Anyone here have a gym membership to swim?

43932452
43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm thinking of joining a gym just to swim. Our public pools are overcrowded.
Does anyone do this and is it worth the $$ to get to avail space in a pool?


I miss swimming and it is one great way to tone.

Replies

  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
    Depends what type gym you join. My previous gym had a brilliant 25m pool perfect for swimming laps! But my current gym has a spa pool which although you could swim laps seriously its not really meant for more than a leisurely paddle!
  • PollyWolly98
    PollyWolly98 Posts: 112
    If you will use the pool, then it is certainly worth it! I have a free gym at work that I use to attend strength and spin classes, a gym membership I pay for to use the fantastic pool, plus I run and bike at home. I currently have the perfect situation for me. I enjoy swimming laps, the pool is well maintained and usually isn't too crowded, so it's worth it to pay for the membership. Good luck finding a gym with a pool!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Swimming is one of the few advantages I enjoy living in Quebec......it costs $50 a year for the family pass (but I pay for it in my taxes....) :sad:

    If you use it on a regular basis then it's worthwhile and, who knows, you may end using some of the other facilities.

    Have you explored the option of joining a masters swim group? I'm pretty sure that may be a more affordable option if you have one locally.
  • craziecritter
    craziecritter Posts: 202 Member
    I belong to our local wellness center, we have several wellness centers in our area that have lap pools. We do water aerobics. Check your area to see if there are any available. Yes the membership is well worth for what I get out of it.
  • JusticeGirl25
    JusticeGirl25 Posts: 703 Member
    I do have a gym membership and swim every once in a while. I've been a member at my gym for 5 years and learned over the years not to go swimming during the weekend because EVERYONE uses it, no matter what time during the day. Thus, I avoid using the gym pool on the weekends.

    I'm like you, I want a little space when I want to swim laps.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    I'm thinking of joining a gym just to swim. Our public pools are overcrowded.
    Does anyone do this and is it worth the $$ to get to avail space in a pool?


    I miss swimming and it is one great way to tone.

    We have a YMCA membership, so that we can use their salt water pool. They have dedicated family swim, lap, master swim hours that are spread throughout the week at all hours. I can swim, but I prefer the gym. My husband and family go to the pool though.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    Swimming is one of the few advantages I enjoy living in Quebec......it costs $50 a year for the family pass (but I pay for it in my taxes....) :sad:

    If you use it on a regular basis then it's worthwhile and, who knows, you may end using some of the other facilities.

    Have you explored the option of joining a masters swim group? I'm pretty sure that may be a more affordable option if you have one locally.

    Quebec sounds nice .. that is unheard of in the USA .. everything including
    healthy expenses are not so sweet. Idk if I would be eligible for a masters
    swim GRP. I'm rather intermediate. I think. lol I can swim, not under water.
    Never could open my eyes under. :|
  • bowbeforethoraxis
    bowbeforethoraxis Posts: 138 Member
    Check with the gyms in your area.
    The gym I used to belong to charged an extra ten dollars monthly to add pool use to your membership, and you couldn't get any sort of pool use only membership, so I was paying $50 a month to swim laps, and that wasn't worth it to me.
    The gym my parents belong to has a pool, with 2 lanes for lap swimming and the rest of the pool open for play all the time, I found it very difficult to get in the zone while I was swimming, because kids splashing and yelling and having a good time (which they should do) was very distracting.
    The gym I belong to now (a Gold's Gym) has very set hours for when family swim is allowed, the rest of the time the pool is only for swimming laps or water classes. I don't think I've ever seen it super crowded during the lap swim times, so I love it. For me it is totally worth it, but I asked about it before I joined the gym.

    This seems to be related to how "family friendly" the gym is. My friends with kids don't belong to my gym because the other gyms in our area have a lot more options for kids (longer kids' area hours, more family swim time, rock climbing for kids, all that). You can check out the websites for gyms in your area, and if you see a ton of info on the website boasting about how amazing their kids' stuff is, you'll know a lot families are probably members, therefore more kids in the pools.

    Also, a lot of gyms offer a one week trial period, so you could try out a few to see if you'll think it is worth it.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    I do have a gym membership and swim every once in a while. I've been a member at my gym for 5 years and learned over the years not to go swimming during the weekend because EVERYONE uses it, no matter what time during the day. Thus, I avoid using the gym pool on the weekends.

    I'm like you, I want a little space when I want to swim laps.

    Thank you .. I've considered that weekends might be be over run with bodies. lol
    Do you do all 5 days or do they limit how much time you use the pool ? Is it whenever
    you wish for as long as you wish to be there?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member

    Idk if I would be eligible for a masters
    swim GRP. I'm rather intermediate. I think. lol I can swim, not under water.
    Never could open my eyes under. :|

    Eligibility is based on age rather than ability, many of the clubs have swimmers of all levels and offer coached programs for those who want to achieve higher levels of fitness (there are competitive meets to for those so inclined), here's a link to the US Masters swim asoc http://www.usms.org/
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member

    Idk if I would be eligible for a masters
    swim GRP. I'm rather intermediate. I think. lol I can swim, not under water.
    Never could open my eyes under. :|

    Eligibility is based on age rather than ability, many of the clubs have swimmers of all levels and offer coached programs for those who want to achieve higher levels of fitness (there are competitive meets to for those so inclined), here's a link to the US Masters swim asoc http://www.usms.org/


    Actually we have a nearby Olympic pool .. that might be what it's for.
    I'll look into it. Thank you Brian. :)
  • KettleTO
    KettleTO Posts: 144 Member
    you might also look if their are any private pools in your area. i've seen a couple in Canada and the US. less than a gym if you are only going to use the pool.
  • SpleenThief
    SpleenThief Posts: 293 Member
    It varies from gym to gym. For me, absolutely.

    At my gym they started a master's swim program earlier this year so I joined. The coach asked me what I was into and I said I was going to tri. Since the program was new, there were very few others and often I was the only one who showed. Basically I got private coaching for several weeks. It's more popular now, but still I get great coaching.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    It varies from gym to gym. For me, absolutely.

    At my gym they started a master's swim program earlier this year so I joined. The coach asked me what I was into and I said I was going to tri. Since the program was new, there were very few others and often I was the only one who showed. Basically I got private coaching for several weeks. It's more popular now, but still I get great coaching.

    I followed the links I was given and am enthused to learn more.
    I believe I need to drop more weight before but this sounds
    exciting. Glad you had a great experience, thanks for adding that. :)
  • Pmagnanifit
    Pmagnanifit Posts: 665 Member
    I joined a gym to swim (and also use clean showers and a suit spinner) and I ended up working out 2x as often and weight lifting..
  • flsunshine
    flsunshine Posts: 188 Member
    check out your local ymca
    the one i use offers fit classes like yoga and zumba, pool, and gym and not badly priced and the pool isnt very crowded despite its summer and texas is hot hot hot
  • djshari
    djshari Posts: 513 Member
    I don't but I want one!!! I ended up going with a much cheaper option that did not include a pool. Oddly enough for a single person I thought the YMCA was very expensive... $56 a month... instead I can pay $10 to 20 for a basic gym membership and then just swim at area pools for much cheaper. It is summer so I have my choice between lakes and pools right now, winter is a little harder because the pools open to the public are a bit farther from my house... but still in the direction of where I go to work. You could look into that. My old high school does as well as the HS in the last city I lived in. The university near me does have daily swims but they don't have any kind of pass and they have horrible hours for someone who works full time.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    I'm thinking of joining a gym just to swim. Our public pools are overcrowded.
    Does anyone do this and is it worth the $$ to get to avail space in a pool?


    I miss swimming and it is one great way to tone.
    I use the Y and can't recommend it highly enough. The pool is awesome...I mean in general... you love to swim so you know what I mean. I can understand how you're needing to get a pool fix. Oh, but the only thing that sucks a bit in the Summer is scheduled swimming lessons for the kids but with an outdoor pool and a couple indoor and tracking the pool schedule, you're golden.

    I pay under $25... to me it's so worth it... so many other classes, etc. offered as well for that amount.

    Hope you find one that works for you soon and that's close to your house/work...be even more motivating. :wink: :flowerforyou:

    EDIT: Regarding hours, 5am to 10pm daily...so the hours fit well for those that need specific times to workout in the pool. Some gyms offer punch cards...
  • terriejones
    terriejones Posts: 518 Member
    My sister paid a small fee (for the year) to use the beautiful pool at a local (Hilton, I think) hotel. It was rarely busy, so they pretty much had the pool to themselves. You might want to check around and see.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    I swim every now and then. I goto LA Fitness and mostly all the have a Pool, Spa, Sauna.
  • sleepy11
    sleepy11 Posts: 23
    I'm a Y member specifically for the pool. They have specific lap swim times so it's easy to plan a workout.

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