Is Your Gym Membership Really That Expensive?
Today, I came across a quote my friend Mike Doehla posted.
“We spend more money on things ruining our health than helping it.”
It got me thinking about something I hear all the time from prospective members or from other folks looking into CrossFit.
“I would love to do CrossFit… but it’s just so expensive.”
I’m here to tell you that your CrossFit membership is not as expensive as you might think. Neither is your nutrition coaching, neither is anything that has long lasting benefits to your overall health and wellness. (Note: this is not directed at anyone who is in true financial hardships. If you are in a bit of a hardship but want to make some changes, EMAIL ME. I’ll set you up with some at home workouts!)
When you are spending money and placing a value on a product, it comes down to time vs value, as well as the overall impact said product is going to have on your life.
Let me explain.
Your average fast food meal is more expensive than your gym membership. Sounds crazy, but let’s take a moment to think about it.
If I were to go to the greatest fast food place of all time, Whataburger (don’t even bring In and Out into this), and get a number 2 with double cheese, that meal would cost me about 10 dollars. By the time I ordered the meal, waited for the meal, and then ate the meal, a whopping 20 minutes would have gone by (20 minutes is a very accurate time domain… I’ve done plenty of research at Whataburger).
If we break that into cost per hour, your Whataburger meal costs $30 bucks an hour! What is the overall impact that this product is going to have on your life? Well, instant satisfaction, followed by bloating, being lethargic, inflammation, and an almost certain calorie surplus for the rest of your day (which is how you will gain weight). Is this $24 an hour really beneficial to your overall health and wellness?
Now, let’s look at your gym membership. A 12x monthly gym membership at CrossFit Yellow Rose costs $169 a month. Sure, seems pretty steep at first, but let’s break it down. Each one of our classes is 1 hour long. We provide the space, the equipment, the world class coaching, as well as some immaculate workouts. Each class will break down to $14.08. That’s $14.08 per hour versus the $30 per hour at Whataburger. What’s the overall benefit to your health and wellness by spending the time and money at these classes? Increased strength, endurance, conditioning, weight loss, confidence, feeling great, sleeping better… I could keep going with these!
Another example: On any given Saturday, societal norms tell us (and even encourage us) that it’s ok to spend $60 at dinner, then rack up a $120 bar tab. You could wake up with a nasty hangover, feel terrible, and have $180 less dollars in your pocket… All for one night. Is spending your gym membership on one night of partying really going to have the overall impact on your health like a gym membership would have? Probably not.
So, no, I don’t think your gym membership is expensive. I think people need to make a decision on what is most important to them. If going out and picking up expensive bar tabs is more important to you, or eating out for every meal, that’s fine as long as you understand that the COST of the gym membership is not stopping you from working out. It’s your own decision making and priorities that are holding you back. Audit your spending honestly, analyze the time vs value, and take into account the overall benefit these purchases will have on your life.
If you need any help, don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m here to help!
-Clark Hibbs
