutely need a few employees. These people usually have either a bit of experience with working out, or are fitness trainers themselves. The more experience, the more education a staff member has the more their pay should be.
Looking at the recent salaries of gym staff (apart from designated cleaners and janitors) it is quite clear that they are paid a fair wage, which is great for them, but not so great for the price of your gym pass. However, you will know that you will always have the staff to turn to if you have any questions or if you need help with a machine.
Safety
This might sound weird at first, but gyms provide a ton of safety for those who are looking to work out.
For example, if you decide to bench press or squat with a bar and weights then there is always the chance of you dropping the whole piece of equipment on yourself. In a commercial gym you will either find machines that have a safety mechanism or you will always have people around you that can jump in and help you out before you hurt yourself.
Because you are surrounded by others, you will also get quite a few pieces of advice on your form and routine. When it first happens it might be intimidating, but the people trying to guide you only want the best for you, as the wrong form can lead to serious injury or less muscle gain. You won’t even notice it, but just by being in a gym and having peers that can help you can and will improve how much you achieve.
