YMCA or Gym??

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KariOrtiz2014
KariOrtiz2014 Posts: 343 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What's better? What do you like from either one more?
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  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
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    It really just depends on what each has to offer and what you like to do.
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
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    I think it just depends on what you want to do and what they have. Both have strength and cardio equipment, but one might have more of one than the other. YMCA probably has a pool. Not all gyms have pools. Some gyms ( like Planet Fitness ) are cheap, while others are expensive. YMCA might be a cheaper alternative, especially if you live or work in the town it is located in.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    It really just depends on what each has to offer and what you like to do.

    Pretty much this.

    My Y has a lot of classes to offer, more than the other gyms. It is also cheaper and offers cheaper rates if you qualify. And it has a pool. It's also a really popular gym for youth. Not that I dislike youth, but if you end up there when school lets out its really, really crowded. Unfortunately it is around the same time I end up there. It is also very busy in the eveings. Not an issue if you go during school hours.

    My favourite gym has better equipment and more room. I don't do classes so that isn't a factor me, but for many it is. It is never as busy as the Y, I've never had to wait for a treadmill, at the Y, I always do. I just wish they had a pool.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    I don't belong to a gym but used to be a Y member.

    What I like about the Y is that it's not-for-profit (you don't have some sales rep trying to coerce you into a 5 year contract) and they offer subsidized/discounted memberships to low income families / seniors and, generally, you can use other Y facilities when you travel.
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    Every Y is different, so it definitely depends. The Y I go to now is great - large, but old and a bit beat up. However, it's got a huge free weights room with all the right equipment. Plus the room to do aerobics classes in, and the gyms for basketball folks, and the spinning class area, and the weight machines floor and the cardio equipment floor. It has an upgraded locker room that has a sauna and jacuzzi in it with towel service and lockers to rent. And the class offerings are numerous, including yoga 4 times a week at times I can actually make it.

    It's perfect for me.

    The Y in the area I'm moving to is very new looking. One story. Nice pool. But jacuzzi is out there with it, and not in the locker room. Not sure if there's a sauna. The cardio machines, weight machines, and free weights are all together in one area and the barbell section is miniscule. It's all very pretty, very new, nice equipment. But the yoga offerings are crap, the barbell area is stupidly small, and all the prettiness in the world won't replace the fact that it has horrible offerings compared to my current Y.

    I've come up with a list of what I NEED from a gym, what I really WANT from a gym, and what I've already got that would be nice to have but is less important than the first 2 buckets.

    I suggest you do the same and then go tour around. This isn't a question we can answer for you.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
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    I love the Y. My whole fmaily goes. My husband, my 12 yr old and I all go to workout and we drop the 3 girls off at the child watch. However, currently the two older girls are taking swim lessons while we work out and the oldest will be able to work out with us when she has a birthday again.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I love the Y. My whole fmaily goes. My husband, my 12 yr old and I all go to workout and we drop the 3 girls off at the child watch. However, currently the two older girls are taking swim lessons while we work out and the oldest will be able to work out with us when she has a birthday again.

    I forgot to mention that. A lot of Y's offer family services and child care. Here, it's the only gym in town that does. Another huge factor for some.
  • alathIN
    alathIN Posts: 142 Member
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    There is a huge variance in YMCAs. Some of them are palatial, some not so much.
    YMCAs generally are very family friendly, with child watching and child activities and lessons and teams and such; if you have kids this can be huge.
    Most Y's will accept out of town members when you are visiting a different city. Very handy when travelling.
    YMCA is a nonprofit org with a community outreach mission.They do a lot of good for disadvantaged people especially kids.
    Because of the community outreach focus, some of them are located in less desirable neighborhoods. What often happens with an affiliate in a larger town is that they have some locations in the more upscale neighborhoods that generate revenue for the good work they are doing in the not-so-upscale neighborhoods.
    As noted above if you are a swimmer your local Y probably has a great pool, usually very well maintained and staffed, and very likely has coaching/groups/masters participation available.
    There is a Christian history with the Y; some affiliates are more explicitly Christian or vaguely spiritual depending on the community. In any Y, there will be a lot of volunteer, group, and coaching opportunities if you are interested.

    If you can't tell, I'm a huge Y fan. YMMV.
  • KariOrtiz2014
    KariOrtiz2014 Posts: 343 Member
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    It really just depends on what each has to offer and what you like to do.

    A lot!! And it's very nice. They're charging my $95 for a family of 4. My hubby, his dad, our son, and me. Pool, child care, parents night out, personal trainers, group exercises like Zumba, and martial arts
  • TaintedVampyre
    TaintedVampyre Posts: 1,428 Member
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    I loved my Y where I was previously living, but I would <b>never</b> resign my membership with them where I am now. I opted for one of the more popular gyms both out of convenience and a great annual discount deal.
  • mjharman
    mjharman Posts: 251 Member
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    I used to belong to Planet Fitness. For $10 a month, who could beat it?

    BUT I switched and joined the Y, and I like it much better, even though (at $46 a month) it is much more expensive. It serves me better because of the pools (I enjoy swimming SO MUCH!) and the classes (Zumba, Body Pump, Kick Boxing, Yoga, Spinning, Aqua Zumba).

    Of course, this is my personal preference. :happy:
  • SpeSHul_SnoflEHk
    SpeSHul_SnoflEHk Posts: 6,256 Member
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    Uhhh.. The YMCA is my gym.... I'm cornfused.

    hCED1A67F
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
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    I like the YMCA much better, mine had a pool, a suspended walking/running track, classes, all the regular gym machines and weights, it had an indoor tennis court, basketball court, it had a hot tub never used that but the price was insanely expensive at $50 a month for one person. I switched to planet fitness for $10 a month and I don't like it as much as I miss the classes and the pool but I just cant afford to use the YMCA.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    The YMCA has recognized that the future is in health clubs and they have embraced that. Almost all Ys have now been tranformed from the neighborhood place where the kids can play basketball and go to summer camp into bona-fide health clubs, with treadmills machines and free weight sections.
    I like mine because it is cheaper than any other health club, the equipment is more than adequate and there is a cross-section of people there, which makes it more comfortable and less full of attitude.
    Plus, anywhere I go I can find another Y if I want to work out.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
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    The YMCA is where I go most often. I've gone there for over 15 years. It has all sorts of people of all ages and fitness levels. It's a very accepting place and without all the hassles of a gym. However, my Y doesn't have the latest equipment or classes, if that's your thing. The cardio equipment is fully occupied if you go during the busy hours. The hours they're open isn't great either. The one I go to closes at 6 pm on the weekends.

    The big gym I go to is HUGE. It could hold a Boeing 777 inside. The people who go there are fit and very fit. You hardly see anyone obese there. It's also mostly 20-50 year olds there. It has all sorts of cool classes and just about any equipment you can think of. The big gym is totally free for me because my work covers it (Yay!), but it's 14 miles from where I live whereas the Y is just 2 miles down the road, but I have to pay for a family membership.
  • EddieHaskell97
    EddieHaskell97 Posts: 2,227 Member
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    Growing up I always went to the YMCA, but there are none within 30 minutes of my present house. My gym is only five minutes away, so it's really just a convenience thing for me.


    *Edited to correct a typo*
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
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    Uhhh.. The YMCA is my gym.... I'm cornfused.

    hCED1A67F

    I thought the same thing, I was scrolling thru the posts to see if anyone else did too!!
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I like YMCA better... big gym, lots of equipment and variety. It's also cheaper on my wallet too and there's no need to sign a contract :)
  • jlahorn
    jlahorn Posts: 377 Member
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    Over about 5 years, I switched from LA Fitness to the YMCA and back. Originally, I switched to the Y because they had a good schedule of classes that I liked, and they were close to my old job. Then I changed jobs, both gyms changed schedules, and LA Fitness opened a third location within 15 minutes of my house. There is pretty much always a class going that I'd like to be in :)

    The YMCA was also $56/month, and LA Fitness is only $25/month.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
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    The Y by me is pretty much the same as my full-service gym. We chose the non-Y because we don't have kids, and the Y does more youth programming/birthday parties/etc. that would just get in our way.

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