Working out regularly is one of the best things you can do for your health, both physical and mental. Most of us know that. But what you may not know is that working out regularly is one of the best things you can do for your financial health too.

Not staying healthy can be extremely costly. Healthcare is expensive in America and even if you have health insurance, the cost of an illness can bankrupt you. In fact, 66.5% of all bankruptcies are caused by medical issues thanks to the high cost of care, missing work due to illness and treatment, or a combination of both. It’s estimated that more than half a million American families file bankruptcy each year thanks to the high cost of medical bills.

Getting regular exercise is known to reduce the risk of numerous health problems, and – thankfully – you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get fit. We’ve proven it by creating the ultimate guide to finding a cheap gym membership.

Don’t worry, you can find cheap gym memberships that will accommodate almost any budget.

Big Savings

Even if you don’t want to know how beneficial working out is, you can hardly avoid it. Newspapers and magazines write about it, national and local news networks cover it, podcasts are made about it, entire books are devoted to it. Yet even in the face of all this data, some people still can’t motivate themselves to join a gym.

What’s a better motivator than money? So here’s some financial motivation to convince you to get a membership at one of the many cheap gyms out there:

The Journal of the American Heart Association found that working out regularly will save you $2,500 a year in reduced medical costs. And you don’t need to slog away for hours a day in the gym to get the benefits. Just 30 minutes of activity a week is enough.

Ailments like heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancers are some of the most expensive diseases to treat not to mention the most debilitating and these conditions are believed to be much more common in those who don’t exercise.

Now, are you convinced? Think of what you could do with an extra $2,500 a year. Save for an emergency fund, take a vacation, or pay down your credit card debt.

Great, we convinced you.

Grab your gym bag because we’re going to show you where to get cheap gym memberships.

Planet Fitness

Not only is Planet Fitness one of the best places to get a cheap gym membership, but it’s also one of the most prolific gym chains in the U.S. Planet Fitness has an annual fee of $39.99 and a monthly due of $10. If you travel frequently, you can pay a $22.99 monthly due and get access to any Planet Fitness location.

There are more than 1,800 locations in every state, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the Dominical Republic, and Canada. The basic membership includes unlimited access to your local Planet Fitness, free fitness training, and free WiFi. The Black Card membership ($22.99) includes lots of additional perks including guest privileges, tanning facilities, unlimited use of hydromassage and massage chairs, and discounts on drinks.

Crunch Fitness

Crunch Fitness is another great option when it comes to cheap gyms. The base membership is $9.95 a month with upgraded memberships which offer more perks for $21.95 and $24.95 a month. The enrollment fees range from $10 to $49.99 depending on the membership level you choose. There is also an annual fee of $78 per year.

The base membership includes access to workout essentials, the locker room equipped with showers, online nutrition, and circuit training. The higher tiers of this chain’s cheap gyms memberships include things like group fitness classes, hydromassage, tanning, access to other Crunch locations, and ride classes.

Crunch Fitness has more than 300 locations across 30 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and four Canadian provinces.

Anytime Fitness

If you don’t work a job with standard 9-5 hours or just keep strange hours, it can be hard to find a gym with hours that accommodate your schedule. Anytime Fitness to the rescue. Anytime Fitness gyms are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Not only that, but the chain has more than 4,000 locations in every state and 36 countries over six continents (there are only seven if you don’t remember your 6th-grade geography class).

Anytime Fitness memberships and fees vary from location. The average membership is $40 per month and there are fees for initiation and key activation.

Come on now! This gym has cheap memberships, thousands and thousands of locations and it never closes! No excuses for not working out when you get a cheap gym membership at Anytime Fitness.

Blink Fitness

If you’re not only looking for a cheap gym membership but a gym that doesn’t feel intimidating for those just getting into fitness or who may not be “Instagram fit” (most of those IG fitness “influencers” are photoshopped beyond recognition), you’ll love Blink Fitness.

Blink believes fitness is for everyone and the gyms provide a welcoming environment for everyone, no matter their level of fitness. But you don’t have to take our word for it. All of Blink Fitness’ 80 locations offer a free trial membership, and monthly memberships start as low as $15 per month.

Youfit Health Clubs

Youfit is not a nationwide chain but they do have more than 100 locations in 15 states. The base membership is $10 a month and premium access memberships are $21.99 a month. The base membership requires you to pay the first and last month’s dues so don’t join until you’ve visited the gym a few times and are sure it’s the right choice for you. There is an initiation fee that varies from location to location and according to your membership level.

It may vary by location but most Youfit gyms have state of the art equipment, group classes, circuit training, personal training, tanning facilities, and childcare.

Workout Anytime

This 24/7 chain of cheap gyms have more than 100 locations across the U.S. The cost for the basic membership is just $15 per month. Workout Anytime gyms are equipped with the latest equipment including reACT trainers and hydromassage beds.

And as the name suggests, the locations are open 24 hours a day every day.

YMCA

It’s not just a cheesy song played at wedding receptions. Your local YMCA offers much more than just a cheap gym membership. If you want to join a gym that the whole family can enjoy or a gym that is more than just a place to work out or give back to your local community, your YMCA is a perfect choice.

“The Y,” as it’s called, is a nonprofit organization with more than 2,700 locations across the U.S. There are different types of memberships including Student, Senior, Individual, and Family. The fees range from $25 per month for students to $79 per month for families.

You can purchase a Nationwide Membership which allows you to work out at any of the participating YMCA locations across the country. There is free childcare during peak hours and dozens of free classes. Locations have new equipment and most have personal TVs to make your workout go back more quickly.

YMCA locations also offer Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility Programs. You can find your local YMCA here.

Voiced Market

Voiced Market is a marketplace for deals on all kinds of things including gifts, clothes, and home goods. The site is a great place to find deals on cheap gym memberships too. A recent deal offers one year of personalized workouts and meal plans for just $19. Another deal has personal training sessions at 50% off.

You can receive free email alerts about new exclusive deals by signing up for the Voiced Market newsletter here.

Groupon

When you think of Groupon you probably think of cheap restaurant deals and discounted beauty treatments but you can find cheap gym memberships on the site too.

These are some of the recent deals for New York City.  A two day pass with rental gear for a rock climbing gym for $32. A five class pass for a yoga studio for $19. And a free 60-day trial membership at the Daily Burn. You can’t get cheaper than free!

Using these Groupon deals is a great way to check out various facilities before making a commitment or to find a form of exercise you enjoy and will stick with.

Localfit

Localfit is a great option for those who travel a lot or are commitment-phobic. It’s like a subscription service for cheap gyms. Localfit gives you access to more than 5,000 full-service health clubs and gyms across the U.S. for just $15 a month.

Members use the Localfit app to reserve passes to participating facilities and pay for the visit with the Localfit card which is similar to a pre-paid debit card. Members are entitled to up to 30 visits a month and can visit the same facility up to 5 times per month. There is no contract and you can cancel the subscription at any time.

Check Your Benefits

Working out regularly not only saves you money but it saves your health insurance company and your employer money as well. Check your benefits. Some insurance companies will reimburse some or all of the cost of a gym membership and some offer discounted memberships.

The same is true for employers. Healthy employees are cheaper to insure and more productive.

What’s Better Than a Cheap Gym Membership?

A free gym membership. Ask for a gym membership for your next birthday, Christmas, or anniversary (Do not give a gym membership as a gift unless the recipient has asked for one. I can guarantee this will result in a fight over the “fact” that you think the recipient is out of shape and needs to join a gym).

Another alternative to a cheap gym membership is to work out at home. I lift weights (12-pound dumbbells) in my kitchen while watching videos about nutrition on Youtube and then go for a run in my neighborhood listening to true crime podcasts. That cost me the price of the dumbells and running shoes (you need good ones if you’re going to take up running). It costs me nothing beyond that so even if you can’t afford cheap gym memberships, lack of money is no excuse for not working out.

Pick one of the cheap gyms out there, pick a workout, and get going. $2,500 is waiting for you at the end of a year.