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Brits waste a staggering £558m a year on unused gym memberships - with more than one in 10 people saying they hadn’t stepped foot inside their gym for a whole year.

A poll of 1,000 gym members found that 11 per cent said that despite paying an average of £47 a month - that’s £564 a year - on a gym membership they hadn’t gone throughout 2016.

A total of 21 per cent said they visited their gym just three times a year - meaning each visit cost them £188.

Asked why they didn’t visit their gym - despite paying through the nose for the facilities - 25 per cent said that when they had gone in the past it was ‘too busy’ and they couldn’t get on the machines they wanted to use and had to queue up.

Accounts boss Richard Hunter, 38, of Charlton, south London, said he joined a gym with ‘good intentions’ in January 2016, but had only been twice since.

(Image: Getty)

He said: “I joined up last January and went a couple of times before realising the place was mobbed and I couldn’t get on any of the rowing machines.

“When I went a third time I just peeked in, saw all the machines were being used and walked out and went to the pub.”

Marketing worker Emma Crampton, of Leeds, said she’d spend £520 on an annual gym membership, but hadn’t been for the whole of 2016.

She said: “I haven’t been in so long because, unless I am going with a friend, I feel really intimidated walking into a busy gym where everyone knows what they are doing. - I’ve wasted £520.”

Alex Grace, of gym clothing brand Banana Moon, which ran the study, said: “If you’re frustrated by the chaos at peak times, consider taking a later lunch break or going later in the evening once the crowds settle so you can have a peaceful session.

“And if the gym vibe doesn’t cut it for you, why not try exercising at home, running or joining a sports team?”