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Moving to another country can be taxing on mental and physical well-being. Taking good care of your physical wellness and staying fit can help you navigate the challenges of living abroad and avoid expensive health bills that follow falling sick. Joining a gym can be a great way to start your fitness journey. If you are already a fitness freak, you would like to carry your good old habits to another country too. However, the extra charges can make you hesitant to invest in your wellness. While there is no way to get around gym fees, you can get many student benefits with some of the cheapest gym memberships across the UK.
We have put together a list of the cheapest gym memberships in the UK so that you won’t have to choose between your health and bills.
Cheapest Gym Memberships In The UK 2023
The Gym Group
The Gym Group’s 9-month-long membership for students is a total steak of £149. Prices may vary depending on which branch you sign up with. This 9-month offer is ideal considering that an average year at university is usually that long excluding holidays. The Gym Group also offers ‘Do It’ gym memberships which let you access a gym whenever you want 24/7 with unlimited classes starting from £16.99. It is evident in the benefits offered why most people in the UK consider this the best gym in the UK.
Benefits:
- Multi-gym access lets you choose up to 5 gyms anywhere in the country. You can change them at your convenience.
- Bring a friend 4 times a month and if they want to have a trial before signing up and get benefits on referral.
- Fitness & body composition tracking equipment ‘FitQuest’ keeps you up to date on your progress at just £2.50. You will get all the information you need, right from BMI, weight, fat percentage and much more.
- Unlimited training access and free classes suitable for all abilities and fitness levels.
PureGym
PureGym is one of the most well-known budget gyms for students looking for the cheapest gym memberships in the UK. Due to its flexibility and low membership prices, this gym is quite ideal. With over 300 sites across the nation, you can choose the one that’s the closest to your home or university. Although they do not have student-specific membership, their frequent promos and free-of-charge sign-up can be attractive offers for many students.
Memberships at PureGym:
| Off-peak | Core | Plus |
| Starts from £9.99 | Starts from £12.99 | Starts from £18.99 |
| Limited access to off-peak hours (typically quieter hours to train) | Unrestricted access 24/7 | Unrestricted access 24/7 |
| Book free classes 8 days in advance | Book free classes 8 days in advance | Book free classes 14 days in advance |
| – | Multi-gym access for 2 pounds extra | Multi-gym access at the same price or lower than your monthly rate |
| – | Add ‘Bolt-ons’ for guest access, massage chairs, sports water and more | Bring a guest for up to 4x a month |
| – | – | Freeze your membership at no cost for up to 3 months when you’re not using the gym |
Benefits:
- No contract needed for monthly gym memberships.
- Flexible packages that cover a range of budgets.
- Core and Plus benefits provide tons of flexibility on your terms.
JD Gyms
JD Gyms are popular thanks to their monthly rates, which offer one of the cheapest gym memberships in the UK. They also have no-joining-fee promotions, which can be a worthwhile replacement for a student gym membership.
Memberships at JD Gyms:
| Standard JD Gyms membership | Plus+ JD Gyms membership |
| £19.99 per month | £25 per month |
| No joining fee or contract | No joining fee or contract |
| Can go peak or off-peak | Can go peak or off-peak |
| Access to the main gym only | Use any JD Gym site you want |
| – | Classes included |
| – | Get 10% off at JD Sports online as part of the membership |
Benefits:
- The Plus+ membership offers tons of discounts for brands like Applied Nutrition, Apple, ASDA, MyProtein, GO Outdoors and more.
- Separate female and male saunas.
- 300+ classes up for grabs per month from Le Mills, Boxercise, HIIT, Yoga, Spin and more.
easyGym
easyGym is a budget gym owned by the easyJet group. If you live anywhere in Bradford, Slough, Basildon, or Camberwell, you will have access to easyGym’s cheapest gym memberships. You can start at £12.99 for off-peak memberships and will find more flexible plans for more. Considering the prices, this one is pretty good.
Memberships at easyGym:
| Monthly membership | Off-peak membership | Day pass | 3-month membership | 12 months for the price of 10 |
| £19.99 a month | £12.99 a month | £6.99 a month | £53.99 (£17.99 a month) | £199.90 (around £16.99 a month) |
| £10 joining fee | Valid on weekends and Mondays to Friday at:9:30 to 11:3014:30 to 16:3021:30 to 5:00 | Full access to the gym at any time* | Moves to a monthly membership at the end of 3-month term | Moves to monthly rolling contract at the end of 12-month term |
| Regular monthly payments | Monthly rolling membership | No booking after 9 pm for same day use | – | 1 free 30-day freeze |
| No contract, cancel anytime you want | No contract, cancel anytime you want | – | No contract, cancel anytime you want | – |
Benefits:
- Top of the range equipment.
- London-exclusive gyms.
- International clubs in France.
- Suggest a place they should open up in.
- Up to 3 hours of free parking available in some branches.
Better
Better’s gyms, swimming pools, leisure centres, etc can be found throughout the UK. You can choose the type of membership most suitable to you. The student membership at Better offers inclusive access to over 200 locations across the UK. They also have facilities, free PT, refer a friend scheme and much more. you can apply for a Day pass and give it a try before choosing a membership.
Monthly Memberships at Better:
| Better Health UK membership | Better Health (area or centre) | Better Health Saver (off-peak) | Student membership |
| UK-wide access to gyms, pools and fitness classes at 200+ centres | Anytime access to the local gym, swimming pool and fitness classes | Off-peak access to the local gym, swimming pool and fitness classes | Gyms, swimming pools, 200+ leisure centres across the UK |
| Plus services on demand | Services on demand included | Competitive price | No minimum contract and flexible payment methods |
| ’Give it a Go’ support programme | ’Give it a Go’ support programme | Much more | Cardio, resistance, functional, weight and stretch zones |
| Full fitness class programme |
Other memberships at Better:
- Concessionary membership
- Inclusive UK
- Better Health Senior
- Better Health Junior
Benefits:
- Inclusive classes.
- A range of packages to choose from.
- Better UK app lets you book classes in advance, depending on your membership.
- Gyms, pools and leisure centres across 268 UK locations and counting.
ClassPass
ClassPass is a bit expensive but is still a good option owing to its cheap memberships if you prefer classes over typical gyms. You also have the liberty to explore tons of different classes, spas, salons, wellness centres and venues. The entire credit buying system makes the process hassle-free. The cheapest monthly credit starts from 35 pounds. You will be surprised to know that on signing up for the first time you will be eligible for a first month free.
Packages at ClassPass, London:
- £15 for 9 credits
- £35 for 25 credits
- £65 for 50 credits
- £125 for 100 credits
- £149 for 125 credits
Benefits:
- Book classes and appointments anywhere in the world.
- Adjust or cancel your plan at any time.
- Invite friends to join you and get referral rewards in return when they sign up.
Council-owned gyms
If you have ever noticed council-owned gyms in your area, you may want to consider going there. They are one of the best alternatives to the cheapest gym memberships in the UK. The quality of equipment may not be as premium as those you will find in gyms, but as a student dedicated to fitness, you will have the benefits of getting offers at council-owned gyms.
Cheap alternatives to the gym
Unfortunately, even the cheapest gym memberships come at a price. But if you are determined to stay fit and gym money still feels like an unworthy expense, you can consider these cheap or free alternatives:
- YouTube workout videos
- Exercise apps (couch to 5k or 7-minute workout)
- TikTok exercise videos
- University gym and sports clubs
- Home exercise equipment
- Using your furniture for exercises
- Reducing junk food intake
- Walking or jogging
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the usual gym trial period in the UK?
You can get tons of gyms, and leisure centre offers for trial periods. The trial periods in these gyms can typically last up to 1-14 days, depending on the gym. You can even take advantage of free gym trials with some of the cheapest gym memberships in gyms like Better Gym, The Gym Group, Fusion Lifestyle, etc.
What does freezing your membership mean?
Some of the cheapest gyms in the UK offer options to freeze your membership for a certain period for a set number of times a year. If you have already signed up but are unsure if you will be consistently going to the gym every day for a period of time, you can consider freezing your membership till you feel ready to pay again.
Can you get out of a gym contract in the UK?
Gym contracts can be a tricky thing in the UK. Please do not get blindsided by the cheapest gym memberships without looking at the contract terms. You will normally have to pay the costs of your contract if you want to cancel your membership early.
What can I expect during my gym induction?
The gym induction is offered to complete beginners to give them a good idea of the structure of the gym and its equipment. You will be given safety instructions for the equipment. You will be offered a programme at the end as per your fitness goals.
What to look for in an ideal gym?
Even with the cheapest gym memberships, making the correct choice can be confusing. Therefore, we advise you to look for these things in the choice of your gym before signing up: racquetball, tennis court, pools, fitness classes, specific equipment, personal training, physical therapy, etc.
We hope that our blog on ‘Save Money With The Cheapest Gym Memberships in the UK’ helps you in your fitness journey. While you are at it, do give our other articles a read:
