A health club or gym can be the perfect place to keep motivated and stay healthy, but memberships can be expensive, so how do you know which one is going to give you the best bang for your buck? Personal Trainer Blake Robinson says there are some important questions to ask before cashing in on a membership.
1. What kind of fit nut do you want to be?
-Big Box gyms – lower prices, longer contracts
-CrossFit Gyms – high intensity, specific training, expensive but one of the fastest growing CHECK your coach
-Group Fitness Studios – more focused attention w/o the cost of personal training not normally family friendly
-Recreation Centers – BEST FOR FAMILIES b/c biggest bang for your buck, location can be challenging
-Local small businesses – similar to big boxes but more likely to earn your business and have community involvement.
2. Location, Location, Location – The more convenient a gym is the more likely you are to use it, find one that is near work, near home or even along the way so that you will be reminded to attend it each time you pass by.
3. AAA Amenities, Accessibility, Account
– Make sure that once you are at the gym it has all the amenities, bells and whistles to meet your needs: e.g. child care IS HUGE, FREE GROUP FITNESS CLASSES, showers, steam room, sauna, lockers for day or overnight use, PARKING, juice bar, whatever floats your boat because the more you “like” being there the more often you will go
– Make sure the hours of the gym fit your lifestyle, if you are a night owl and need your fitness fix at 1 or 2am there are only a couple of Facilities that will fit that mold. If you are looking for the group fitness classes make sure they are taught when you’re available.
– Does it fit into your budget, now the reason this is near the end is because the return on your gym investment will be through the roof if you USE IT but make sure that the gym fees are explained and that it fits within your budget. Things to look for – annual maintenance fees, parking fees, late fees, automated withdrawal fees, read before you sign up.
4. Take a timely tour
– watch the front desk, observe the trainers, look at the shower heads (cleanest gyms will clean those regularly and thoroughly) and go when you will be working out.
5. Inside tip: Buy your membership at the end of the month and don’t be afraid to ask them to lower or eliminate the sign up fee. CLOSE OUT during the last week of the month is when gyms are trying to hit their monthly numbers so sales people/managers are willing to make deals in order to hit their numbers.
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