Five Things to Look For When Joining a Fitness Club
Establishing a relationship with a health and fitness club is not an easy decision.
Some may even say that settling into a relationship with their significant other was easier! The reason for the difficulty has more to do with the individual's apprehension about getting to the club and sitting down with a trainer or membership salesperson.
And this makes sense as most people don't like to be "sold," and if the salesperson is down on commission they might be a little more aggressive with the sale.
While it is normally impossible to know beforehand whether you will get an aggressive, commissioned salesperson or a salaried membership coordinator who will not do any selling at all, you can prepare for the experience and remember to look for the following 5 features when determining whether a particular health and fitness club is right for you.
1.
Do the weight and cardio facilities meet my fitness needs? If you need weight equipment because you do not have the resources to equip your home with your own but you do not need cardio equipment, who cares if the club has the best treadmill in the world? Look for the equipment you need and be specific - if you are worried about lower body workouts, make sure there are sufficient lower body machines.
2.
Are the change-room, bathroom and shower facilities clean and operational? Remember that health and fitness clubs are in the health business too.
If the change-room, bathroom and showers are not clean, the club may not be so much in the "health" business after all.
And what does that say about proper sanitization on the machines? If the bathrooms are unkempt, then the rest of the equipment will probably not be maintained either.
3.
Do the hours of operation align with the times that I can work out? This is a no-brainer if you are looking at joining at a 24-hour facility, but many clubs will not have all-day hours.
Does this cause a problem with you and your plans? If you work crazy hours or cannot get to the gym long after the kids have been put to bed, make sure you will have a good two hours for your workout and clean-up.
4.
Are the staff knowledgeable and what kind of assistance do the non-personal trainers provide? How much for added support? While it would be nice to hire a personal trainer, many people do not need one.
However, we all need a bit of guidance sometimes to make sure our form and execution are right.
What kind of support does the club offer with a basic membership? What are some of the other fees? 5.
What are the cancellation requirements? This is a big one.
Many clubs will charge exorbitant fees to members who want to cancel their membership within a certain time period.
Make sure you understand what the cancellation requirements are, especially if you are not 100% sure about the club in the first place.
As well, make sure you have this in writing so that there is no confusion should you have to cancel earlier than you originally intended.
Of course, there are other criteria that you will want to look into on your own - lockers, busy periods, available entertainment (iPod hook-up, television on machines? Etc.
).
But if you are not all that confident with yourself when visiting such clubs, make sure you check off the basics above before signing up with any fitness club.
Some may even say that settling into a relationship with their significant other was easier! The reason for the difficulty has more to do with the individual's apprehension about getting to the club and sitting down with a trainer or membership salesperson.
And this makes sense as most people don't like to be "sold," and if the salesperson is down on commission they might be a little more aggressive with the sale.
While it is normally impossible to know beforehand whether you will get an aggressive, commissioned salesperson or a salaried membership coordinator who will not do any selling at all, you can prepare for the experience and remember to look for the following 5 features when determining whether a particular health and fitness club is right for you.
1.
Do the weight and cardio facilities meet my fitness needs? If you need weight equipment because you do not have the resources to equip your home with your own but you do not need cardio equipment, who cares if the club has the best treadmill in the world? Look for the equipment you need and be specific - if you are worried about lower body workouts, make sure there are sufficient lower body machines.
2.
Are the change-room, bathroom and shower facilities clean and operational? Remember that health and fitness clubs are in the health business too.
If the change-room, bathroom and showers are not clean, the club may not be so much in the "health" business after all.
And what does that say about proper sanitization on the machines? If the bathrooms are unkempt, then the rest of the equipment will probably not be maintained either.
3.
Do the hours of operation align with the times that I can work out? This is a no-brainer if you are looking at joining at a 24-hour facility, but many clubs will not have all-day hours.
Does this cause a problem with you and your plans? If you work crazy hours or cannot get to the gym long after the kids have been put to bed, make sure you will have a good two hours for your workout and clean-up.
4.
Are the staff knowledgeable and what kind of assistance do the non-personal trainers provide? How much for added support? While it would be nice to hire a personal trainer, many people do not need one.
However, we all need a bit of guidance sometimes to make sure our form and execution are right.
What kind of support does the club offer with a basic membership? What are some of the other fees? 5.
What are the cancellation requirements? This is a big one.
Many clubs will charge exorbitant fees to members who want to cancel their membership within a certain time period.
Make sure you understand what the cancellation requirements are, especially if you are not 100% sure about the club in the first place.
As well, make sure you have this in writing so that there is no confusion should you have to cancel earlier than you originally intended.
Of course, there are other criteria that you will want to look into on your own - lockers, busy periods, available entertainment (iPod hook-up, television on machines? Etc.
).
But if you are not all that confident with yourself when visiting such clubs, make sure you check off the basics above before signing up with any fitness club.
