TheCountOfNowhere Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 When things are tight people start cutting back ( well that used to be true ). I'd have thought the first thing to go would be the 700 quid a year Gym membership. Has anyone noticed an emptying of Gyms or "special" offers from the large Gym chains, aimed at getting people in through the door ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
str mofo Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 The gym I goto hasnt been open long. I paid a year upfront (much better rates than most) and am trying to use it as much as I can before it closes. I know they borrowed a heap of dough to set it all up but who knows. The expensive city gyms will probably be the first to go. People will have to revert to actually going outside for a walk or run *gasp* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponzi Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 "I'M OOT" - Duncan Bannantyne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubbya Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 The expensive city gyms will probably be the first to go. People will have to revert to actually going outside for a walk or run *gasp* The gym near me (major chain) promotes a "running outside" group for members...! Yeah, I know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddii Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 When things are tight people start cutting back ( well that used to be true ).I'd have thought the first thing to go would be the 700 quid a year Gym membership. Has anyone noticed an emptying of Gyms or "special" offers from the large Gym chains, aimed at getting people in through the door ? Duncan Bannatyne was advertising his local gym in my local property rag last week. The whole of December free if you joined......only 30 places available!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebear Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 My local gym (virgin) still quite busy but most people are tied in on 12 month contracts tho,id expect one of the rip off coffee shops in town to go before the gyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qetesuesi Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 When things are tight people start cutting back ( well that used to be true ). And if they don't do it while it's relatively easy, they'll very soon be jolly well forced to slash and burn really savagely, eating into things that are much closer to being essential. Idiots the lot of them. Serve them all right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone baby gone Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I hope they can hang on in there for a while. I use the local council run gym (mainly use free weights, which they still have) and it has been mercifully free of iPod wearing metrosexuals talking on their iPhones while they 'work out' up until now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worzel Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I would have thought the more upmarket ones will suffer, to the benefit of the cheaper brands. I go to fitness first, managed to get a £30 a month membership (central London) which I think is pretty reasonable for the amount that I use it. People that lose their jobs will probably scrap the membership completely, but for everyone else, they may just cut back a little. I would have thought the likes of Virgin Active and the other pricey ones will struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KingCharles1st Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I have been thinking about getting back to the gym, used to go to Cannons. But my credit ratng is so perforated I wouldn't get a contract, but I'm going to enquire about "pay as you go" style membership- I can't see that option being long in coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tastingstars Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) "I'M OOT" - Duncan Bannantyne *tsk* That NICE Mr Bannatyne was in the press a few weeks ago saying that people are so concerned about their well-being these days that gyms will absolutely not suffer a fall in business with a recession. To quote Wayne's World "Yeah, right. And monkeys might fly out of my butt" Edited December 9, 2008 by tastingstars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D179 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Gyms are actually good value for money in comparrison to most things, and I guess lots of people will go without other stuff first before giving up their gym membership. i pay £45 a month, can work out, swim , use the showers any day i want. I do agree though if things got really bad its a luxury that people will give up eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
this_prisoner_is_opting_out Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 My gym is next door to my office, I get to exercise, have a shower, use their hairdryer and get a capuccino all for my membership. My "hot water" bill will be very small. If you've got a membership make the most of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNACR Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Don't some councils have a fat people outreach person who organises subsidised gym membership for them. Given how squeezed council's revenues are I could see that being knocked on the head. I've never been too keen on gyms they're full of treadmills and smell of b.o. In Victorian times I think they were called workhouses and you didn't have to pay for the privilege Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girly girl Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 In terms of entertaining the children, gyms are good value for money, total fitness costs me £7.50 a week. I couldn't take three children and an adult swimming for that at my council run leisure centre and they wouldn't allow it anyway, where's as Total Fitness trusts my ability not to allow my children not to drown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debt monkey Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 The holding company that owns Esporta Gyms/Health Clubs is in administration. The administrators held an auction last month to try and sell the gym business but failed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papag Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 JJB offering 12 days membership for £12 over Dec / Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Forthehills Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 where's as Total Fitness trusts my ability not to allow my children not to drown. Shome mishtake surely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corevalue Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Gyms, FFs. Who needs them, get yourselves an allotment and a secondhand spade! Now, when I were a lad etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tastingstars Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Gyms, FFs. Who needs them, get yourselves an allotment and a secondhand spade! Now, when I were a lad etc. etc. I don't know about your area, but the waiting list for allotments round our way is about two years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle_monty Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 The likes of Virgin Active are fooked, IMO. Just look at this video FFS! http://www.virginactive.co.uk/Content_Video.aspx Its not a lifestyle, its about sweating and working your b0ll0cks / t!ts off to get fit ("achieve your goals" in BS-management speak). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chichi Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I don't know about your area, but the waiting list for allotments round our way is about two years And the rest. My council allows people from outside the area to have their allotments, but neighbour manchester don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchbux Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I don't know about your area, but the waiting list for allotments round our way is about two years Five years here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Stromba Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Most gyms went to the wall a long time ago. A gym is a place where serious people go to train hard. Squat rack, bench press and a small selection of cardio equipment. The quality of a gym can IMO be judged on the weight of the dumbells on the rack. If the heaviest dumbell is 30 kgs its not a gym but a posing parlour, coffee house or creche. If the dumbells go to 60 kgs it a gym. No building without a squat rack is a gym. Squats are the cornerstone of all training for all sports. They produce more testosterone release than any other exercise. But they hurt. So people in 'health clubs' avoid them. Its hard to drink a coffee and chat to other equally weak minded people if you are feeling sick from metabolic acidosis after a heavy squat session. What you refer to is a 'health club'. They are not gyms and the amount of 'serious trainers' can be counted on the fingers on one hand, even if they have 1000+ membership numbers. Because the trainers are not serious, they will cut back on the 'over priced' membership as soon as they are short of money. The few serious gyms still left will do just fine as the membership is made up of people who train to get fit rather than drink coffee. Fewer overheads and more loyal membership will probably help a lot of gyms out. Falling rents will help too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bambam Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) In terms of entertaining the children, gyms are good value for money, total fitness costs me £7.50 a week. I couldn't take three children and an adult swimming for that at my council run leisure centre and they wouldn't allow it anyway, where's as Total Fitness trusts my ability not to allow my children not to drown. We pay £70/month for a family ticket (2 adults plus 1-3 children) to the council gym, for which we get swimming pool (three of them, much bigger, with slides, than any private gym), badminton, squash, table tennis (including rackets, balls, shuttlecocks), gym, and numerous exercise classes. Oh and there's no contract or minimum term, and the creche costs £1.50 for 2 hours rather than the £5/hour the muppets at the David Lloyd across the road pay. The unemployed get subsidised rates (with restricted access - no peak times), and if you don't want swimming it's £25/month pp rather than £35. We enquired about David Lloyd and it was something like £55/month minimum off-peak, going up to over £100/month for the full thing with racket sports etc (the council have tennis courts too, not sure about the cost though). And those are PER PERSON prices. Absolutely obscene - but plenty of people are members (not sure if they go). Edited December 9, 2008 by bambam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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