17 hours ago
‘I spend £260 a month on a gym membership – and I don't regret it'
For Generation Z, paying for a gym membership is not just a priority, it's a necessity. More than a quarter of people aged between 18 and 24 consider it so, according to research published by the credit rating service Intuit Credit Karma.
Britain's young adults have been trading in nights out for early morning workouts – a preference that also sees them lambasted as the reason behind clubs closing and pubs losing profits.
While gym membership in the UK is up across all generations – with a record 11.5 million adults now belonging to a gym, up 1.6 million from 2022 – the boom has been driven by younger people, according to a report from UK Active, a fitness trade body.
'For me, working out is number one priority,' says Fareedah Shardow, 24, who spends around £250 a month on fitness classes. When it comes to investing in their health and fitness, Gen Z are spending big and not regretting a thing.
In 2019, Owen Willis, now 23, was working a low-paid entry-level job in marketing. His office was located in Canary Wharf and one morning he noticed a new gym had opened in the area. At the time, Willis was trying to get into fitness.
He was a member at PureGym, which cost £20 per month, but he didn't really enjoy the experience of working out there. After taking a tour of the brand new Third Space location, he was instantly lured by the soft lighting and luxurious smell pumped into every room. He decided to upgrade and pay for the £190 a month membership.
Despite the membership eating up 15pc of his annual salary, for Willis the pay-off was immediate.
'When I started spending that much money, I actually committed to my fitness,' he says. His mindset shifted too: 'I'm investing in my fitness journey, rather than just paying for a gym membership.'
Within five months, Willis had lost five stone. 'I'm spending this much money. I have to go and work my ass off to make it worth it,' he says.
Now, Willis' life fits around the gym. He goes every day, sometimes more than once per day. 'I started working out the cost per visit,' he says. 'It's so expensive to just go three times a week. That's like £30 a visit.'
Over the years his membership has increased to £262, which he works out to average around £9 each visit (if he goes frequently enough).
When the price of his membership first went up, Willis cancelled to try out a cheaper gym. 'It just didn't have the little luxuries,' he explains. 'The towels were old and scratchy, whereas the towels at Third Space are soft and fluffy.' He quickly came running back.
In order to budget for his membership he cuts costs in other areas, mainly eating out and drinking. Instead he will socialise by taking a workout class with friends rather than going out for expensive dinners.
He also chooses to cycle to work rather than taking the Tube. 'I could spend £200 a month on the Tube,' he adds. 'That's the whole membership covered if I just cycle.'
People are often shocked when Willis tells them how much he spends each month on his gym membership. 'If you break it down, I actually think it's pretty cheap,' he says. 'People pay £35 to go to Pilates, £20 to go to yoga, £15 to go to a spin class ... They're actually probably spending the same, if not more, than me but just spreading it across different classes.'
'I'd rather spend £35 on a workout class than on cocktails'
Shardow was looking for some more structure in her workouts than her current gym membership was offering.
'I need someone to tell me what to do,' she says. After trying out a few studios on Classpass, she fell in love with The Proud Project pilates studio and signed up for a £75 monthly membership, which is discounted as she is an ambassador.
The membership includes eight classes a month, but Shardow likes to work out at least six times a week. To supplement her membership, Shardow shops around for introductory offers at other studios to make her money stretch further. These range from £30 to £50 for a three-class pack. 'I always feel like it's better value for money and hopefully – if I actually like the class – I'll come back,' says the marketing assistant.
She also spends £69 a month on a Classpass membership, where she will switch between pilates, barre, spin and strength training classes at different studios. This brings Shardow's total spend each month to around £250 on her workouts.
For Shardow, spending on fitness is an investment in her future self, something she is willing to budget for. She saves money which she would've spent on alcohol and going on expensive nights out. 'I have just transferred that money to working out,' she says. 'I'd rather spend £35 on a workout class than on two cocktails.'
Despite her budgeting, spending this amount is only possible as Shardow is able to save by living at her family home in London. The money she saves on rent is put directly towards her workouts. 'The first thing out of my salary is always my phone bill and then my memberships,' she says.
When she does eventually move out, Shardow admits she will have to be more strategic with how much she spends on gym classes, but she's confident that working out will remain a top priority for her budget.
'I've spent over £3k in preparation for an Ironman triathlon'
Daisy, 27, a civil servant based in London, has always been into fitness. As a runner, however, working out has never cost her much money. That all changed this year when she signed up for her first Ironman triathlon.
The feat, which involves a 2.6-mile open water swim, a 112-mile cycle and a 26.2-mile run, requires a lot of investment of both time and money. Daisy paid the £700 entry fee, purchased a bike on sale for £1,500 via her company's cycle to work scheme (which she is now paying off in monthly instalments), bought new trainers that cost £250 and her first wetsuit and trisuit, each costing over £100.
After sorting her kit, Daisy invested in a training plan for £110. And, as part of her training, she also signed up for a half Ironman and a marathon, which came with entry costs of £270 and £170 respectively. To have somewhere to train, she also spends £40 a month on a gym membership and £40 a month for a summer pass to a Lido in London.
The race isn't until August, but so far it has cost her upwards of £3,000 – and there's more to spend yet.
'I've tried to spread it out, so this month I'll buy one expensive thing, and then the next something else,' she explains. Just yesterday, she spent £80 on an electric bike pump. 'I'm trying to do one thing at a time, just so it's not so painful on the bank account.'
Due to the cost of her training, Daisy has cut back on social plans that involve eating out and drinking. She also has prioritised her races over holidays this year. 'Rather than spending £300 to £400 on a holiday, I've spent it on fitness.'
Cutting back on socialising has been necessary to save money, but Daisy also simply doesn't have the time.
During the week she cycles 15km each way to and from work. Some days she will also fit in a swim in the morning before work and then either strength train at the gym or run in the evening. Saturday is her long cycle day, often totalling four or five hours, while Sunday is her long run day, taking up about two hours. Some weeks, Daisy will have one rest day. Others she won't have any.
'I was kind of prepared before starting that it would cost a lot of money and take up a lot of time,' says Daisy. However, for her, the price is worth it. 'It's something I enjoy and it's where all of my focus is going,' she adds.
'Before, I did enjoy going out and drinking but I feel like I've done that for however many years now. It's quite nice to have a different sort of routine.'
