Choosing a Health Club or Gym

Joining a health club can be a great fitness motivator, especially if you choose the right one to meet your fitness needs. Decide what is important for you in a health club before you start shopping around and you will find it easier to find the health club you really want to join. Picking a quality health club to join is the key to sticking with your workout regimen, getting healthy and staying fit. With a little research and patience, you will be rewarded with a membership at a health club you can call "home." More importantly, you will be reaping the long-term benefits of a structured exercise program that perfectly suits your lifestyle.

Many people have no choice. If your neighborhood has only one club, that's the club you probably need to join, even if the facilities aren't top-notch. You're more likely to use the mediocre fitness center around the corner than the first-rate gym that's 45 minutes away. If you have a routine of basic exercises, you can get a good workout in just about any facility that calls itself a gym.

If you're lucky enough to have your choice of clubs, weigh your options carefully. You may want to tour each club to discover the variety of machines and mechanisms offered. You also want to notice if the staff is friendly and helpful. When you tour a club, bring the following checklist for consideration for your membership:

LOCATION
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a health club is location. If you are lucky enough to find a location close to where you live or work, you will most likely get there more often. If your health club is further away or harder to get to you may find yourself unable to go or may put off exercising more often than not. We’re not saying to sacrifice everything you are looking for in a health club to join a gym that is more conveniently located yet lacks the fitness equipment you are looking to use. Having a more conveniently located health club, however, may increase the frequency in which you use it.

HEALTH CLUB STAFF
A friendly knowledgeable health club staff may or may not be an important factor when choosing the perfect health club. Those lacking fitness experience may look to the guidance of the health club staff. You may want to enroll the services of a personal trainer to teach you how to do certain exercises or to construct the perfect fitness plan for you to quickly and safely reach your fitness goals. It’s always nice to be greeted by a friendly face at the door when you enter the health club and it’s also nice to hear a friendly have a nice day upon leaving after your workout! Some clubs have dietitians, massage therapists, and physical therapists who offer extra services to members. Ask about these services if they are important to you.

AMENITITES OFFERED BY THE HEALTH CLUB
What does the health club have to offer? Do you want a swimming pool at your new health club? Is a basketball court important to you? Everyone’s needs are different. Some people only require free weights and machines to complete their usual workouts; some would like to have a little bit more in a health club. A great deal of budget health clubs have popped up over the years offering the basics and nothing more at a discount price. Although these so called health clubs can have a tempting price tag, they may not meet all your fitness needs. Paying a little bit more per month to improve your health is always a good investment, assuming you actually use your membership of course. Some of the higher end health clubs will offer a great deal more for the money. Olympic swimming pools, basketball courts, racquetball, massage therapy, acupuncture, beauty salons, juice bars, free child care and much more are not uncommon in many upscale health clubs across the globe. Affiliation with other clubs: If you travel a lot, consider joining a club that is affiliated with gyms around the country. Large chains may not have the most qualified staff or offer the most personalized attention, but you can save money on guest passes.

FITNESS PROGRAMS & CLASSES
Before joining a health club, you should think about what types of programs and fitness classes you may be interested in. Will you enroll in classes at your health club, or are you simply there to do your own workout and nothing more? Many health clubs will offer great classes such as ab workouts, weight loss programs, toning classes, kick boxing cardio classes, spin classes, yoga programs, Pilates classes, swimming and many more. If these types of classes are what you are looking for, make sure you research your next potential health club well. Be sure they offer the classes you will be taking and also at convenient times that you will be able to attend.

FITNESS EQUIPMENT
Inspecting the equipment during your health club search is also very important. The quick tour that most health club sales people will take you on can be deceiving. Slow the pace of the tour down and inspect the equipment throughout the health club. Does the gym have everything you will need for your workouts? Wall to wall mirrors can make a health club look much larger than it really is, giving you the impression that the lines of high tech fitness machines and free weights are endless, only to find out during your first workout that some of your favorite machines are not there. Take your time and be sure that the health club has what you will need and then go the extra mile and test a few of them out for quality and functionality. The extra time spent investigating your new health club will be well worth it. Weight-training machines, treadmills, bicycles, mats, balls, and all other equipment should be clean, modern, and in good working order. There also should be enough equipment to avoid making members wait. For instance, treadmills are the most popular piece of equipment at health clubs. Not having enough of them means you'll have to wait in line for a turn.

HEALTH CLUB HOURS
What time do you workout? Do you head to the health club before work? After? Will you be using the gym during the weekends? The hours of your new health club are important if you plan on showing up early or late. During peak hours at the average health club which include early mornings from 7-10AM and evenings from 4-7 the gym will be packed with members, making the average workout pretty difficult.  If you plan on using the health club during these hours, it would be best to take your tour during these hours to access wether or not you will be able to mix in with the crowd and successfully complete your workouts. It can be hard. Off peak hours, however will be a time when you feel like you have the health club to yourself and can really get things done. Some health clubs now have very convenient hours opening extremely early and staying open very late. Others have even become 24 hour fitness centers with doors that never close.

GYM MAINTENANCE
Health club maintenance habits can be a tricky subject to investigate when looking for a health club. During your initial tour, look for “out of order” signs. If there are a enough to count, this health club may not be keeping up on maintaining their equipment. This can be a common problem with fitness gyms and there is nothing worse than finding out AFTER you sign the membership agreement. Take your time, look around and make sure the health club is up to par. Do the machines run smooth? Are there any frayed cables? Are the locker rooms clean and maintained? If you choose to join a high end health club, you most likely will not run into this problem. You will however see this problem a lot in the lower end budget type gyms that are popping up on every corner. Don’t get sucked in, you always get what you pay for in the end.

SOCIAL INTERACTION
Are you looking to meet people and interact with others while at your gym? Or are you simply there to workout and leave? For some the social interaction between members is a selling point. For others it is not. Some local health clubs are known as “meat markets” or pick up gyms. If this is not an attractive feature for you, you may want to find out before you join the club. Most people like to walk into their health club and feel comfortable for the entire time they are there. They don’t want to feel like they have to dress up to go to workout and do not want to feel people watching them. This is also one of the reasons a lot of gyms started coming out with private women’s areas and the like to lure in health club members who value their privacy.

HEALTH CLUB CONTRACTS
Always read the contract thoroughly before you sign anything. Some health clubs have hidden fees rolled into their gym membership plans that may catch you by surprise later on down the line. Fees such as health club improvement dues or membership rate guarantee fees that usually get charged annually. These are really just sneaky ways for  health clubs to make a bit extra each year on top of what they are already charging you for the gym membership. One may question why you would have to pay for gym improvements if you are already paying 10-100 dollars a month for the membership in the first place. Shouldn’t your monthly dues go towards all of that? Most people do not question these questionable fees, but if more people did, maybe these gyms would not get away with it as often as they do. You should also ask about how frequently monthly dues will be increased. If you sign up at $24.99 a month how long will it stay there? Also find out up front what your agreed upon rate will include. Does it include full use of the health club? Does it include all classes and programs offered by the health club? Knowing these things up front will make your overall experience at your new health club much more enjoyable when you’re not worrying about hidden fees effecting your wallet.

POLICIES
Reading up on and getting familiar with the health clubs policies is never a bad idea. You don’t want to get caught by surprise later on down the line when you break a rule that you did not know existed. Most gyms have a dress code which basically entails attire that consists of workout clothing. Jeans and work boots are not tolerated in most health clubs, especially those at the higher end of the scale. Proper fitness apparel should always be worn anyway, for comfort and performance. Most health clubs will also have policies regarding re-racking weights and dropping weights and dumbbells on the floor. Not only does it keep the gym cleaner, it also ensures the safety of other members of the health club. You wouldn’t want the guy next to you to carelessly drop a dumbbell on your foot would you? The cancellation, freeze, and refund policies: Many gyms let you put your membership on hold for medical or maternity leave (freeze). Some clubs refund your remaining membership if you move more than 25 miles away. Most states have laws that allow you to cancel within three days of joining with a full refund.

COST
Remember, you always get what you pay for. Never be afraid to negotiate. Most health clubs run specials. The sales rep obviously wants you to sign up at the higher rate, making them higher commissions, but there is always room for them to work you into joining their health club before the one down the street. Most gyms will reduce or even wave the down payment as well, but sometimes you have to ask before the offer is presented. You could also use a deal another gym offered as leverage with the gym you really want to join. Botom line? Find the health club you like, negotiate the best membership rates you can and start using all your health club has to offer. No matter what you end up paying for your health club membership, it does your health no good if you never use it.

COMPARE
Shop around! Unless you fall in love with the first health club you visit, you should always visit a few and compare what they have to offer. Very rarely will you find a health club that has absolutely everything you are looking for in a gym, but sometimes you will! Most of the higher end health clubs will have just about everything you could possibly have in a health club, thus the higher price for membership. If you are going to utilize all the health club has to offer, then higher membership fees will be justifiable. At the very least, make a mental note of everything you see when you take your tours of various health clubs. Which gyms have the equipment you like to use, which health clubs will help you reach your fitness goals easier? What it comes down to is which health club is going to be the best fit with your fitness regimen?

SIGN UP!
Once you have done your homework and you have decided on the health club you would like to be a member, its time to join! Here are a few things you will want to ask about while going through the membership process.

• What is your monthly membership fee? What does it cover?
• Which programs and services cost extra? For instance, some clubs charge more for popular classes like yoga and Pilates.
• Is there an initiation fee? Are there hidden costs?
• How often do rates increase and by how much?
• How long has the club been in business?
• Does the club have a month-to-month contract? Some clubs are doing away with yearly contracts and going to monthly ones to attract members.
• What is the refund or cancellation policy, if any? Find out how you can get out of the contract if you get sick, are injured, need to move, or just don't like the facility.
• Is the club running any special promotions? Health clubs often run promotion discounts to attract new members. These could include signing up without paying a registration or initiation fee, or getting the first few months of membership free. If there will be a promotion in the future, you might be able to get the club to offer it to you in advance. If not, you might want to hold out until the promotion begins.
• Can you use your membership at other clubs? Certain memberships allow you to use different clubs in the area or when you travel.

Don't feel pressured to sign a contract right away. Take time to review it carefully and ask questions if something is unclear. It's a good idea to talk to other members about their experiences with the club. Once you sign on, enjoy your health club often. You've made a worthwhile investment in your health and fitness!