In other words, can you put a price on fitness? Reaching the goal you’ve been dreaming of? Shedding those pounds you’ve been carrying around a little too long?
One of my Founding Members came to me and said I’m bringing a friend to try bootcamp next week.
You’re going to love him, and he’s going to be hooked. Once he’s in here he’s not going to want to leave – he loves this sort of thing.
The following week, this new guy came into the gym. I signed him up for a two-week trial. He came back three more times that week and by the time he finished his trial, my current member was right: he was hooked. My new guy was ready to sign up for a membership.
And it was this moment when he looked me right in the face and said “I’m quitting smoking. A carton of cigarettes cost me almost the same amount of money as a monthly gym membership. I can totally justify replacing a carton of cigarettes with a gym membership.”
And that’s when it dawned on me – what’s the price of health worth to you?
Maybe you’re not a smoker. Maybe you go out to dinner more often than not. A dinner for two at a typical restaurant such as a fancy steakhouse is going to run very close to $30 on the low-end if you’re not getting appetizers and drinks. And what if you’re taking your whole family out? A family of four that went out to dinner and got appetizers, entrées, and a couple of drinks are going to spend well over $50+ for that meal. That’s just one meal!
Maybe you don’t go out to dinner but you order in or you pick up pizzas. Don’t get me wrong – pizza is great – we fix homemade pizzas in our household often. But if we bought a pizza at a place like Dominoes, by the time you pay for tip and the add-on toppings you are probably looking at $15 at a minimum. Four pizzas a month is going to be around $60. You can’t even buy a good frozen pizza for much less than that. If you bought a Digiorno once a week every week you’re in the ballpark of $30+bucks monthly already. How often do you buy lunch out each week? Two lunches out on the town each week are going to run you anywhere from $5-15 each lunch. That’s $20-60 right there on Subway, your favorite food truck, a salad bar, etc. And let’s not forget the coffee! Who picks up a morning latte on the way to work? And doesn’t each caffeinated beverage average about $5? If you stop for coffee Monday-Friday, that’s $100 a month…for fancy coffee. Even if you just stopped in twice a week, that’s $40. Three times? $60. You see where I’m going with this. Forego a couple lattes and pick up a gym membership.
Step Back, and then Step In.
I’m not telling you that you have to give up Starbucks and stop grabbing lunch and never eat out with your family. But if you cut back just a little bit on each one of these extras, just THINK about how much money you could save and put towards bettering your health. Getting fitter. Feeling better. And honestly, cutting out a few food and drink splurges will only benefit your personal goals anyway. Want to lose 20 pounds? Stop buying soda, or going out three and four times a week. You’ll save money AND calories.
Think about this for me: So many potential bootcampers will step into the gym on the fence about joining, and after a couple of weeks, they realize the way they feel, the energy they have, the way their clothes are already starting to fit…they want to join! Suddenly it’s much easier to cut out a carton of cigarettes, or an extra couple cases of beer, or a few weeknight pizzas in exchange for their new confidence. And by the way– brewing your own coffee and buying a milk frother for only $15 will save you over a thousand dollars per year! And two family meals at Outback or Olive Garden will make up one membership.
Think about it for one more minute: if you could cut out $60 worth of on-the-fly splurges, (that random item at checkout or the online splurge you never really needed to begin with) and put that money towards losing weight, building muscle, bettering your metabolism, fighting disease, becoming a role model for your family, and living a better — longer — life, why wouldn’t you?
How much do you spend on expensive products each month?
I know I’m getting on a soapbox here, but I just want you to seriously ask yourself the question, “If I can accomplish my fitness and health goals for X amount of money a month, is it worth it to me?” I can’t imagine that the answer is no. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say “gym memberships are expensive,” only to turn around and tell the next person where to find such and such brand of high-end foundation, which salon does the best mani/pedi, and where to find the best handbags to match the trendiest new shoes. When you’re in my position … running a gym that literally puts food on the table for a family…hearing a statement like this is frustrating. This isn’t about fashion — it’s about your health. And besides, if you look and feel confident, who cares what your purse looks like anyway?! 😉
The mental health benefits alone are worth a membership.
If we value ourselves and our health and our appearance, then making the gym a priority in our routines is essential. Exercising not only makes us look good, but it makes us feel good. It lessens depression and fights anxiety, boosts our feel-good hormones and energy, gives us confidence, makes us overall more likely to make better/healthier decisions throughout the day, and even ramps up our metabolism to help us burn more calories day after day. Looking physically better is literally just a side effect to all the major mental and emotional health benefits a gym membership can do for a person.
Ok, Ok, I’ve said my piece here.
It’s a hard battle to fight: knowing you can help someone, but that someone isn’t ready to commit. That’s ok…in my experience in this industry I know that no amount of coercing can make someone join a gym — and I don’t want to do that anyway. I just want people to know that when you’re truly ready to commit to something better…something bigger…we are here. And if not us, commit to something!! SFBC is an AWESOME place but I get it…we’re not for everyone. But I wouldn’t be who I am if I wasn’t encouraging fitness in general. You don’t have to come to me, but I want you to improve your health, your family’s health, and your life. I want you to be more active with your kids, and I want you to feel confident, fight disease, age gracefully and strong. If you’ve been on the fence about joining a gym, think about what your goals are worth to you and then find one that’s willing to help you put your money to good use and MEET those goals.
And if you’re interested in us? Come try us out. We offer a free two-week trial to anyone. Bring your friends (we all know the first step–walking through the door–is easier with friends) and we’ll sign them up for a trial too!
Find all of our membership rates HERE.
Thanks for reading this post and thinking about the things you can forego all for the sake of better health. Here’s a free tips sheet on how to prepare for the week so that you’re not always spending money on the go. Enjoy!
