Your Guide to Joining the Right Gym

Whether you want to look good on the beach this summer or lose the pounds the thanksgiving turkey puts on, a gym membership could be just the ticket.

The facilities

The beauty of a gym is that everything you need is there. You can run, cycle, row, cross country ski, swim or take an exercise class. If you want to tone or build your body there are weight machines and free weights.

When the workout is done, relax in the spa and jacuzzi. Then have a massage and beauty treatment or a luxury body shower. Both men and women can be pampered to their hearts content and it's all under one roof. When joining a gym the range of facilities is the important factor but there are other things to consider.

Other than facilities? What else?

Think about the location. Is it closer to your home or workplace and when would you plan to visit? Would you normally go at the weekend from home or on the way home from work? Will the traffic be an issue at these times? Also check to see if there's enough parking available especially at a "center of town" gym.

If it's classes you're after, see if there's a good range. Make sure they have some scheduled for the times you'd normally go. See how popular they are, you'd want the class to have more people there than just you and the instructor. The best way to check all this out, is to get a complimentary pass. All gyms will let you have one day, but a little persuading should get you a whole week. This will enable you to get a sense of the general atmosphere and see how busy it gets.

Negotiate the cost

So you've found the gym you want to join, now comes the payment. Nearly all gyms will want you on a 12 month contract. Then there may be a joining fee and monthly payments on top of that. All payments and sometimes the contracts are negotiable. Swing this in your favour by applying towards the end of the month. Gym managers are often paid bonuses for good monthly figures so they'll be more inclined to drop their prices to include you.

You may also be told there's a promotion or some incentive that runs out at the end of the month. Take this with a pinch of salt, there's usually a promotion every month and they're all worth about the same so you wouldn't be missing out.

Why use a gym?

Ok, running, cycling, rowing etc doesn't have to be done in a gym, they're certainly more enjoyable outside. But the weather may be bad and the only body shower you'll get will be the rain falling on your head. Whereas in the gym the spa is only minutes away.

For total covenience these places just have to be sampled. So pop down to the local gym, get a weeks complimentary pass and give it a go, you won't regret it.

Simon Gould - http://www.FitnessBegin.com - Exercise, Health, Dieting and Nutrition...Explained!