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What to look for in a gym since your New Year's resolution is to join one
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Do you want a pool? If so you will probably pay more for that feature; however, make sure to ask about various types of membership. Photo: Jo Levy
I was a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified by A.C.E. (American Council on Exercise) for over 10 years. There are so many kinds of gyms/health clubs available it can be mind boggling. I hope this multi-part post will help you make a decision.
Part I
1. What kind of a gym are you looking for? Do you want a gym with a pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, steam room, racquetball court, and basketball court? Do you not care about any of those but just want equipment? Do you just want a pool and equipment? If you can’t find the exact gym you are looking for are you willing to pay for a pool even if you don’t use it?
In Massachusetts, we can have women only gyms. That may be true in other states as well. If you are a woman, is that what you want? Some women prefer working out with men, some don’t. Some work out with a male partner, some would prefer the privacy an all woman’s gym gives them. Guys, don’t get on my case that I don’t know of any all-male gyms in Massachusetts. I didn’t make the law. One of the gyms in which I worked was all women. There are pros and cons to it as noted above. I try to workout with my husband so for me that gym would not have been a good choice for me.
When you go looking at gyms if they have any of the above amenities and you don’t want them, see if there are memberships that are equipment-only memberships that would restrict your using the pool, etc. There may be memberships that are hour specific and less money.
- Do you want babysitting?
- Do you want tanning?
- Do you want classes and if so are some necessary such as spinning and cardio boxing?
- Do you want a juice bar?
- Do you want access to personal trainers?
- Do you want to be able to get your hair done at the same place at which you work out?
2. What kind of equipment are you looking for? Do you want state of the art weight equipment or are you the “just give me a barbell, dumbbell and bench” type of person? Do you care if the equipment is a little banged up, if the padding is ripped? You may be paying very little and you would rather pay $19.99 or $29.99 and not care if the equipment is not replaced quickly. That is your choice. Just make sure that is something you know ahead of time.
- When you visit, look at the equipment. I don’t want ripped chair pads or outdated equipment. Ask the person who is taking you on a tour how the equipment gets replaced? If they own it, replacing ripped pads will take longer than if they lease the equipment.
- Do you want a gym that has enough equipment for everyone? If you have to wait is it just for a brief time or too long of a time. Most gyms have 30-minute limits on cardio vascular equipment at peak times (4pm-8pm –give or take). Find out if that is true especially if you are a person who works out during those hours.
- Safety is a major factor for me. The staff person should not be talking with other staff while working. The trainer’s or floor staff’s job is to make sure people are using the equipment properly, to make sure the weights are put back in the right place, and not on the floor where you can trip on them and to clean. Over the years I have seen gyms go from having training/staff on the floor to having only trainers who are working with a client on the floor and not there to help others.
4. The location of the gym is crucial. People are less likely to go to a gym on a regular basis if it is is more than 10 minutes away from either your house or place of employment. If you are not super motivated find a gym close by!
Part II - staff training and other points to keep in mind.
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