Fitness First Military Discount: What Forces Members Really Save

Straight answer first: Fitness First doesn't run a dedicated Armed Forces, veterans or Blue Light discount in the UK, and it isn't listed on the Defence Discount Service. What it does have is genuinely flexible, no-contract membership, plus corporate codes and pay-as-you-go day passes that can save serving personnel, reservists and veterans real money. Here's how to work the system without paying the sticker price.

What Is Fitness First?

Fitness First is a premium UK gym chain, mostly city-centre clubs weighted towards London. Worth clearing up the ownership confusion: when DW Sports collapsed into administration in 2020, Frasers Group bought most of those sites and rebranded them as Everlast Gyms. Fitness First carried on separately under Fitness First Clubs Ltd and still runs around 40-plus clubs. So yes, it's very much trading in 2026, sitting at the higher-spec end of the market with bigger free-weights areas, pools at some sites, and classes included.

Is There a Military Discount at Fitness First?

No. There's no forces-specific membership rate, no veterans' code and no automatic reduction for showing an MOD 90 or a veteran ID card. We checked the Fitness First joining pages and the main military discount schemes, and nothing dedicated exists at the time of writing. Don't let that put you off though. Fitness First overhauled its pricing a few years back, cutting flexible membership costs by nearly 30% and scrapping joining fees, so the real savings come from picking the right membership type rather than flashing a services card.

Who Would a Discount Be Available To?

Since there's no forces deal, the savings below are open to everyone equally, which in practice means the whole military community can use them. Serving regulars, reservists, veterans and family members can all take up a no-contract membership, a day pass or a corporate code. The one route that genuinely narrows things down is the corporate scheme, and that depends on your employer holding an agreement with Fitness First rather than on your service status.

How Much Can Forces Personnel Save?

The biggest saving is structural. Fitness First splits its clubs into pricing tiers, and you pay for the tier you want access to. Top-tier London memberships have sat around £99 a month, while regional clubs come in a good deal cheaper. Picking a lower tier that still covers the club nearest your base or home knocks a chunk off the monthly cost. Going contract-free with no joining fee also means you're not locked in during a posting or deployment when you can't set foot in the place. A day pass, meanwhile, lets you train for a single session with no commitment.

How to Get the Best-Value Membership

1. Check whether your employer or unit welfare package holds a Fitness First corporate code. If it does, enter the four-digit code when you join and upload proof (payslip or ID) within 14 days to lock in the rate.
2. Pick the lowest club tier that still covers the gym you'll actually use. Don't pay London Tier 1 prices for a club you visit twice a month.
3. Choose the no-contract option so you can cancel with one month's notice around postings and deployments.
4. If you only need occasional access, buy a day pass instead of a monthly fee.
5. Watch for seasonal promotions — Fitness First regularly runs 50% off or fee-free windows. Time your join to land on one.

Flexible, Corporate and Pay-As-You-Go Options Explained

The no-contract membership is the headline: no joining fee, rolling monthly, cancel with a month's notice, and multi-club access depending on your tier. That flexibility matters more for forces families than most people, because service life rarely stays in one postcode. The corporate route can undercut standard rates if you've got a valid code, and still includes classes and guest passes. Day passes cover the gaps when you're on leave or posted somewhere temporarily. To compare the market first, the Sports, Fitness and Outdoors hub rounds up gym and kit deals in one place, and for training kit Sports Direct and Under Armour are worth a look.

Is It Worth It?

Depends what you want. If you value the premium facilities, city-centre locations and included classes, Fitness First earns its price, and the no-contract flexibility genuinely fits military life. Trustpilot reviews are mixed, as they tend to be for big gym chains, with the usual gripes about cancellations, so read the terms before you sign and keep proof of any notice you give. But if you're purely after cheap, functional training space, the low-cost operators will almost always win on price. It's worth pricing up Pure Gym and The Gym Group first, since both run flexible no-contract deals of their own and often work out cheaper per month.

Tips to Keep Costs Down

• Use your on-base gym while you're serving. It's free, and it covers the basics — save the paid membership for when you're posted somewhere without decent facilities.
• Never take a higher tier than you need. Access clubs in your tier or lower, so match the tier to where you actually train.
• Go contract-free rather than an annual commitment if your posting could move.
• Ask HR or welfare about a corporate code before joining at full price.
• Join during a promotion, not on impulse — the fee-free and half-price windows come round often enough to wait for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Fitness First offer a military or veterans discount?

No. There's no dedicated Armed Forces, reservist or veterans rate, and Fitness First isn't listed on the Defence Discount Service. The best savings come from no-contract membership, corporate codes and seasonal promotions, all open to everyone.

Can I use a Blue Light Card or Defence Discount Service card at Fitness First?

Not currently. Fitness First doesn't take Defence Discount Service or Blue Light Card membership for its gym fees, so there's no card to flash at reception for a reduction.

Is Fitness First still open in the UK?

Yes. Despite the confusion around DW Sports and the Everlast rebrand, Fitness First Clubs Ltd still operates around 40-plus clubs across the UK in 2026, concentrated in and around London.

Is there a Fitness First contract-free membership?

Yes. Fitness First offers flexible, no-contract membership with no joining fee that you can cancel with one month's notice — a good fit if a posting or deployment might move you on.

How can serving personnel save the most on a gym?

Use your free on-base gym where you can, keep Fitness First for when you need better facilities, pick the lowest club tier that suits you, ask about a corporate code, and join during a promotional offer.

Does Fitness First do day passes?

Yes. You can buy a pay-as-you-go day pass and train for a single session with no membership commitment, which suits anyone on leave or posted somewhere temporarily.

Bottom line: there's no forces discount here, but a bit of tier-picking and good timing will get you a fair price on a genuinely flexible membership.

More Forces Deals You Might Like

If you're weighing up your options, compare the budget-friendly Pure Gym and The Gym Group before you commit, and browse the wider Lifestyle, Health and Family section for more deals aimed at the military community.