Americans Pay Gyms They Don’t Attend All Year

Immigrant discovers unused membership as financial planning

When New Year’s Resolutions Cost $600 Annually

PHOENIX, AZ – Kwame Osei’s American coworker admitted he pays $50 monthly for a gym membership he hasn’t used in seven months. The 28-year-old from Ghana did the math: “You’ve paid $350 to not exercise.” His coworker shrugged: “I keep meaning to go back.” Osei’s response: “You’re not paying for gym—you’re paying for guilt subscription. $50 monthly to feel bad about not going. That’s expensive self-punishment. You could feel bad about not exercising for free at home. Why pay $50 for that privilege?”

In Kumasi, Osei exercised for free: running, push-ups, playing football with friends. Cost: $0. In Phoenix, people pay $50-100 monthly for gym access they use maybe January and never again. “You’re paying for the option to exercise, not exercising,” Osei observed. “That’s like paying for restaurant you never eat at because you might want to someday. Except restaurants don’t auto-renew. Gyms do. They’re banking on your good intentions and poor follow-through.”

When Gyms Profit From Your Failure

According to International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, 67% of gym memberships go unused, generating billions in revenue from people paying for services they don’t use. Osei’s coworker is the gym’s perfect customer: paying monthly, attending never, never canceling because “I’ll start going next month.” “Next month never comes,” Osei observed. “It’s been seven months of next months. You’ve paid $350 for theoretical future exercise that hasn’t happened. At what point do you admit you’re not going? Year two? Year five? Your tombstone: ‘Here lies John. Gym member since 2019. Attended twice.'”

Jerry Seinfeld said, “I don’t know why they call it a health club. Nobody looks healthy leaving there—they look like they got hit by a bus.” Osei doesn’t know why people pay for gyms they don’t attend. His coworker explained: “Canceling feels like giving up on fitness goals.” Osei’s response: “Not going is giving up. You gave up seven months ago. You’re just paying $50 monthly to avoid admitting it. Cancel the membership. If you want to exercise, exercise. Free options exist—running, push-ups, YouTube workout videos, walking. You don’t need $600 yearly gym membership to move your body. You need motivation. Motivation isn’t sold at gyms. Gyms sell access. You have access. You’re not using it. Access without usage is waste.”

The January Gym Rush That Dies by February

Osei visited his coworker’s gym in January: packed with resolution-makers committing to fitness. He visited in March: empty. “Where did everyone go?” he asked. Gym staff member: “They’re still paying though.” That’s the model—New Year’s resolutions generate memberships, February reality kills attendance, gyms profit from gap between intentions and actions. “You’re paying for your own failure,” Osei told his coworker. “Gym designed its business model around you failing at fitness goals. They oversell memberships knowing most won’t attend. If everyone who paid showed up, gyms would be too crowded to function. They need you to not come. You’re helping them by paying and staying home. You’re charity for fitness industry—donating $50 monthly to help gym owners lease BMWs.”

Dave Chappelle said, “Sometimes you have to protect yourself from yourself.” Gym members need protection from gyms that make cancellation intentionally difficult while auto-renewal is effortless. Osei’s coworker tried canceling once—required in-person visit during business hours, 30-day notice, cancellation form, manager approval. “They make canceling harder than joining,” Osei observed. “You joined online in five minutes. Canceling requires in-person visit like you’re returning borrowed lawnmower to suspicious neighbor. This is intentional friction. They’re betting you’ll keep paying rather than deal with cancellation hassle. It’s working. You’ve paid $350 because canceling is annoying. That’s $350 convenience fee for avoiding 15-minute in-person visit.”

When Fitness Intentions Become Financial Drain

Osei calculated: His coworker has paid $600 yearly for two years—$1,200 total—for gym he attended maybe 20 times. “That’s $60 per visit,” Osei calculated. “You could’ve paid $10 daily for day passes 20 times and saved $1,000. But you paid for monthly membership because you intended to go regularly. Your intentions cost $1,000. This is expensive optimism. You’re paying for fantasy version of yourself—person who goes to gym regularly. That person doesn’t exist. Real you goes to gym twice yearly. Why are you financing fantasy you’s fitness membership?”

Chris Rock said, “You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy.” Osei knows America is crazy when people pay hundreds for gym memberships they use never while complaining they can’t afford healthy food. His coworker spends $600 yearly on unused gym, claims he can’t afford $200 yearly on vegetables. “You have money for things you don’t use but not things you’d use,” Osei observed. “This reveals priorities. Looking like you’re trying to be fit—gym membership—matters more than being fit—eating well, exercising free. You’ve chosen expensive performance of fitness over actual fitness. Performance costs $600. Actual fitness costs discipline.”

The Personal Trainer Sessions Paid But Never Scheduled

Osei discovered his coworker paid $500 for 10 personal training sessions two years ago, used zero sessions, sessions expired, money non-refundable. “You paid $500 for exercise instruction you never received,” Osei marveled. “That’s most expensive doing-nothing I’ve ever heard. You literally gave gym $500 for nothing. Not even gym access—you already pay for that. You gave them $500 for training sessions you knew when buying that you probably wouldn’t use. Why?” His coworker: “I thought it would motivate me.” Osei: “It motivated you to waste $500. That’s all it motivated.”

Bill Burr said, “I’m not going to apologize for being right.” Osei’s not apologizing for thinking Americans waste money on fitness theater while avoiding actual fitness. “You pay $50 monthly for gym membership, paid $500 for training, bought $200 worth of workout clothes and shoes, own $150 fitness tracker. That’s $1,450 spent on fitness. How much have you exercised? Not $1,450 worth. You’ve spent more on fitness-related products and memberships than some people spend on groceries yearly, and you’re not fit. You’ve financialized fitness without actualizing it. You own all the fitness accessories except the fitness.”

When Canceling Gym Feels Like Admitting Defeat

Osei asked his coworker why he doesn’t cancel. Answer: “Canceling means I’m giving up on being fit.” Osei’s counter: “Not going means you gave up. You gave up seven months ago when you stopped attending. Keeping membership doesn’t mean you’re trying—it means you’re paying to avoid admitting you stopped trying. Cancel the membership. If you want to exercise, do it. If you don’t want to exercise, admit that and stop paying for guilt. There’s no shame in not wanting gym membership. There’s shame in paying $600 yearly for something you don’t use while claiming you can’t afford things you actually need.”

Amy Schumer said, “I’m not saying I’m lazy, I’m saying I’m energy efficient.” American gym members aren’t energy efficient—they’re financially inefficient. They maintain memberships for non-existent future selves who will suddenly start exercising despite seven months of evidence suggesting otherwise. Osei’s observation: “You think next month will be different. It won’t. You haven’t changed. Your schedule hasn’t changed. Your motivation hasn’t changed. Why would next month be different from last seven months? It won’t. You’re hoping for change without creating change. That’s not optimism—that’s delusion financed at $50 monthly.”

The Gym That Offers Free Pizza Night

Osei discovered his coworker’s gym offers free pizza first Monday of every month. “Your gym serves pizza,” Osei said slowly. “Gym. Where you go to not eat pizza. Serves free pizza. And you think this is normal?” His coworker: “It’s member appreciation.” Osei: “It’s sabotage appreciation. Gym is incentivizing the behavior you’re paying them to help you avoid. They’re betting you’ll eat pizza, feel guilty, keep membership to work off pizza, not attend, repeat cycle. This is brilliant and evil. They’re feeding you the problem you’re paying them to solve. And you don’t see the irony because you’re not attending anyway. The pizza is for people who do attend—to ensure they need to keep attending. It’s self-perpetuating business model. Create the problem, sell the solution, maintain the problem. Capitalism perfection.”

Kevin Hart said, “Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to do the work.” Everybody wants to be fit, but nobody wants to do the work of actually going to gym they’re paying for. Americans pay for fitness potential while actualizing couch sitting. “You’re paying $600 yearly for permission to exercise that you’re not using,” Osei told his coworker. “Permission to exercise is free. You can exercise anywhere anytime without memberships. You’ve convinced yourself that fitness requires gym membership. It doesn’t. Fitness requires movement. Movement is free. Run outside. Do push-ups. Walk. Exercise costs $0. You’re paying $600 for environment that makes exercise slightly more convenient. But convenience doesn’t matter if you’re not going. You’ve optimized for convenience you’re not using.”

When asked if he’d ever get gym membership, Osei laughed while doing push-ups at home, running outside, and playing football with friends—all free. “Never,” he said. “I’ll continue exercising without paying companies for the privilege. You people have turned movement—basic human function—into subscription service. You pay monthly to access buildings with equipment you could replicate at home or outdoors. You’re not paying for fitness—you’re paying for the feeling that you’re working on fitness. That feeling costs $600 yearly. The actual fitness—free. Just requires doing it. But doing it is hard. Paying for gym membership is easy. So you pay, don’t go, feel guilty, keep paying. Gyms profit from this cycle. They’re not selling fitness—they’re selling guilt relief that doesn’t relieve guilt because you’re still not going. Cancel your membership. If you want to exercise, exercise. If you don’t, stop pretending paying for gym means you’re trying. Trying means going. Not going means you’ve already given up but you’re financing the ghost of your abandoned fitness goals at $50 monthly. That’s not dedication—that’s financial masochism. Stop paying for things you don’t use. Back home, that’s called common sense. Here, it’s called ‘but I might start going next month.’ Next month is a lie you tell yourself to avoid admitting you wasted $600 this year on access to treadmills you could’ve run on zero times for $600 less.”

SOURCE: Bohiney Magazine (Aisha Muharrar)

DATE: 12/2/2025