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Gym memberships

If you are really wanting to find out about gym memberships and what they entail - then you need to remember to ask a number of key questions before you sign on the dotted line. Most gym memberships for the big chains are a minimum of a one year contract (apart from Virgin Active) so once you've signed you have to make the payments for at least a year regardless of whether you go to the gym once or a thousand times.

Now you know one of the key gym memberships pitfalls, take a quick look at our checklist below to make sure you know some of the others :

• What is the minimum contract period for the gym?
  
  
• Is there a reduction in price if you pay yearly?
  
  
• Are all gym instructors and personal trainers full qualified and registered with the Register of Exercise Professionals or National Register of Personal Trainers.
  
  
• What's the busiest time for members (usually Monday evenings and lunchtimes if near businesses)
  
  
• Ask to see the gym's insurance status if you plan to do any classes. Most importantly do they cover the instructor for accidents?
  
  

That is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it does highlight key questions that most people do not think to ask, but are vitally important if you wish to be assured you are safe in their hands. Remember they are a business, and so have to justify to you why you are paying them for the service.