I've been gym shopping many times throughout the last 14 years. Here are the top things I look for:
Location, location, location. This is Numero Uno. In order for me to join a gym, it seriously must be within 5 minutes of my house. I have tried, honestly tried, to go to bigger, better gyms that were further away from mi casa – however, I have always ended up switching to a gym closer to my house, albeit smaller and not so snazzy. Who cares. I AM THERE. In the end, that is what matters.
Child care. A must for this momma. I couldn’t use the gym without it. I use the gym because of it. Child care should have decent hours, enough availability, and reasonably nice workers. Frankly, I am not as picky as other mothers. I know that I am not paying for workers with PhD’s in child development or the Super Nanny. I just want to make sure my children don’t die and preferably have all their teeth in tact by the time I make it back... And, they should be patient enough with the kids so you can leave a crying baby and they are willing to hold the little guy to sooth him.
Tons of TV time during the gym is not favored by me, and I have often gone to the director to request that this not be the mode of operands day in and day out. I understand when they are packed, have a baby in each arm that the square babysitter comes in handy. However, when there are a decent amount of kids, let them play.
Also, I feel that child care at a gym should be part of your membership. If you have to pay by the hour, I guarantee that you will shave off workout times here and there in order to save a buck. Just buy the membership that includes child care, you’ll use it.
Price. Compare, compare, compare. Everyone is offering a deal right now. Wheel and deal here, ladies. Do you want month to month payments? How much is the start up fee? Is there a contract? How do you get out of your contract? I made the mistake of signing up with a big box gym when I was at the wee age of 20 – and ended up signing my life away and not knowing it. Hopefully, you are much more savvy in the ways of the financial world than I was and know what questions to ask.
Classes. If you are a big class fan, be sure they offer the classes you can’t live without and at times you can make it. Don’t be afraid to talk to the fitness director to make your wishes known in this area.
Equipment. A gym should have decent equipment that is orderly, easy to find, and cleaned regularly. If it is rusty, thrown in corners with the cob webs, it’s time to look elsewhere. Also, the cardio equipment should offer you a good variety and be maintained regularly. If you see this: OUT OF ORDER – on most of the cardio equipment, move on. Nobody is taking care of business.
Feel. This is where you just have to acknowledge how it feels in your bones. I, personally, love a small, intimate gym and always have. I like getting to know people, where I walk in the gym and I am greeted like Norm from “Cheers” (Maaaaannnnddddiiii!). This is a biggie for me.
Freebies. Request some guest passes and gym hop for a while until you find a gym and suits you. When I moved to San Antonio, I did this number for about 2 months – just going from gym to gym, using their child cares to the max, and never felt an ounce of guilt about it. Yes, I still have salespeople sending me postcards occasionally telling me that they miss me (yeah, I believe you), but it was worth it so I could find the right match for me.
4 comments:
great advice! one thing i learned from experience--the sales-people at most gyms are just that...sales people! they are like used car salesmen. there is negotiating room and they will ALWAYS quote you more than you should have to pay. i'm not good at negotiating, but i just said, bottom line, i won't pay more than X amt' and they called all their "managers" and finally agreed. they know you have a million options these days.
also, if you are a student or in a low income category some places like the ymca will give you a great deal based on income. when we were in med school we went to the ymca for 18$ a month. that included full use of gym, pool, child care, etc. Some neighborhood rec centers will offer this type of thing for lower incomes. worth looking into.
I used to be a gym rat and an instructor and belonged to a variety of gyms. Living Well Lady was my all time favorite believe it or not. Until recently I belonged to a small strip mall gym for the reasons you stated. Travel time and it's like a ghost town during the day. Trying to think of things that mattered to me when I had more of a choice. I think the number one thing was the class schedule and quality of instructors ... if that is your thing. I have found that the larger gyms pay more, have larger classes, host continuing ed. and that is where you find the good instructors...usually. 2nd - as you said up to date and working machines, 3rd - a weight area with room to move and plenty of mirror space. Also nice to have access to the room where they hold classes during off-class time. I workout mid-day usually (never any classes) and I like to be able to use the room to do stretching and core. I've belonged to some gyms where the room was off-limits. Same with spin bikes. I like gyms that allow access to the bikes (not the stereo) when there are no classes. Another goodie found in a bigger gym: amenities like steam areas, eucalyptus rooms (love it), soak tubs, nice showers, roomy locker area etc. Finally, I would recommend avoiding direct draft of your membership fees - my small local gym just closed out of the blue per a court order and it took some doing to get the drafts stopped. Now, for my weight training I am into at home Kettle Bell work and TRX...so no more gym for me.
Sweet -- thanks gals! Very good advice.
Thanks Mandi!
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