Watch out: New-year gym offers may not be as good as they appear

Is joining a gym part of your new year resolution? Great but pause and read first.

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The winter months and the festivities they bring inevitably makes most of us indulge more than usual. After all. who can really say no to that frothy cup of chocolate-filled steaming coffee in our numb hands? What follows is a certain sense of guilt and a feeling of piling on the kilos under the jackets and sweaters. So, if you too are bordering on unhealthy by overindulging in the festive spirit and have been scouting gym deals galore, this is for you.

Gyms across the world usually make a killing by offering great deals during the last few days of the year and in the first several days of January. Prospective customers are lured by models with bulging muscles and washboard abs who promise that it is their gym that can ensure a body image of dreams. But did you know that  416 complaints were made against gyms across Australia in 2018 - most citing new year deals as not everything promised? It is indeed easy to fall prey to advertising blitzkriegs which makes it crucial to read the finer prints before emptying the wallet. Yes, no price can be put on good health but not every gym may be worth all that it promises.

Long-term relationship: The biggest attraction that most gyms offer are substantial discounts on long-term packages. Now these work great for people who are regular with their workout schedules and are looking to renew membership. They, mostly, know themselves and the gym, and are less likely to feel cheated. For others, committing long-term, say six to 12 to even 24 months, may seem like a good option considering the discount on offer but there is no point if either the concerned gym is completely new to them or if they are not sure whether they would be regular at all. It, therefore, may not be more economical to buy a short-term pack but at least there is an option to stop or switch quicker.

Don't park that money: Taking forward from the previous point, it may appear more economical - on a month-to-month- basis to take long-term memberships but these too can be quite a lump sum. In most cases, the difference in month-to-month costs between long-term and short-term packages may only be a thousand or thereabouts and so, there would be a bank balance to be proud of. Once again, this is for people unsure about their gym and/or how regular they would be.

Old gift in a new wrapping paper: In some advertisements, gyms come out catchy claims like 'never-before offer' and/or 'never-again offer.' Relax. It mostly is just a way to ensure a quick sign-up and much like sale seasons on e-commerce platforms, they keep coming back on special occasions through the year or on no occasion at all.

The point of the above points is hardly to dissuade someone from joining the gym. In a world fast being taken over by fast food and unhealthy lifestyle choices, exercise is not just required but absolutely essential. And while there are home workout plans galore, joining a gym can have its several benefits too. The need is to assess the deals with a more scrutinising eye to avoid losing momentum during the eventual grind.