3 flexible fitness services we turn to as alternatives to a gym membership

What it is: ClassPass is a membership service that lets you take classes at all kinds of boutique fitness studios, but for a much cheaper price. ClassPass uses a credit system, so you pay a monthly fee for a certain number of credits, which you can put towards classes. Monthly pricing differs based on location and how many credits you'd like each month. Different classes cost a different amounts of credits — so, let's say you love going to a specific low-credit yoga class, you will likely squeeze more classes out of your monthly membership than someone who loves a high-credit boxing class. Regardless, you can always add more credits to your account if you find yourself running out before the month is over.

ClassPass has thousands of boutique fitness classes in its system, so it's a great option if you love taking classes and want to try something new. Plus, ClassPass has a great free trial program where you can get two weeks to a month (depends on where you live) free, so you can try the service for a solid amount of time before paying for a membership.

What it costs: Pricing varies by location. Regardless of location, the cheapest membership is $29 per month, while the most expensive is $159 per month.

Read our full review of ClassPass here

What it is: Aaptiv is a convenient app that gives you access to audio-based personal training sessions on your phone. For a $15 monthly fee, you get unlimited access more than 2,500 classes for all kinds of workouts — everything from running, elliptical, rowing, race training, yoga, and even stretching routines. These workouts are designed and led, by certified personal trainers — the only difference is they're not in a room with you. Instead, they're leading you through your headphones. This means you can do these classes anytime, anywhere, and follow along at your own pace. It's a good balance between working out on your own (when you may lack motivation) and working out in a group class (where you may be intimidated). Each week, Aaptiv adds 30 news classes, so you'll always have something new to try. The plethora of categories makes it easy to engage in different kinds of workouts every day. At $15 a month it's very affordable — but if you're on the fence, you can sign up for a week-long free trial first.

How much it is: $14.99 a month, after a week-long free trial.

Read our full review of Aaptiv here