Why I Cancelled my Gym Membership and Joined FitKey Instead.
Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty I’m are free at last! Yup, I’ve finally done it – I’ve cancelled my gym membership! To be honest with you, I don’t know why I ever had a gym membership. I NEVER go to the gym – not even just to swipe in, grab a smoothie and leave. It’s not that I don’t exercise, I’m actually quite an active person but being active at the gym just doesn’t appeal to me. Mostly because I find the gym to be incredibly boring – especially when I’m left to my own devices. I’ve always preferred the classes at the gym, because they always offer something different to keep workouts interesting, but with a busy work schedule I can never make the timeslots for the classes I am interested in. And so, after reading about FitKey, South Africa’s newest approach to fitness, and trying it out for a month I finally plucked up the courage to cancel my gym membership and put my money to much better use. Here’s why the move to FitKey was one of the best I’ve ever made.
The first thing that caught my eye about FitKey is that it’s not like any other gym membership I have ever heard of or tried before. Most places try to lock you in for a long period of time and give you very little flexibility in terms of the types of exercise you want to do. If you’ve ever wanted to try out something new that your gym doesn’t offer you’ll know what I’m talking about. For example, a little while I ago I was super keen to try out boxing classes but once I realised that signing up for boxing classes just once or twice a week would cost just as much, or more, than my current gym membership I decided to give it a skip. Most memberships force you to pick one thing and stick with it but what about those of who like trying new things and who get bored doing the same old workouts day-in-and-day-out?
FitKey allows South Africans to pay one membership fee and have access to the gym fitness studio that suits their mood on any given day. And, the sky is the limit here ladies. I’m talking everything from yoga and pilates to Crossfit, boxing fitness, ballet, Sweat1000, and more. It might be hard to believe but your one FitKey membership fee gives you access to over 160 gym locations and more than 6000 classes per month! When I first heard that selling point I immediately jumped on the FitKey website to see what the catch was. But here’s the thing, I couldn’t find one. And trust me, I looked. I painstakingly analysed the class schedules comparing prices of the same classes on the gym’s website to the FitKey membership and no matter which way I worked the numbers FitKey always came out on top as the better deal.
So, I gave it a go for a month and now I’m hooked. The FitKey system couldn’t be easier to use. Members get access to the FitKey website and app where they can book various classes hours, days, or weeks in advance. To find a class you want to take part in you simply use the class filter system and search classes by date, time, studio, or workout type. Once you’ve found a class that meets your fancy you simply click ‘Reserve a Spot’ and that’s it. All that’s left for you to do is rock up 15 minutes before the class and let reception know you’ve booked with FitKey. I also love that you can use the website and app to easily track the classes you’ve added to your schedule and even cancel classes that will no longer be able to attend. The website also offers great descriptions of each class and studio so you know what to expect before you arrive at their door.
During my first month of using FitKey I was like a kid in a candy store. I tried out multiple yoga studios in Cape Town and even managed to fit in some Sweat1000 and Switch Playground classes. And that’s the great thing about FitKey, you can change your workout as your mood strikes. If you’ve booked a boxing class for the evening but wake up feeling like you’re in more of a yoga mood that day then you can easily cancel the boxing class and book a suitable yoga class instead. The classes are also at very convenient times during the day and run from early morning to late evening. I loved that I could choose various classes to fit around my schedule whether I want to fit in an early morning boxing fitness class, a lunch-time yoga session, or an after-work Bootcamp experience. It was all right at my fingertips. Another plus is that the studios are located all over the country. I am based in Cape Town and found loads of studios near my home and work. I even used the app to find studios near my accommodation when I was in Joburg on a week-long work trip.
The only ‘catch’ I have been able to find with FitKey so far is that you can only attend 3 classes at each studio per month. And, while this might put some people off I didn’t find it to be an issue at all because there’s always an alternative option. Once I’d attended three yoga sessions at one studio in the month I simply picked another, conveniently located yoga studio offering a similar class that day or, even better, I tried something new! FitKey really has changed the way I exercise and, to be honest, I’m still trying to figure out how a deal this good exists. I’m so convinced about it that I tell anyone and everyone who will listen and have already converted two friends to signing up with me (because no-one likes to exercise alone).
The great thing about FitKey is you can give it a go without having to commit for too long. With FitKey there are no joining fees and no contracts or obligations. You simply pay the monthly fee of R995 for the unlimited plan when you want to use the membership and you’ll have access from the day you pay to that same date a month later (for example I joined on 17 August and my fee was up for renewal on 17 September). If you’re not keen on the unlimited plan then there are also a range of other membership plans available starting from R295 for Fitkey 3 (3 classes a month) to R695 for FitKey 10 (10 classes a month). Plus, if you’re a Momentum Multiply member you will also get up to 10% off your monthly FitKey membership.
Want to know more? Click here for more information on FitKey and to try it out now.
