By Majd Othman

KUWAIT: Changes in people’s lifestyles in the past years made them decide to become healthier and exercise more to maintain a healthier body and get into better shape. Many of them, especially the youth, have joined sports clubs and gyms, which have mushroomed. But the cost of membership at gyms and sports clubs is highly overrated.

Prices that increased after the pandemic and due to inflation were already high. The average charges at mid-level women’s gyms range are already seen as unaffordable, and it does not include specific classes and activities at the gyms. Some of these sports clubs requires members to pay extra charges to access some classes, whose per session charges are still considered expensive.

A women’s gym, whose monthly membership charges are on the higher range told Kuwait Times that these prices match the services they provide, such as modern sports machines, experienced trainers, cleaning services, lockers and all other services members need. Regarding extra charges, the gym said they don’t add any extra charges, but have personal trainers whose per hour charge is considered expensive. So, the total charges per month with four personal training classes will be costly for an average person. The customer may probably need more than four sessions if she needs to lose weight, for example.

Other women’s gyms said their monthly membership is more expensive if the customer pays monthly and does not take a 3-month package at least. If the customer skips any day under any circumstance, she will lose that day from her balance.

Mona Ahmad told Kuwait Times the gym has become an essential routine in her life, and she is not willing to stop frequenting it. However, the cost of the gym places financial pressure on her due to the high prices that are unacceptable. She hoped the authorities’ set laws that legislate the clubs’ prices and curb overpricing that has become illogical, especially at ladies’ gyms.

Abeer Al-Abdullah said women’s gyms are not only overpriced, but also provide fewer services compared to men’s gyms, adding they are exploiting women because they don’t have other options, which will force them to pay higher prices. She claimed gyms work hand in glove to keep prices high. The gap between the prices of men’s and women’s gyms is very wide. The same mid-level gym that charges women with a high-rate costs lesser for men.