How Much Does a National Fitness Center Membership Cost?

Updated on August 10, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 14 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

A National Fitness membership currently costs $54.95 per month for Basic, $59.95 per month for Fitness Plus, or $69.95 per month for Lifestyle. National Fitness is the East Tennessee gym chain with seven clubs, not a generic term for national fitness-center brands. Current club pages also show a $1 enrollment fee.

The monthly rate is only part of the bill. A single-member account has a $49.99 annual fee, while a membership with two or more people has an annual fee of $89.98. Paying monthly dues by credit or debit card adds another $4.99 per month. A Basic member paying from a checking or savings account therefore spends about $710.39 in the first year at the current advertised enrollment price, before taxes or optional services.

National Fitness also sells discounted add-on memberships for family and friends. A second adult is $29.95 per month, a youth age 12 to 17 is $14.95 per month, and a child membership is $9.95 per month. The final cost depends on tier, payment method, number of people, annual fees, contract choice, and any training or premium services you add.

Article Highlights

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• Basic costs $54.95 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 1.8 hours of work, before taxes) per month, Fitness Plus $59.95, and Lifestyle $69.95.
• Current official club pages advertise a $1 enrollment fee.
• The annual fee is $49.99 for one person or $89.98 for a membership with two or more people.
• Credit or debit card billing adds $4.99 per month, or $59.88 per year.
• A Basic single membership costs about $710.39 for the first year using bank-account billing and the advertised $1 enrollment charge.
• Adult, youth, and child add-ons cost $29.95, $14.95, and $9.95 per month, respectively.
• Members age 65 and older currently receive 20% off monthly dues.

How Much Does a National Fitness Membership Cost?

Current National Fitness membership pricing at the West Signature club shows the same three core tiers advertised across the East Tennessee network. All three give access to all seven National Fitness clubs. Fitness Plus adds the Preferred package, while Lifestyle adds Preferred Plus.

Membership	Monthly dues	12 months of dues	First-year known cost*	With card fee*
Basic	$54.95 (about 1.8 hours of work at $30 per hour)	$659.40	$710.39	$770.27
Fitness Plus	$59.95	$719.40	$770.39	$830.27
Lifestyle	$69.95	$839.40	$890.39	$950.27

*The first-year figures use 12 months of stated dues, the current $49.99 single-member annual fee, and the displayed $1 enrollment charge. The card column also adds twelve $4.99 card fees. Taxes, optional services, and any prorated billing are not included.

National Fitness currently displays both 12-month and month-to-month choices on its club pages. Check the selected agreement during enrollment because contract length affects cancellation terms. The company is now operated by In-Shape Solutions following the In-Shape Family Fitness acquisition of Knoxville-based National Fitness Center.

What You Pay in the First Year

The advertised monthly rate can understate the first-year cash outlay because the annual fee arrives separately. National Fitness says its annual enhancement fee funds maintenance and capital improvements and is not a prepayment for future gym services. The fee is nonrefundable once charged.

Worked example: a Basic member pays $54.95 (about 1.8 hours of work at $30 per hour) × 12 = $659.40 in regular dues. Add the $49.99 annual fee and current $1 enrollment charge, and the known first-year cost becomes $710.39. If that member uses a credit or debit card, twelve $4.99 service fees add $59.88, raising the same first year to about $770.27.

That makes bank-account billing worth about $59.88 per year compared with card billing under the current fee schedule. On the Basic example, the card surcharge adds roughly 8.4% to the known first-year amount before the surcharge.

A current $1-to-join promotion is advertised through December 31, 2026 for qualifying new autopay memberships. It also says no prorated dues are charged during the month the member joins, with standard dues beginning the following month. Promotions change, so the regular monthly dues remain the better number for a long-term budget.

Family Membership Costs

National Fitness discounts added members rather than charging the full primary-member rate again. A second adult costs $29.95 per month, a youth age 12 to 17 costs $14.95, and a child costs $9.95. Added adults and youths receive the same amenity and studio-class access as the primary member for that membership tier, while the child option includes Kid Zone use subject to age and visit rules.

Couple example: a Basic primary member plus one adult costs $84.90 per month. Twelve months of dues equal $1,018.80. Add the current multi-person annual fee of $89.98, and the known annualized cost becomes $1,108.78 before enrollment charges, taxes, card fees, or optional services.

Family example: one Basic primary member, one additional adult, one youth, and one child total $109.80 per month. That is $1,317.60 per year in dues. Adding the $89.98 multi-person annual fee brings the known annualized amount to $1,407.58 before enrollment or billing-method charges.

Fitness Plus and Lifestyle 

Basic is the lowest-cost option and provides the core seven-club network. Fitness Plus includes National Fitness’s Preferred package, which currently adds seven-day priority reservations, guest privileges, access to premium recovery amenities, one monthly Styku scan at participating clubs, four VTL small-group training passes, a 5% in-club retail rebate, and a discounted personal-training introduction package listed at $99.

Lifestyle includes the Preferred Plus package. It extends priority reservations to 14 days and adds unlimited qualifying small-group training, unlimited Styku scans at participating locations, premium recovery access, guest privileges, and a 10% in-club retail rebate. Its introductory personal-training offer is currently listed at $92 for four sessions, described by National Fitness as a $200 value.

The price gaps are relatively small compared with the base membership. Fitness Plus costs $5 more per month than Basic, or $60 per year. Lifestyle costs $15 more per month than Basic, or $180 per year. A member who regularly uses recovery equipment, guest passes, or small-group training may get more financial value from the higher tiers than someone who only wants weights and cardio equipment.

Annual Fees, Billing and Cancellation

The National Fitness billing schedule lists several charges that do not appear in the headline monthly dues: $4.99 for credit-card service, $14.99 for a statement fee, $9.99 for a returned item, $5 per month for a membership hold, a $10 processing fee, and a $2 reservation no-show fee on selected amenities and studio classes.

National Fitness says monthly dues are drafted around the second of each month. The annual fee is billed separately. Its annual-fee FAQ says the first fee is due on the 15th of the first month after joining, while some current club pages describe it as billed about 45 days after enrollment. Because those descriptions differ, check the timing shown in the agreement you actually sign.

The current cancellation instructions require 30 days’ notice. Members retain access during that period and may receive a final prorated bill. Cancellation can be requested through the app, at a club, by mail, or through the company’s cancellation form.

Current membership terms also provide cancellation rights for verified disability, death, certain relocations, and clubs that have not opened. The terms state that a member who moves more than 25 miles from every National Fitness club and cannot transfer to a comparable club may qualify for cancellation after providing documentation. Term memberships can have an early-cancellation charge, while the billing FAQ lists that charge as not applicable to month-to-month memberships.

Tennessee law supplies a separate consumer-protection floor. The Tennessee Attorney General’s health-club cancellation guidance says gym contracts must disclose a buyer’s cancellation right near the signature. State law gives a buyer until midnight of the third qualifying day after signing to send cancellation notice, or seven days when the membership is financed. National Fitness’s current contract separately offers a five-business-day initial cancellation window.

Senior and Corporate Discounts

Members age 65 or older currently qualify for 20% off monthly dues through the company’s senior membership program. Applied to the published base dues, that would reduce Basic from $54.95 to $43.96 per month, Fitness Plus from $59.95 to $47.96, and Lifestyle from $69.95 to $55.96, before the annual fee and other applicable charges.

National Fitness also has corporate membership partnerships with more than 600 employers and organizations. Listed examples include the City of Knoxville, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Dollywood, Tennessee State Government, UT Medical Center, and Home Depot. Corporate rates are not posted as one universal discount, so employees need the employer-specific code or enrollment portal to see their actual price.

National Fitness vs a Budget Gym

National Fitness is substantially more expensive than a bare-bones gym membership. Planet Fitness currently advertises Classic memberships from $15 per month and PF Black Card from $24.99 per month, with a $49 annual fee and location-specific terms.

National Fitness Basic at $54.95 per month costs $39.95 more each month than a $15 Planet Fitness Classic starting price. Across 12 months, that is a $479.40 difference in monthly dues before comparing annual and enrollment fees.

The services are not equivalent. National Fitness markets seven East Tennessee clubs with broader amenities that can include pools, saunas, sports courts, Kid Zone, studio classes, recovery equipment, and training programs, with availability varying by club and tier. Someone who only wants basic cardio and strength equipment may pay for amenities they rarely use, while a household using childcare, pools, classes, and sports facilities can value the larger package differently.

What to Verify Before Joining

Ask for the exact agreement attached to the plan you select. Current club pages show both 12-month and month-to-month choices, and the cancellation consequences can differ. Confirm the commitment period, regular monthly dues after any promotion, annual-fee amount and billing date, payment-method fee, and whether taxes apply.

Check the exact club you expect to use as well. Pools, sports courts, massage and recovery equipment, Kid Zone hours, small-group training, and class schedules vary by location. A higher tier only makes sense when the perks you are paying for are offered at your preferred club and fit your schedule.

For families, ask whether adding or removing a person triggers a processing charge and when the multi-person annual fee begins. For training, get the session count, expiration rules, cancellation terms, and recurring price in writing rather than relying on an introductory package price.

Related Membership Costs

Readers comparing full-service clubs can also look at the cost of a New York Athletic Club membership, Detroit Athletic Club membership, and Village Health Club membership. Those clubs use very different membership models, so initiation fees and dues should be compared separately from National Fitness’s consumer gym pricing.

Answers to Common Questions

How much is National Fitness per month?

Current published rates are $54.95 per month for Basic, $59.95 for Fitness Plus, and $69.95 for Lifestyle.

How much does National Fitness really cost for the first year?

Using the current $1 enrollment price and bank-account billing, a single member pays about $710.39 for Basic, $770.39 for Fitness Plus, or $890.39 for Lifestyle after adding the $49.99 annual fee. Optional services, taxes, and other charges can increase those totals.

Does National Fitness charge an annual fee?

Yes. The current billing FAQ lists $49.99 for a one-person membership and $89.98 for memberships with two or more people.

How much does it cost to add a family member?

An additional adult currently costs $29.95 per month, a youth age 12 to 17 costs $14.95, and a child membership costs $9.95.

Can I cancel National Fitness month to month?

National Fitness currently offers month-to-month plans, but cancellation still requires 30 days’ notice. The member remains responsible for dues covering that notice period. Check the agreement before signing because term memberships can have different early-cancellation rules.