Although you can’t put a price on heath and fitness,
there is a cost to joining a gym, and the price tag on a facility
might instantly preclude you from joining up.
So the first thing you need to do is investigate your finances
and see what you have to spend. Budget in hand, shop around
and visit several places, for each one will have its own style,
atmosphere and personality. Most gyms offer free week-long
trial memberships in the hopes that you’ll sign up later,
so if you find somewhere you like, give it a test run and
see if it indeed meets your needs and expectations.
I’ve put together a list of considerations to make
your gym quest a little less daunting. Keep these points in
mind when shopping around.
First and foremost, what sort of commitment do they want?
Most gyms have “contracts,” agreements you sign
that bind you to a membership for a predetermined term, such
as six months, a year, two years and so on. Contracts are
fine, as long as you are perfectly clear on how long you are
joining for and what you get for your money.
But beware of the hard sell. Much like car salesmen, membership
salespeople depend on commission, so they’re going to
try to sign you up for the biggest, baddest package they offer.
Unless you want that big bad package, don’t get talked
into it. If you’re feeling pressured, say a polite thank
you and leave, or ask to see another salesperson who makes
you less uncomfortable.
Once you find a staff member you like, ask them about any
specials the facility might be running. A lot of clubs offer
New Year’s packages, student discounts, and senior citizen
rates that might give you a break on the price. But by the
same token, watch out for the ‘too good to be true’
deal. Many clubs try to rope you into a membership forever
and ever by offering a rate so cheap that you feel it would
be a crime to turn it down. But much like getting a divorce,
trying to leave them will cost you plenty. To avoid such monetary
pitfalls, ask direct questions of your salesman: what happens
if I decide to leave the facility? What if I move? What if
I’m dissatisfied with your gym? If you don’t receive
an acceptable response to your question, get out of Dodge.
While salesmen will be salesmen, how do you feel about the
rest of the staff? The very essence of a fitness center is
determined by its employees, and these people should be health
and fitness personified. They should look, act and conduct
themselves as fitness professionals at all times. Observe
how they interact with the members, their bosses and each
other. They should be friendly and personable as well as informative
and knowledgeable.
All personal trainers and aerobics instructors should be
certified through a national organization. A few reputable
names include ACE, AFAA, and ACSM. Ask the gym owner or manager
about his employees’ certifications. He should be ready
and willing to answer you immediately.
Are the facility and its employees neat and clean? Gym floors
and equipment should be free of dust, dirt or other questionable
puddles or stains. Showers and bathroom vanities should be
sparkling clean and sanitary at all times. Employees should
appear neat and well-groomed. All free weights should be put
away in their appropriate and assigned place, and air circulation
should be efficient. If any of these things is grossly out
of line, move along.
Does the club offer everything you want? If you’re
into aerobics, ask to see a class schedule. Most facilities
will offer Yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling classes, cardio kickboxing,
or Step to name a few options. If you’re a busy mom
or dad, see if they have childcare. Ask about other niceties
such as towel service, sauna, whirlpool, blow dryers, tanning
beds and massage. If the gym doesn’t offer something
you just can’t live without, move on. The next club
might offer that and more.
Do they have enough equipment? During your week-long trial,
go to the gym at the time you think you’ll be working
out and note equipment availability. Keep in mind, however,
that 6-9 AM and 4-7 PM are peak hours in the gym! Think of
it as rush hour – you’re gonna have to wait in
some traffic now and again. If this is the time frame you’re
choosing to train, take a patience pill and wait your turn.
It’ll be like that everywhere. If you’re in there
at 2:30 in the afternoon however, and are sill having trouble
getting onto the machines or cardio equipment you want, chances
are the gym has too many members and not enough gear. Move
on to emptier pastures.
Is the facility convenient to your home, work and schedule?
Check on their hours of operation, both during the week and
on the weekends to see if their timetable correlates with
yours. Also ask if they have more than one location. Some
gym franchises, such as Gold’s, World’s and other
large chains, offer memberships that allow you to use their
facilities all over the globe. So if you travel frequently
on business, you might want to check into those options.
Good luck, and have fun shopping around! Once you find a
club that suits you, you’ll wonder how you ever lived
without it.
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