It Happened
TBG's pass didn't work at the gym this morning. Our relationship with Silver Sneakers has been officially severed. No one is paying my membership fees.
$22 per month for an all-USA-access pass to LA Fitness seems reasonable. I'm committed to regular exercise. TBG lives most of his away-from-home-life in the gym. I went through the internet sign-up procedure for whatever the United Health Care AARP Medicare Supplement calls their subsidy program.... twice.... once for me, once, after a bit of a kerfuffle with the software, for TBG.
It was a lot more work and a lot more money than Silver Sneakers was. They required no sign-up procedure; I produced my identification, the club looked me up in an on-line data base, and in I went. Platinum Fitness, Fit Stop, LA Fitness.... they all were glad to see me.
I worry about my less enthusiastic-about-the-whole-exercise-thing friends. When it was free, and available everywhere, excuses were harder to come by. Now, for people on a fixed income, watching every expenditure, $22 a month is a noticeable expense. Couple that with a natural reluctance to start something new, and the insurance companies have, once again, taken steps to undermine our health.
Am I being overly dramatic? Perhaps. But aren't you used to that from me by now?
Hi Ashleigh, I would be disappointed (angry?) as well. I don't have Silver Sneakers (hear the ads all the time) but did recently join Planet Fitness. I'm really pleased with them. They call themselves a "No Critics" zone and it's true. There are people there of all ages, shapes, sizes, and fitness levels, just doing their own things. It's immaculately clean and only $10.00 per month. If there is one in your area, it might be an alternative for you. Sorry this happened to you, Cheryl
ReplyDeleteI've been with LA Fitness since I moved here; it houses my "gym rat" friends. I have friends who do Planet Fitness and enjoy it, though.
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We just joined Planet Fitness, as well, and are liking it. The LA Fitness in the south end had too much body building and too much trying to sell upgraded memberships. When it was time to go for the summer, they fought me tooth and nail to quit the membership. I guess it depends on who owns the franchise. Anyway, we do like PF alot, and if you get the Black Card you can go to any out of state gym for free (10 times a month). You have choices!
DeleteOh, I know.... but it just pisses me off that I finally had a benefit I wanted to use - as opposed to one I had to use - and now I don't.
DeleteDefinitely a minor annoyance and not enough for me to leave LA Fitness.
BTW, LA Fitness is supposed to offer you the opportunity to freeze your membership and then unfreeze it without paying another initiation fee. But you are right, it's often franchise specific and certainly the main office of LAF is ultimately in charge (and totally unresponsive)
Glad you like PF; if I had friends there I'd probably be there more often.
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