I want to first start out by giving a big Rah Rah to Kristy over at La Petile Blog for the start of her 31 day challenge for her 31st birthday! You have to exercise for 30 min everyday for 31 days! If you miss a day you add 30 min on the next day. I have also joined along side and so far the blog friends motivation has helped!
So while at the gym I was flipping through the newest Shape (with Faith Hill on the cover, we'll get back to how great she looks later) and the reads poll questions was.
"Should gym memberships be tax-deductible?"
Here are one yes and no they published:
YES;
"An ounce of prevention is with a pound of cure. An incentive like this would save health insurance companies and the government a lot of money in the long run"
NO;
"Giving a tax break to people who sign up at the gym-but not to those of us who exercise outdoors-is unfair."
The funny thing about the women who said no was she was from Michigan, I've lived in the mid-west, not a lot of runners out in January, but God Bless her!
So what's your take? In all honesty I could kind of go either way but lean heavily towards YES.
I like her wording of "an ounce of prevention" it's so very true. In some area's gyms are very expensive and unless you do just workout from home you have no choice but to pay a lot of money for a membership.
A few Boston/Suburb examples:
Boston Sports Club (unlimited membership meaning you can use any of their clubs) $120per/month
Fit Corp (same unlimited criteria) $89 single - $67 family (that is for one additional person added to the single membership)
Beacon Hill Athletic Club $75
Planet Fitness $10-15 (though they have more memebers then equipment/parking spots)
So there are a few gyms i've been a member of througout my moves around the city. I'm still a member at Planet Fitness but never use it as again you can't park anywhere (or even walk there) and you'll never get a good working treadmill. And also a member at Fit Corp which is right around the corner from my office and there is also one two blocks away from Chez Kimba.
That is a long winded way of saying...which way would you go YES or NO?
9 comments:
Yes! It's not like you would be penalized for not joining a gym. And it would probably be a good incentive to join.
Hmm...I don't know. I do know that I love BSC (and my membership is half that each month).
Do you go to a BSC in Boston? Mine was at Health Works in Waltham. That was also 4 years ago and I have heard prices have come down.
I would lean toward yes. There have been so many studies that proove that working out has soo many other benefits in addition to staying healthy. Noe only is it good for your body, it is good for your mind and soul.
oh hell yes! why not? like J said, it wouldn't penalize those who don't and might encourage people to get moving?! preventing problems is what it's all about!! YES YES YES!!!
I say definitely yes! And I agree with J, its not like anyone is being penalized for not joining a gym. After all, there are deductions associated with owning a home, no? And not everyone is a homeowner...
I pay $177/month for my gym membership...which is unlimited access plus 8 30 minute personal training sessions/month.
I pay another $80/month for my unlimited access at my yoga studio. Yes, yoga is included at my gym but it doesnt work for me there when I can hear weights clanking and techno throbbing.
I'm leaning towards yes and I'm in total agreement with Tanya. All tax deductions don't apply to everyone so why would this be considered exclusionary?
I would say "yes". I think it's a great incentive, along with the incentive of feeling great inside & out :)
I would lean towards yes, but how many people do you know with gym memberships that don't go? It is definitely a slippery slope... if they do this, then things like home gym equipment, weights, exercise DVD's etc. would have to be tax deductable as well.
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