Our family tries to spend our money wisely.  One way we try to save money is by using the fitness facilities at the recreation center in our city instead of having a gym membership.  I always knew the rec center in Hurst was a great deal, but when I did some comparisons to other nearby cities and commercial gyms I was surprised.  Here’s what I found…

Hurst Fitness Center

I have been going to the fitness facilities at the rec center since I was in college.  I have always been impressed with how well the facilities are maintained and updated.  There is a cardio room with a large selection of elliptical trainers, treadmills, bike trainers, and other equipment.  The machines are high quality with TV and user login for health tracking.  Upstairs there are two options for weight training – an area of circuit training equipment and a room filled with traditional weights.

Members are also allowed access to the basketball court which can be divided off and used for volleyball at certain times.  There is a also an indoor track and racquetball courts (which are becoming pretty hard to find elsewhere). For an additional fee, personal trainers are available to help with goals.  The hours are really good opening at 6:30a and closing at 10p M-Th and opening at various times F-Su with closing at 6p.

The annual fee for Hurst residents is $50 per individual and $125 for a family.

How Do Other Cities Compare?

I was really surprised when I compared the pricing to fitness facilities in nearby cities.  First off, information for the Hurst Fitness Center was easy to find with a Google search, not so for some of the other cities.  Here some price comparisons….

Bedford offers a similar lineup of equipment with slightly shorter hours for $127 per year for residents.

Euless has a life center that appears a bit more expensive but has some additional benefits.  For $175 a year an individual could have access to the fitness center, indoor pool, and drop-in childcare during certain hours.  Euless opens at 5:30a and shuts down at 9p on most days.

North Richland Hills has the NRH Centre that offers a fitness center, indoor pool, and indoor track for $299 annually for residents.

It was interesting to see the variety of options offered by other local cities.  Some offerings seem like a pretty good deal too but others appear to be pretty expensive by comparison.  It is great to see that all cities put an emphasis on healthy citizens.

It should also be noted that Hurst has a large Senior Activities Center for those 55 and up.  Annual membership is $20 for individuals (reduced or free for some).  There is a fitness center with a selection of exercise equipment and access to classes and even an indoor pool for a very small additional fee.  The March calendar is filled with wellness classes, arts and crafts, table games, dances, etc.

What about commercial gyms?

My wife had a membership at a nearby gym, we won’t name names, but it wasn’t a good experience especially when it came time to close out the membership.  A few months after the membership closed out we noted that a separate charge for childcare was still showing up on our credit card bill.  We had to jump through quite a few hoops to get this fee ended, with no refund for the additional charges that were made after the membership was ended.  She was using the gym for the indoor aquatics classes.

Offerings from local gyms have always been competitive but now the prices are getting lower as smaller facilities pop up in strip malls.

24 Hour Fitness is one of the larger gyms in our area.  On the website I found pricing at $40 per month ($480 for a year) plus a $50 annual fee.

Planet Fitness, not far from the Hurst Recreation Center, offers gym membership for $10 a month for use of a single gym location plus a $40 annual fee.

Workout Anytime is new to Hurst and allows 24/7 access to the facility for an annual cost of $199 plus fees.

LA Fitness in Hurst offers an indoor pool in addition to the expected gym amenities for $25 per month (single location use) plus a $99 initiation fee.  That’s $300 a year plus the fee in the first year.

Conclusion

For my needs, $50 a year for a friendly, clean, up-to-date facility is a bargain!  I also enjoy seeing friends and neighbors and the easy going feel at the rec center.  My favorite form of exercise is going for a walk or a run but it is nice to have an indoor option.  I also think it is great that all these cities are willing to invest in the health and wellness of the citizens!

What’s your favorite option?  Does your city provide a great fitness center at a low cost?  I’d enjoy hearing how you save money while trying to get a bit of exercise…