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MONEY COMMENT
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If, like me, you're feeling a bit like a stuffed bloater, you might be thinking about joining a gym to work off the excesses of Christmas. Curb your enthusiasm for the moment and think very carefully before taking this energetic and expensive course of action! Losing weight is one of the traditional New Year resolutions - health clubs up and down Britain will be rubbing their hands with glee as they wait for the usual January rush. And with good reason, too. The best thing about the New Year intake is that they often pay in advance for membership, but many lose their enthusiasm after about five and a half minutes. By Easter, at least a fifth of these new members rarely use the gym facilities, or they give up completely - leaving the health club to pocket their cash. The fact is, if you're not careful in your choice of fitness centre, you could find that you've committed yourself to a long-term subscription - whether you use the gym frequently or not. Even if you're allowed to cancel your membership at any time, a recent survey on the subject revealed that 81% of people forget to cancel their direct debits for two or more months after they've stopped working out. Paying £50+ a month for gym membership isn't going to get you fit and healthy; you have to use the place too - and health clubs know that many people lose interest fairly quickly. If you think, in spite of your good intentions, that you're likely to behave in this way, choose a gym that will let you pay per visit. It'll be much cheaper in the long run. Better still, what's wrong with a brisk - and free - walk in the park? Put your money into a savings account instead. Find out more about Saving.