9 times in one month!

I got an email from my medical aid company recently. I belong to Discovery Health - a little overpriced, but they do deliver. For anyone who doesn't know Discovery (most South Africans would, it's by far the biggest Medical Insurer here) they have this rewards scheme where you can get discount prices at certain partners (and there are some good ones) if you do stuff to keep fit and healthy. Their motive behind that is if you are healthy, you will claim less.

One of the benefits of the reward scheme allows you to join a gym for a once off fee, and you never pay again as long as you swipe your membership card at a gym a minimum of 24 times in a rolling 12 month period.

I joined the gym around 18 months ago, when the requirement was 36 times in a twelve month period. I started out well, making it to gym roughly once a week (Hey, that's good for me. I have a serious time deficiency). Then I changes jobs and my regular gym was now in the opposite direction to home from work, so that didn't happen. The chain I belong to then opened up a gym down the road from my work, but by that stage I figured I was already too late. I was a few visits short of 36 once my first twelve months were up. I had no communication from the gym or the Medical Aid, but I just assumed that was tickets to my joining fee. I'd figured I'd pay it again some time in the future when I felt more determined to commit to my health and fitness

So back to the email. It informed me that the minimum attendance requirement was 24 times per 12 month period and also stated the following:

According to our records, your Vitality Virgin Active access could be cancelled as you've only been to the gym 15 times in the current 12-month assessment period. To prevent this from happening, you have to go 9 times before 31/03/2007. If your access is cancelled, you'll have to pay the activation fee again to join the gym and earn Vitality points.

9 times before 31/03/2007 !! Oh dear ...

Now I know that my membership has not been cancelled I feel the need to administer first aid and revive the sucker. I can't just let it die ...

My plan of action is simple. I will haul out the old gym bag and toss out the now mouldy towels and gym kit that are still in there. I will spend a little too much money on some fresh gear, and a will spend way to much time trying to remember the combination to my gym locker padlock before I ultimately go out and buy a new one. Then I may actually make it to the gym.

My pride does not allow me to just swipe in, use the restrooms and leave, so I will have to do some exercise. 20 minutes on a treadmill should work, but then I gotta ask myself why am I not running in the open air with my two Labradors for company.
I should really let the membership lapse, after all if I couldn't use it twice a month what's the point?Two things prevent me from doing this:
1. I am a hoarder. I am convinced that anything I throw away I will need the very next day
2. I am a real softy. I cannot let something die that is still alive die ... poor little membership. He must feel so neglected already ...

So I will drag myself back to gym because I feel sorry for my membership. Great logic hey? Ah well, that's me.


Alex - Amended Discovery Health's link - 2007/04/01