As the new year prompts another round of resolutions, and with getting fitter and healthier often topping the list, gym sign-ups soar. But with rising membership fees, staying committed may be pricey.

Leisure DB, a market intelligence company for the UK’s fitness and leisure industry, found the average cost of a gym membership in the UK is £47.24 a month, while digital bank Revolut says its customers spend an average of £118 a year on going to gyms.

We asked Guardian readers to tell us how much they were paying, and if prices had gone up. We heard from people around the country who said their membership fees had increased, often by more than inflation. Some said the increases had happened part way through their annual contract.

The consumer lawyer Gary Rycroft, a partner at Joseph A Jones & Co Solicitors, says there may be a breach of contract if the gym raises the price midway through, unless it made clear that this could happen before you signed up.

“A fundamental legal point to note is a contract between a consumer and a gym must be fair and transparent in order for it to be enforceable,” he says.

“This means a price agreed in a contract for a fixed term should not increase mid-contract unless there is an express clause allowing the pricing to be dynamic and also only if that clause was explained and made explicit at the time the contract was entered into.”

He says his legal view is that if there was an additional joining fee on top of the monthly payment, that should protect the consumer from price increases for a fixed term, “otherwise my view is the contact would be unenforceable as an unfair contract”.

If a gym breaches a contract by trying to put prices up midway without warning, as a consumer you should be able to terminate your membership and request your joining fee back, he suggests.

Some of the readers who got in touch have decided to give up their membership as a result of the rising prices, others are sticking with it.

We looked at how much you will pay at some of the best-known chains, and a few ways to cut the cost.

Standard memberships

A basic gym membership typically includes unlimited access to standard gym facilities, such as cardio equipment, weights and group fitness classes.

The cost varies by gym group and, typically, location.

PureGym: People on its “core” membership have access to the gym they sign up to – their “home gym”– and can use it at any time. You need to be on their plus membership plan to access their other gyms, which costs more each month.

It markets itself as a budget-friendly gym, and says the average price for memberships comes in at £25.94 a month. A year ago, it was £25.14, so that’s an increase of 3%.

A core membership at the Clapham, London, branch costs £49.99 a month, with a £25 joining fee; Manchester Stretford is £17.99 a month and £10 to join, and at the Edinburgh Exchange Crescent gym costs £25.99 plus a £15 joining fee.

There is no contract, so you can cancel at any time.

The Gym Group: Again, you get (largely) 24-hour access to your home gym with no contract. It said the average standard UK membership costs £25 a month.

At the London Walthamstow branch, membership costs £30.99 a month plus a £15 joining fee, the Edinburgh city gym costs £25.99 a month with a £15 joining fee, and the Oxford Road Manchester gym is £26.99 a month and £10 to join.

Nuffield Health: Multi-gym membership gives you access to your “home centre” – the one you select when you join – plus others from the 104 it owns across the country, although you have to use your home gym at least 50% of the time.

With a one-month rolling contract to the Bloomsbury gym, you pay £106 a month and a £29 joining fee. The 12-month plan comes in at £90 a month, also with a £29 joining fee.

Guardian reader Richard from Bishop’s Stortford says his membership increased by more than 8% in January. “I pay by monthly direct debit… In December 2024 it was £50.88, in January 2025, it was £55.26.”

Another reader from London says their membership went up from £90 to £95 this month, which they claim is “the second or third price increase” in the several years they have been a member.

The company says all members were notified about price rises in advance, in December 2024, as outlined in its terms and conditions. The last national increase was in early 2024, and it says “this was due to a continued rise in running costs”.

Virgin Active: It offers 12-month and flexible memberships, although the flexible option is more expensive and is not available at all gyms. Its Bromley gym in London costs £148 a month on a rolling contract plus a £30 joining fee, and £109.99 for 12 months and £15 to join.

Mark joined his local Virgin Active in Solihull in 2022 for £56 a month. His flexible membership rose to £67 in 2023, and in 2024 “there was a huge rise, my last monthly payment was £86,” he says. He cancelled his membership because he “could not see what benefit arose from a huge increase”.

Virgin Active said: “We would need to look into this on a case-by-case basis and would be happy to if they would like to reach out to us.”

David Lloyd: You can pick between a 12-month contract, or a “flexible” three-month term. You then choose from various “packages”, which grant you access to certain facilities, such as the spa, and other clubs. Not all packages are available at all clubs.

David Lloyd does not advertise prices on its website. The Enfield London branch operates memberships at three tiers – club, plus and platinum. The plus membership costs £159 a month, which gives you anytime access, while platinum grants multi-club and spa access, and comes in at £229 a month. There is a £170 joining fee with each package.

It said that membership to its Manchester Trafford gym starts at £114 a month and Edinburgh Corstorphine club starts at £71 a month.

Leon from Watford claims his David Lloyd membership has gone up by £44 a month since he signed up. “[It] has gone up four times in 18 months from £175 to now £219,” he says.

Another gym goer, Tony from Stockton-on-Tees, says: “My gym membership with David Lloyd this year has gone up by 13%. I am already on an off-peak membership to reduce the cost of the gym … I have complained, with no success.”

David Lloyd declined to comment on specific cases, as individual members’ prices depend on when they joined, as well as the club and package they have selected.

“We always aim to ensure than existing members pay a lower rate than new joiners.”

The company said: “We review our membership prices annually on 1 January, as per our terms and conditions and we always try to keep any increases as low as possible. The increase rate for each member varies depending on the club and its facilities and location as well as the individual’s personal membership package.”

Third Space: Membership to an individual club costs between £230 and £260 a month, and multi-club “group” membership, which excludes the Mayfair club, comes in at £279. “Group plus” includes access to all clubs and facilities for £305. There is a waiting list to join some gyms.

Prices were increased by between £15 and £17 a month on 1 January. One Guardian reader said their group membership increased by £17 in January, up from £262 in 2024. They said the reason given for the price increase was “regular investment to meet customers demands”.

Third Space did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.

Cutting costs

Off-peak membership

Many gyms offer a cheaper deal for those who are willing to exercise outside peak times.

An off-peak membership to the Virgin Active in Angel, London, costs £93 a month, available only as a 12-month contract – £16.99 a month cheaper than the full-access equivalent. Off-peak hours are 6.30am-4pm Monday to Friday, and 2pm-8pm at weekends.

Members on PureGym’s off-peak tier at the Clapham branch can access the gym between 8am and 4pm, and then again between 9pm and 11pm from Monday to Thursday. On Friday, it is the same morning timings, but 9pm until 10pm in the evening. At the weekends it is all day. It costs £35.99, plus a £25 joining fee, which is £14 cheaper than the core membership.

David Lloyd’s Club membership gives you access at off-peak times (between 11am-4pm on weekdays and after 2pm on weekends, according to its website) and costs £134 a month at Enfield for an individual membership, working out as £25 cheaper a month.

Pay upfront

Some gyms offer fixed memberships, where you pay the full membership cost upfront, which usually works out a few pounds cheaper a month than the rolling or direct debit versions.

The Gym Group’s upfront cost of the Oxford Road membership is £289 for 12 months, or £24.08 a month, or £229 for nine months, which equates to £25.44 a month, and there is no joining fee. The 12-month option works out as £2.91 cheaper than the rolling contract, and the nine-month one is £1.99 less a month.

Couples sign-up

Some gyms offer a discount if you sign up as a couple At David Lloyd, signing up to the Enfield gym’s platinum membership as a couple costs £184 each. That is £45 cheaper than the £229 individual membership.

Total Fitness also offers 10% on two individual memberships if you sign up as a couple.

Student and other concessions

If you are a student, Blue Light Card holder, or aged over 65, you might get a discount.

At the Nuffield Health gym in Croydon, you get 20% off as a student, reducing it from £77 to £62 a month. The gym also offers NHS employees a 30% discount for a new monthly membership.

The Gym Group has a “student saver” offer. However, keep an eye out for other deals and compare them closely as this doesn’t necessarily work out as cheaper.