If you’ve been considering joining a gym, you know there are an overwhelming number of options out there. Low monthly fees, no contracts, 24-hour access, personal trainers, child care – the options are endless, but your wallet isn’t. And how do you determine whether it’s worth it anyway?

“The price tag of a gym membership doesn’t necessarily reflect its value,” says Jude Sullivan, senior exercise physiologist at UW Health’s Sports Medicine Fitness Center. “And really, you need to remember this isn’t an investment in a facility. It’s an investment in your health.”

For Sullivan, gym memberships are like insurance premiums. You maintain insurance to protect your home or your car. The money and time you regularly invest in exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will pay off through better health and well-being throughout your life. But is a gym necessary?

Recent research suggests that going to a gym does make a difference – regular gym users are more likely than non-gym users to meet the daily guidelines for physical activity. Dan Wanta, a colleague of Sullivan’s and an exercise physiologist himself, isn’t surprised.

“It is common knowledge that physical activity is important,” says Wanta. “But the reality is that most people do not meet the established guidelines for physical activity. Are those people who use a gym more likely to meet those guidelines? The answer is a resounding yes.”