It works out cheaper

GETTING out of a pricey monthly gym membership has traditionally been as hard as squeezing into lycra after the Christmas break.

But at Fitness4Less, a low-cost gym in east London, membership is more flexible. Customers pay £15.99 ($25) a month and can leave at any point. Like cut-price airlines and supermarkets, budget gyms are muscling in on the market.

Their rise reflects the recent shakiness of Britain’s economy. Although budget chains constitute only 8% of the revenue, they now account for 21% of all fitness-club members. Low-cost gyms boast around 5,000 members per club compared with an industry average of about 1,900, according to Mintel, a consultancy. Such high numbers help keep membership cheap. Many accommodate such large numbers by opening 24 hours a day. That is appealing to the growing numbers of Britons doing shift work.

Membership turnover is high, too, but two-thirds of those who leave Fitness4Less come back, says Emma Edwards, one of its owners. Budget gyms are growing faster than any other part of the sector; roughly 200% since 2011. Pure Gym, a low-cost chain, has opened 75 clubs since 2009. Fitness First, a mid-range chain where monthly membership can cost £70, only has 75 clubs now, down from 150 in 2007.

Budget-gym bunnies scan their fingerprints or use personal ID numbers to gain access. That cuts spending on costly membership cards and receptionists. There are few frills, such as saunas and cafés. Up to 70% of the machines at The Gym, another fast-growing chain, use no electricity, reducing overheads. No contracts mean no salaries or commissions for salespeople.

Other cheap ways to keep fit are thriving too, from online classes to low-cost mobile fitness apps. Fancy gyms—where single classes can cost more than a monthly budget gym membership–are also flourishing. It is just the flabby middle that is being squeezed.