How to use your HSA/FSA at F45 Training

Dr. B is on a mission to support your whole-body health journey, helping you get hassle-free online treatment and championing your long-term goals.

But we understand that commitment to an exercise routine can come with an unnerving price tag—or feel like an intimidating road to walk alone. So we’re thrilled to partner with F45 Training, a global fitness and lifestyle community that brings people together to sweat, smile, strengthen, and heal.

"As an enthusiastic member of the F45 community myself, I'm thrilled Dr. B is partnering with F45’s stellar team to make exercise a more affordable and accessible care option,” says Cyrus Massoumi, our founder and CEO. “It's about time we made the process of prioritizing health through fitness less of a hassle."

Read on to learn how F45 Training coaches and classes can support your healing journey. Plus, how you may be able to save up to 40% on your F45 Training classes by unlocking your HSA/FSA through a convenient $15 online fitness consultation.

F45 Training—What is it?!

“Our group-based classes combine functional fitness, high-intensity interval training, and circuit training to offer a full-body workout that is efficient, fun, and super effective,” says Ryan Mayes, F45 Training’s Chief Operating Officer. “Inside each studio, we use our proprietary F45TV system to display the workout of the day alongside certified trainers to provide personalized coaching. This workout is for all ages and every body, and no two workouts are ever the same!”

Connecticut real estate investor Dan Raposo started working out with F45 Training in late 2018. A triathlon, Iron Man and Century Ride participant, he plunged in with their 45-day challenge and never looked back.

In his experience, F45 Training stands apart from the crowd in three key areas:

Variety

F45’s global athletics team has developed a roster of classes with varying styles and focuses. Each class has a unique name and lives at a set time on the schedule for a few months before rotating out. Each week, the exercises within that class change—and the team has 5,000 movements to work with. Mayes says they’ve designed the classes this way to guarantee that each one is “challenging but fun.”

Raposo finds this setup helpful physically and mentally. He recently attended his first Valor class—where two or three partners work together at six stations, doing reps of specific exercises together for set periods. Next time, he’ll know the style to expect but not the movements he’ll do.

“That’s what I love about it—it gives me variety, I don’t have to think about it, and I never do the same workout twice,” he says. “And it’s better for weight loss and muscle building. If you go to the gym and do the same workout, you only work some muscles, don’t work micro muscles, and eventually plateau. That variety is key for building a strong, balanced body.”

Coaching

F45 coaches are certified personal trainers who can safely modify movements to suit every member’s goals and needs. Depending on class size, several trainers may be on the floor interacting with members throughout the entire class.

As he’s traveled the country for work, Raposo has found that F45 coaches are consistently friendly and intimately helpful. “At most group classes or boot camps, coaches can feel like cheerleaders who are only there to hype you up or pump up the energy in the room,” he says. “F45 coaches are super-involved, asking questions before the workout starts and prescribing alternative modifications, timings, reps and rest.”

Community

Mayes says the global F45 team works hard to make it clear that F45 studios are “no-judgment zones where coaches and members work together to get results in an open, welcoming, supportive, and protective environment that fosters a real sense of community.”

Part of that success comes from the regularity of class schedules, which draw members with similar routines to the same classes. When newbies join, Raposo says they’re often noticed and welcomed in a way he hasn’t observed at other gyms—a welcome he’s appreciated when he’s dropped in at classes during his travels.

“Everybody’s doing the same exercises for the same amount of time (with modifications), so it feels like team training,” he says. “You complain about the same things—100 burpees!—so there’s team camaraderie, even with the coaches. It’s a group energy that’s fun and keeps you going.”

Is F45 Training good for beginners (or people with illness)?

“Our workouts are designed to appeal to everyone, regardless of their age, fitness level, or medical condition,” promises Mayes. Their coaches (again, certified personal trainers) guarantee that all members stay safe while they progressively heal and strengthen.

Raposo can’t speak to chronic medical conditions. But he shares that while he’s competed in triathlons and Iron Man events, he’s not the quintessential competitor.

“I’ve been up and down in weight. I’ve been healthy and unhealthy. I’m not the everyday gym rat,” he says. Currently at his highest weight, stressed and lethargic, his new coach is helping him rebuild stamina by pacing and reducing his reps. In the past, he safely worked out with a sprained ankle because he was given different modifications.

“I have to imagine that if someone were to come in with, say, asthma, the coaches would be able to provide alternatives and be on top of their care throughout the workout because that has been my experience throughout my entire F45 fitness journey,” he says.

How is F45 FSA/HSA eligible?

Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) are “tax-advantaged” accounts. You can deposit a portion of your income into the account without paying income tax on it and then use those funds to pay for medical expenses.

Most people use the pre-tax HSA/FSA money to pay for their health insurance premiums, copays, prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs. Learn more about what you can buy with HSA/FSA funds in this Dr. B article. And if you exercise to prevent or treat a medical condition, related exercise fees can become FSA/HSA eligible expenses, too!

However, F45 Training classes don’t automatically qualify.

To use your FSA/HSA for F45 classes, you need a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) from a doctor or other provider that details how exercise prevents or treats your condition. Once you have that letter, you can submit it to your HSA or FSA administration with any (new) F45 receipts.

How to pay for F45 Training with HSA/FSA

Dr. B has officially partnered with F45 Training to make it more convenient for qualified members to get a Letter of Medical Necessity online!

Here’s how it works:

1. Go to our F45 partner page and start a $15 chat-like consultation. You don’t need to make an appointment or book a video consultation.
2. Answer a few questions about your family’s health history and current conditions. You can complete the consultation within minutes or over a few hours or days—whatever suits your schedule.
3. Once finished, a licensed provider in your state will review your consultation within three working hours. If you qualify, they’ll write a Letter of Medical Necessity detailing your exercise treatment plan and send it straight to your inbox.
4. The next time you pay for your F45 Training classes, save your receipts!
5. Go to your HSA/FSA administrator’s website and find their claims or reimbursement section. Submit your F45 Training receipts and your letter. (Note that you can only submit receipts dated on or after the date on your letter.)
6. Wait for them to finalize your claim and transfer HSA/FSA funds from your account! Depending on your administrator, this could take a few hours or a week or two.

You can use the same Letter of Medical Necessity for F45 class purchases made within 12 months from your letter’s date. Just repeat the submission process every time you have new receipts.

Still confused by how the process works? This Dr. B article explains how to use your FSA/HSA for gym memberships, personal training fees, and fitness classes.

What does F45 Training cost using HSA/FSA? 

When you submit your letter and receipts to your HSA/FSA administrator, you’ll probably get your total F45 Training class costs reimbursed from your HSA/FSA account. How much you’ll end up saving on your F45 classes depends on your income tax bracket.

Your tax bracket determines the percentage of your income you contribute to your state and federal tax returns. Because you won’t pay income tax on the money you put into your HSA/FSA—and you may incur interest on funds you leave in the account—the account saves you money and increases your purchasing power.

When it comes to class reimbursement, most people will save 20-40% off F45 Training using their tax-free funds.