For any member that has health insurance and is thinking about joining a gym, you should check with your health insurance company if they offer any discounts towards gym memberships.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield offers a program called healthways fitness your way. The standard pricing is $25/month, and you have access to over 9,000 gyms across the country. The YMCA, Golds Gym, LA Fitness, and many independent gyms participate in the program. If you join the program, you are eligible for any gym that participates in the program, so if you're traveling, you can go on the website, type in the zip code and find a local gym that you can use.
The $25/month price is just the standard price. Depending on your actual insurance, you can get an additional discount to "encourage" you to have healthy behavior. For instance, I chose the HSA option of insurance at work, and my company's plan gave an additional discount on the membership. They figure if you use the gym, they will eventually spend less money on health insurance.
I only have to pay $5/month, and I didn't have to pay any enrollment fees.
I noticed that some members are paying >$50/month, which is a lot of money you might not have to spend. An independent gym near me participates in the program, and it normally costs $75/month. I've walked in and used the same facility for $5/month, and I still had access to the personal trainers.
Also, for anyone that has a HSA, there are a lot of articles written about getting a certified prescription from your doctor that requires you to use a gym. This medical "need" allows you to use your HSA funds to pay your gym membership. I haven't done that, but it's another option to check out, especially if you get a huge discount on your membership.
http://themoggroup.com/blog/gym-membersh...bursement/