Joining a Gym

In my last article, I spoke about making our resolution successful this year by finally realizing we can’t do it on our own — we need help.

We are finally going to join that gym. But there are so many gyms out there, which one is going to fit all our needs? Let’s make a list and do some homework.

The most important question is what can we afford? We need to figure out what will fit into our budgets. But we also have to see what the gyms offer us for our money. We might find that few dollars more will get us a lot more in the long run. Sometimes if we are torn between this decision, it helps if we divide the monthly fee by the four or five weeks in the month. Then we can see if we think we are worth the $15, maybe $16 dollars a week it would come to. If the gym offers everything you need, then it should be worth any sacrifices you would make financially. Then we want to talk about what our health goals are and what needs we have in finding a gym.

More things that we should consider:

1. Proximity to home or work: Which would work better into our schedules? Which one would make us more consistent with our workouts? Just remember when you’re not working, like on weekends, days off or vacations, you most likely won’t work out. So going closer to home is probably the better choice.

2. Hours of operation: When and what hours are they open? We have to make sure that the gym suits our work schedule and/or hectic lifestyles. Also check out the schedules for classes. Do they have early morning, later evening and weekend classes? That way, there is never an excuse not to work out because the gym is closed or no classes available when we are.

3. Is the gym kid friendly? Do they have babysitting available or do they offer some kids programs so the whole family can work out together?

4. Classes: What kind of classes are offered? How many classes per week? What kind of machines and workout equipment do they have? We need variety in our workouts, so does this gym accomplish that?

5. Take advantage of free trial offers: Go in see how members interact with each other, how do the instructors and trainers relate to members. Are the gym personnel helpful and friendly? All this makes a big difference because if you’re comfortable going there, you will continue going there.

6. Certification: Make sure it has certified, experienced staff and that all personnel are CPR certified.

We need to find a place that has it all — like one stop shopping. We shouldn’t have to have more than one membership to get what we need.

I've worked at World Gym in Wantagh for the last eight years and I know for a fact that we have it all. It has a family atmosphere there and we care that every person achieves their goals.

If you’d like more information, you can contact Barbara Larrea at (516) 826-5555 and mention me or my article.

Good luck in your search.