The concession in the gym membership means that the gym offers cheaper memberships for a certain group of the population.
As a concessionary member, you can enjoy discounted access to the gym in your local area. This includes access to various types of equipment such as resistance, functional, and weight training.
Who Can Get This Benefit
Generally, this type of benefit is granted to people who belong to the minorities of the country or area where the gym is located.
For example, some gyms can offer this type of membership for immigrants who have just arrived in the country, this is very common in the United States or Europe.
Also in some cases, it is given to war veterans or people currently serving in the country’s army.
In some gyms, it is granted to senior citizens, or to people who have some type of disability.
This is very useful when people have some type of motor disability since they can work on it in the gym more cheaply.
The benefit is also granted to university students or full-time students, especially in cities with many universities.
Finally, in some cases, gyms offer these memberships for unemployed or low-income people.
Where Does Concession Gym Membership Exist?
The countries where this membership granting service works best are the United States and some European countries.
This is because in some cases gyms can offer these discounts thanks to government financial assistance, and not all countries have governments that choose to make this investment.
In virtually every state in the United States, there are gyms that offer this, primarily for veterans.
In Europe, there are also many, especially in the Nordic countries or Great Britain, Germany, and Austria.
In Latin American, Asian and African countries it is not something common, but there are other types of discounts in the gym, and there are even some proposals for free gym-related activities in public spaces.
How Long Does It Last
Most gyms offer this membership concession on an annual or semi-annual basis, but they can also offer you on a monthly basis.
This depends on your status, as there are some that can change as time goes by.
For example, you will always be a veteran, or you will always be a senior citizen, but you can stop being a full-time student or stop being unemployed.
That is why there are times that the gym only gives memberships of this type on a monthly basis.
Renewing Concession
This varies in each gym, as we saw in the previous point, some offer 12-month memberships, but otherwise, you will have to renew it.
The problem is that in some cases it is not possible to renew it, for example, if you had the membership because you were a student but now you are on vacation.
Keep in mind that during the holidays some gyms revoke this special membership for full-time students, and this can work against you.
You just have to talk to your gym to be sure what your situation is.
The same thing happens when it is a special membership for unemployment since if you get a job you will have to pay the normal price.
In the case of senior citizens, veterans, and the disabled, this membership can be renewed without any problem.
Combining Concession with Other Benefits
In most cases, you can not combine concession membership with other benefits because the gym is already offering you a cheaper price than normal, so if they do another discount they would end up losing money.
It is possible that they offer different means of payment, such as an annual subscription, and if you pay with this special membership then it will be cheaper.
Also, if the gym offers you to pay with a credit card and your bank has some kind of additional discount, then you will see more benefits.
As the credit card depends on your bank, you can receive an additional discount if the bank offers discounts for this type of activity.
Personal Trainer in Not Included
Gyms generally won’t allow you to have a concession membership with a personal trainer. They have a professional nearby ready to help you if necessary, but with this type of membership, you will not have personalized attention.
Hiring a personal trainer can be very expensive, depending on where you are, or if you have to hire it from the gym.
You can opt for a personal trainer if you choose to pay an extra fee, which will also end up being cheaper than the normal membership.
In some cases, especially when referring to seniors, disabled, or veterans, it is likely that the gym decides to give you a personal trainer.
But this depends entirely on the gym and what they decide to do, there is no specific rule.
If you can’t have a personal trainer with this membership, then you can find some fitness apps really helpful.
Austin is the author of loveatfirstfit.com and a personal trainer with extensive knowledge in nutrition. Austin is passionate about helping others to find a suitable healthy lifestyle and feel good about themselves. Austin’s goal is to help people push their limits and achieve their physical performance.