Where to find free and cheap gym day and trial passes
Thinking of joining a gym but want to try before you buy? Here are the gyms that offer trial and short-term offers.
If you're thinking of getting fitter in 2016 then you might be considering a gym membership.
However, gyms have a reputation of locking users into long contracts which are a nightmare to get out of.
Using gym passes is an easy way to suss out if you want to join a gym or not, giving you a chance to gauge what the equipment, staff, opening hours and classes are like.
Here are some of the best deals.
Trial passes
A lot of gyms offer trial passes to give you a flavour of what they offer. Some of them will be free, others will have a charge.
As its name suggests, Anytime Fitness allows you to work out 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What’s more, you can get a free trial pass which lasts for three days.
You must use them at the same club on consecutive days.
Sign up for a free class from British Military Fitness for some ‘serious fun’. One-hour classes take place in parks across the UK and include a warm-up, cardio and strength training, a cool-down and stretches.
Like easyJet and easyHotel, easyGym offers a cheap, no-frills service. If you just want to try it out for a bit, day passes cost £6.99, except for the London Oxford Street and Fulham gyms which are £9.99.
Fitness First is offering up free workouts throughout the UK. All you have to do is fill out this form.
There are only eight FitSpaces across England but they offer good value and no frills.
You can book a guest pass absolutely free.
LA Fitness is offering up a free one day membership too. You have seven days to use your free session after signing up.
Get a free one day gym pass at your nearest Nuffield gym. Just type in your postcode and it’ll tell you what facilities are available. Please note that you can’t do any paid activities like treatments, physiotherapy, paid classes and health MOT.
You’ll need to go to your local club to make an appointment and use your pass within seven days of filling out the form.
If you’re interested in Pure Gym, you can get a day pass for £5.99, a three day pass for £12.99 or a seven day pass for £24.99. There are 90 branches across the UK.
Sumply Gym offers non-member gym passes and fitness classes for £4.
The Gym has 60 branches around the UK and day passes going for anyone who wants one. Passes start at £4.99 but can be as much as £7.99 depending on which gym you use.
You can choose any day within a 14-day period to use it. There’s a simple one-click option so that you can repeat your day pass.
Total Fitness have 17 gyms across northern England, offering a one-day guest pass.
Xercise4Less, which dubs itself as ‘The People’s Gym’, is offering a free day pass. Just fill out the online form and away you go!
Be aware that you’ll need to complete a ‘Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire’ to make sure you’re up to using the machines.
Bonus
Virgin Active offers guest passes so if you know someone who goes, tag along!
[Related story: How to save money on the cost of train tickets]
Short-term passes
Still dithering over whether to join or not? Try a short-term pass; they allow you to have a longer trial, without the commitment.
The cost of short-term passes for Better vary depending on location. You can choose a pass for one, five, seven, 14 or 30 days on group exercise, swimming, the gym and more.
At PayasUgym, you can get a 30-day, one month or six-month pass for a reduced fee from top gym branches.
Going the distance
If you do decide that you want a full membership, be vigilant. The most important thing to be aware of is the sales spiel.
Make sure the salesperson backs up the claims that they make on the written contract itself and read it through carefully before you sign anything.
Unexpected circumstances
If you get an injury, fall pregnant or are unable to pay because of redundancy or a lot of debt, you can get your gym membership cancelled. You need proof of your new circumstances to show the gym.
If the terms of your contract were just plain unfair, you should make a complaint.
However, if your gym membership just isn't working for you anymore, it's still worth trying to cancel or amend your contract. It might be easier than you think.
How to make a complaint
Try sending a written complaint to the head office first as the delivery will be tracked and you’ll know they’ve received it.
When writing, you should follow these Citizens Advice guidelines.
If your contract started before October 1 2015, you should say the following:
“The term in the contract that’s preventing me from cancelling is an “unfair term” under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. It should be removed from the contract, allowing me to cancel my membership.”
If your contract started on or after October 1 2015, you should say the following:
“The term in the contract that’s preventing me from cancelling is an “unfair term” under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It should be removed from the contract, allowing me to cancel my membership.”
Failing that, get in touch with UKactive which can give you advice and possibly contact the gym for you.
For further information you can contact Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06 or use the online form.
Loyalty points for gym passes
There’s no need to be a fitness supremo to enjoy the facilities on offer.
You can redeem points for a local pool pass with Nectar Swim. Vouchers are available in adult, child and family tickets (two adults and two children).
You can also exchange your Clubcard points for tokens to use at gyms like Nuffield Health or with payasUgym.
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