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It’s difficult to criticize gym memberships because getting fit is a great idea. But too often, these memberships become huge black holes of wasted money.

And some gyms aren’t exactly ethical in how they deal with customers. That’s why Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett this week issued a news release warning consumers and reminding them of their rights under state law.

His office, surely like many state AG’s offices across the country, get hundreds of consumer complaints a year about fitness clubs. “Most involving struggles over contract cancellations or consumers seeking refunds when clubs suddenly close,” he said in the release.

From a spending standpoint, gym memberships are an easy target because people far overestimate how often they’ll use the facility.

In a study of health clubs in the Boston area, 85 percent of users who chose a monthly contract would have been better off with a pay-per-visit contract. In fact, they were overpaying by an average of $700 during their membership compared with a per-use contract, according to the research by Ulrike Malmendier of Stanford University and Stefano DellaVigna of the University of California at Berkeley.

Just as bad, after they stopped attending the gym, they on average waited another two months to cancel, paying $185 in monthly fees to a gym they never intended to revisit.

The point is to make such financial commitments based on your worst-case scenario. You’ll never be so motivated to attend the gym as the day you sign up. From there, it’s downhill, at least for most people. Generally, fitness club members attend just four times a month!

As far as protecting yourself after you sign a contract, it’s worth checking out your state’s consumer protection laws regarding gym memberships. In Pennsylvania, for example, fitness centers that offer long-term contracts must put up money, letter of credit or bonds, with the state. If the gym goes belly-up, as so many do, consumer can at least get some of their money back. You can also cancel within three days of signing a contract, if your gym moves 25 miles away or if you’re injured and can’t use the facility.

Corbett offers these tips, which are mostly common sense, but worth reviewing:

• Shop around – compare multiple clubs in your area to be certain that their location, equipment, hours, staff and price best suits your schedule and needs.
• Read all contracts carefully before you sign - take materials home for review before making a commitment.
• Do not give in to high-pressure sales tactics - take as much time as you need to evaluate all of your options.
• Understand exactly what your membership includes, and what additional fees you may be charged for the use of special equipment, facilities, trainers, etc.
• If you are considering a long-term contract, check to see if the club has registered with the Attorney General’s office.
• If you are pre-paying for a contract, verify that the club has posted the required letter-of-credit or security bond with the Attorney General’s Office.
• Ask for a tour or complimentary visit to help determine if the club best suits your needs. Ask current members about their experience.
• Make sure the club has at least one person trained in CPR on the premises at all times.