which gym to join

LizLearnstoRun
LizLearnstoRun Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Figured its time to bite the bullet and try the gym route for the last 40 pounds. But I have no idea which one to pick (not a sporty or fitness person this has never been my thing. ) So need advice?

Replies

  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    Pick a gym. ANy gym
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    It really depends on where you feel comfortable (or what you can afford.)
    I'm a college student, and despite the cost I go with Boston Sports Club, because I know I won't run into anyone I know there. It has a lot of muscle heads, but I care less about that then i do about some of the girls in my classes. I know it's my problem, not their problem, but it's still what works for me.
  • LizLearnstoRun
    LizLearnstoRun Posts: 57 Member
    Cost wise I am leaning towards Planet Fitness, but i know they have received some negative press of late. Its just the one with no 100 dollar out of pocket fee I have found so far
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    Check out a few gyms that are close to you (or that you drive by so would go to). Go there during he times of day you will be working out to see how crowded they are. Find a gym that has things you like today or that you might want to try try down the road. Does it have classes you would enjoy? Does it have enough cardio machines available? Does it have a good free weights section? Does it have a pool if you like to swim? Does it have child care if that's an issue? Can you afford it? Do the people that are working there give you the hard annoying sell or do they give you a tour without tons of pressure? The key is to find someplace YOU will use. I love my gym but my girlfriend has joined and dropped three times because she just won't go!
  • kjgarcia
    kjgarcia Posts: 104 Member
    I used to belong to a big, fancy schmancy gym, but wasn't getting to go as often as I wanted to. I just joined Planet Fitness and love it so far. It's got all the basics and you can do $10/mo., $20/mo, or I think they also offer a flat fee for a certain number of months that you can pay all up front.
    Maybe you could visit and see if it's something you'd like.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
    Factors in how I pick a gym:

    1. Cost - why pay $75 a month for the same services I can get for $25 at a smaller gym.
    2. Equipment - I prefer a gym with a good balance of cardio equipment, weight training, and bodyweight/core equipment. Also, there should be enough equipment that even at peak times, there is little to no wait for stuff.
    3. Locker room cleanliness and showers - I often go at lunch and need to shower. Clean and functioning showers are important.

    If a gym offers classes and that is something that interests you, check out the schedule to see if the classes you want are offered at your available times.
  • UmmSqueaky
    UmmSqueaky Posts: 715 Member
    Pick one you'll go to and that offers what you will do.

    I belong to my local YWCA. I like it for a myriad of reasons. It's affordable ($45 a month with my insurance discount). A diverse array of people are members. It has a pool. It has an indoor track. And it offers a wide variety of classes. I primarily use it for the classes and the indoor track, and use the pool on occasion. Thus, a cheaper option like 24 hour fitness wouldn't be a good fit for me. But, if a person only wants to use the weight machines and cardio equipment, they wouldn't necessarily need to pay more to go to my Y.
  • dglenn2015
    dglenn2015 Posts: 2
    When I joined a gym I wanted something close to home and something that had good hours. I work 4 days a week and many times I worked til 7:30pm. I would not get to my house until about 8-8:15. I decided to go to Lifetime because it was 24 hours, very close to my home and offers many group fitness classes. It is 85 for one person but for me, it was the best option.
  • Dube11
    Dube11 Posts: 93 Member
    Close to home and not oversold and overly crowded is my criteria. Don't ever pay anything out of pocket for a sign up fee. Just go in, show some interest then say you'll think about it. They'll call you within a week saying there's a promotion where you can sign up for free. I've had that happen at two separate gyms.
  • dt3312
    dt3312 Posts: 212 Member
    We go to the community gym. No complicated contract. You can buy a 1 day pass for $4.50, or a one week pass, one month, 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. For a year, for a whole family, it is $480. For a single person it is $240. We have access to 3 gyms and a whole bunch of swimming. We have been very happy there. At first I was a little intimidated by the macho looking muscle builders, but they have all been very nice to me, even offering to let me use the equipment first!

    One thing to look for at gyms is do they have the equipment you need. For example, my husband needs to use that kind of exercycle except you pedal it with your hands. Another thing is: are the classes free or do you need to pay extra for classes. How crowded are the classes? My friend goes to a 24 hour fitness and the classes are so crowded that she quit going to the classes. Do you want shower facilities at your gym? Of course, a convenient location helps.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    My thoughts:

    I think every gym I know of gives 1 week trial/guest memberships for free. Go to some CONVENIENT gyms, try them out for a week for free and see what you think.

    Bottom line -
    1) if you are just starting to work out, just about any gym will do. Eventually you may want to move to a gym that has better/more/different equipment, which brings me to my next point -
    2) Make sure you understand the contract and how to get out of it. Some of these gyms act like a membership is equivalent to a house mortgage. After you read the terms, ask around with people that have cancelled. I have heard horror stories about some of the hoops some gyms make you go through to cancel even outside of your commitment term.
    3) Choose the one you are comfortable with, otherwise you won't go.
    4) Don't worry too much about the price. I know it is a FACTOR, but which is a better deal: paying $10 a month for a gym you don't really like and aren't motivated to go to or $20 a month for a gym you really like, has the things you want, and is easier to go to? For me, straight up wasting $10 a month on a gym I won't use versus paying an extra $10 and actually using the membership is worth more. Besides, its your health - you probably spend way more than that on things like cable TV, cell phones, restaurants, etc.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    Location location location.

    Find one that is MOST convenient for you to attend regularly.

    There were some gyms that have more locations, more amnenities, more options, but the one that is 1 mile away just makes it so dang convenient to go to.

    convenience=more attendance.

    You can up and go on a whim. This weekend I had a half hour to kill. So....with the gym so close I went and cranked out a workout real quick.
  • navygrrl
    navygrrl Posts: 517 Member
    I joined Planet Fitness because it's one of the two gyms my health insurance company will reimburse me for using. If you have health insurance, check to see if you have any wellness benefits like that. I actually like the Planet Fitness I go to because it's not super crowded and it's open 24 hours. There's a gym right down the road from my house. I had a 2 week trial, but when I tried to go in and use it to see if we wanted to join, we were instead subjected to a high pressure sales pitch. We thought about joining the YMCA, but the one near us is really small and always over-crowded.

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