New Year, new you – no excuses!

With the New Year just around the corner, research from moneysupermarket.com reveals Brits are avoiding the opportunity for a health make-over, despite their good intentions wasting hundreds of pounds of their hard earned cash.

More than one in eight Brits (13 per cent) have joined a gym but rarely go, with the younger generation (18-24’s), the worst culprits – one in five (20 per cent) seldom go. Research revealed the over 55s certainly have more staying power, with only eight per cent joining but only going on the odd occasion. Brits in the North West are exposed as the worst offenders – three per cent having joined a gym but have never evengone! With the average gym membership around £801 per month, that’s over £960 a year for never setting foot inside.

Louise Cuming, head of protection at price comparison website, moneysupermarket.com, said: "It's tremendous that people make the move to join a gym to improve their health but disappointing that so many then rarely use the facilities. Joining a gym is a serious financial commitment so it would be good to see people making the most of that expense.

"The New Year provides an excellent opportunity for people to make a fresh start when it comes to their health. After a Christmas of excess and indulgence, there's the chance to review the situation and give yourself a heath makeover. Joining a gym is an excellent means to kick-start a healthy and happy New Year but if you splash out and don't go it's an obvious waste of hard earned cash.”

The research also revealed that while almost half of Brits (48 per cent) have never joined a gym, men are far worse than women (53 per cent compared to 44 per cent). Almost a quarter of Brits (23 per cent) seem to have seen sense as despite being a member of a gym in the past, they aren’t any more.

Louise Cuming continued: " Increasingly, life companies, such as PruHealth, are linking healthy living and exercise to lower insurance premiums. It is important consumers understand exactly what they are buying when they take out any form of protection. I recommend speaking to an adviser who will highlight appropriate policies. People should view income protection, critical illness, life insurance, private medical insurance and mortgage payment protection insurance as a basket of goods, choosing which are most relevant for them at any given moment."

moneysupermarket.com has the following tips when looking for protection:

1. Don’t always be lured by the lowest priced premium. Look at policy coverage and extras within the cover to make sure you are getting the best value for money

2. Make sure your answers are correct and give all of your relevant personal information and medical history, or a subsequent claim might be rejected

3. Always review cover at life changing events such as a change of job, having children, a change in marital status, increased debt or moving house

4. When replacing a policy, always seek advice and compare like for like, as the premium may be cheaper but the coverage might not be as comprehensive. Never cancel anything until the new cover is in place

5. If the premium is too big for your budget, consider getting some initial CIC that you can add to later