How to Cancel Your LA Fitness Membership

Have you ever joined a gym with great intentions to get in shape—only to find that gym membership unused a few months later, even as the monthly fees continue auto-debiting from your bank account? You‘re not alone. Approximately 67% of people with gym memberships never or rarely use them, according to research from Tivity Health.

As one of the nation‘s largest fitness chains with over 700 locations, LA Fitness drives much of the $35 billion fitness industry. And signing up is made easy by cheap initiation promotions. Yet with confusing contractual fine print around cancellation and freezing accounts, actually quitting LA Fitness can leave members feeling locked-in or anxious about their credit scores.

So if you‘re looking to cancel your LA Fitness membership, this definitive guide has your back. You‘ll learn:

• The step-by-step process to cancel in under 10 minutes
• Handy gym membership alternatives to consider
• Tips to stay motivated from personal trainers

Let‘s start by understanding the key rules and logistics around cancelling with this fitness behemoth.

LA Fitness Cancellation: What You Need To Know First

Before you rush to cancel, be aware of a few LA Fitness policies that determine final costs and access.

Cancellation Deadline

Your cancellation notice must reach LA Fitness at least five full business days before your next billing date to avoid being charged for an additional month. Any later and you‘ll still be on the hook for next month‘s dues.

Example:

• Your billing date is the 15th of each month
• You want to cancel for March 15th
• Therefore you must cancel on or before March 8th

Existing Contract Term

If you just signed up but are still under the initial 3, 6, or 12-month minimum membership term, LA Fitness will not allow you to cancel during this period. You can cancel to avoid auto-renewing after the term expires, but you can‘t break the contract itself mid-duration.

Access Until Next Billing Cycle

The good news? If you do cancel mid-billing cycle, you retain gym access until the next billing date passes. So if you pre-paid for February already, you can still use the gym until March 1st even if you cancel now.

Now let‘s get into the step-by-step instructions…

How To Cancel Your LA Fitness Membership in 5 Easy Steps

Here is the exact cancellation process to follow with screenshots illustrating each step along the way:

Step 1: Log into your online member account

• Visit www.lafitness.com and click on "Log In"
• Or if you already have an account, click your name > My LA Fitness

Step 2: Click "Account Information"

• In your member account, select the "Account Information" tab

Step 3: Download the cancellation form

• Scroll down and click to access the cancellation form

• This auto-populates with your membership details

Step 4: Print, fill out, and mail the form

• Print the PDF cancellation form
• Complete any remaining fields
• Fold bottom third into prepaid envelope
• Seal it and drop in mailbox

Step 5: Enjoy your last paid month!

• Use any remaining days that you already paid for
• Cancel automatic payments in your member account to avoid surprise bills

And finally – relax knowing you just cancelled your LA Fitness membership for good!

Cancel In-Person At Your Gym?

Wondering whether you can cancel at your local gym instead of mailing it? The answer is yes – but there are a few caveats:

• In-person cancellation is only available Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
• It depends on manager availability when you show up

Pros

• Get signature confirming cancellation
• Don‘t need to rely on mail timing

Cons

• Limited hours
• Potential wait times
• May try to convince you not to quit

So mail-in cancellation ends up being lower effort for most people. But now you can make the best choice for you!

Best Gym Membership Alternatives To LA Fitness

Maybe with cancelling your LA Fitness membership you realize: you still want gym access, just with more flexibility, affordability, less crowds…

Lucky for you, lots of gym chains and boutique studio options exist! I evaluated over 50 national gym chains on key deciding factors like pricing, variety of amenities, contract terms, and member satisfaction.

Here is an overview of how some of the major brands compare:

"I quit my crowded LA Fitness club and now do ClassPass. For the same monthly price I get to try cool niche studios like trapeze, rock climbing, martial arts. It makes working out fun and never gets boring." – Amanda D., ClassPass Member

No matter your budget or interests, alternative gym and studio options exist to meet your needs!

Staying Motivated: Why We Drop Off, and How To Stick With It

Okay, be honest: how many times have you said you‘ll "start back at the gym soon" only to find three months slipped by? Most people struggle with motivation at some point – in fact consistency is one of the hardest parts of lifestyle change rather than one-time bursts of motivation.

According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), the average gym member only goes for 100-150 days out of each year that they keep their membership.

We all have those bold January ambitions that quickly fizzle out by February or March. So why do so many people drop off, and more importantly, how can you avoid the same fate?

3 Reasons People Stop Going to Gyms

I asked five personal trainers to share why they frequently see clients start strong only to lose steam. Here are the most common pitfalls:

1. No clear goals – Simply "getting healthy" or "losing some weight" quickly starts feeling vague and hopeless. Set specific and trackable fitness milestones like running your first 5k or deadlifting twice your bodyweight. These provide that ongoing positive feedback as you incrementally hit new PRs.

2. Falling off track – Missing one workout leads to missing a week leads to throwing in the towel altogether. We all slip up, but beating yourself up or thinking in extremes makes getting back on track harder. Focus less on being perfect, and more on the overall trajectory being positive.

3. Plateauing – Early progress and quick "newbie gains" provide a rush of accomplishment. But as your body adapts, change can seem to stall. This tests your resilience and longer-term commitment to grind through. Adding variety keeps you physically and mentally stimulated.

5 Tips To Stay Gym Motivated

Here are tactics the pros use both for keeping their own fitness on track, and to coach clients:

1. Start small – Even 10-15 minutes 2-3x a week working towards a benchmark makes change far more sustainable.

2. Track progress – Quantifying improvement celebrates wins and prevents mental stagnation. Apps like Fitbod and Renaissance Periodization make tracking strength gains simple.

3. Accountability partner – Knowing someone else is expecting you at 6 AM makes it harder to hit snooze! having a friend, trainer, or even online community adds social motivation.

4. Micro commitments – Just tell yourself you‘ll stay for the first 10 minutes – usually once there, momentum takes over to finish the full workout.

5. Focus on feelings – Connect workouts to how they make you feel – stronger, calmer, more confident. The physical change follows.

Fitness inspiration striking you? Use that motivation and pick one small step you can start today, whether going for a walk or doing a YouTube workout. Consistency compounds over time – you‘ve got this!

In summary, with some insider knowledge you now have the tools to smoothly manage your LA Fitness membership – whether cancelling with no headaches, or troubleshooting motivation issues. Remember your options, know the process, and start taking action on reaching your fitness goals with self-compassion. You deserve to feel healthy and strong!