Money-saving Brits continue to ditch the gym in 2010

Hitting the gym to shift Christmas kilos traditionally tops the list of New Year resolutions, but according to research by moneysupermarket.com 2010 will be different. It found one in ten Brits admit they are often no-shows at the gym and will be cancelling their membership to save money.

The poll revealed almost half (46 per cent) of respondents believe the gym is an unnecessary cost, saying they'll keep fit and healthy in other ways - compared to only one per cent 12 months prior.

The research also found five per cent of gym-goers wanted to keep going to the gym but couldn't afford to keep their membership. Meanwhile one in twenty (five per cent) don't mind forking out to shift some pounds, admitting they've never been a gym member before but are considering it for this year, while just under a third of people with gym membership (29 per cent) regularly working-out.

Emma Walker, head of protection at moneysupermarket.com said: "New Year is often the time when people make promises to themselves to be healthier, but with gym membership costing as much as £500 a year, people are reviewing their disposable income and deciding they simply cannot afford the costs this year.

"It's important to remember that while joining a gym can be a huge financial commitment, especially if you are on a tight budget, it's not the only way to kick-start a healthy New Year. There's no point wasting your hard-earned cash, especially when one in ten gym-goers admit to rarely making use of their membership.

"For those who do commit to the gym and work out on a regular basis it's worth knowing there are life insurance and critical illness policies out there that reward a healthy lifestyle. PruProtect's Vitality programme for example offers subsidised gym membership and is available at competitive prices3; it is designed to encourage policyholders to take control of a healthy lifestyle and also offers the potential to manage future premiums."