Ask Shelly-What To Look For In A Gym

Dear Shelly,

I plan on joining a gym in the New Year, and lucky for me, there are quite a few in my neighborhood. What should I look for in a quality facility?

A.N., Ontario

Dear A.N.,

First of all, congratulations on making a commitment to lifelong fitness! Making the decision to get in shape will be the best move you’ve ever made.

Although you can’t put a price on heath and fitness, there is a cost to joining a gym, and the price tag on a facility might instantly preclude you from joining up. So the first thing you need to do is investigate your finances and see what you have to spend. Budget in hand, shop around and visit several places, for each one will have its own style, atmosphere and personality. Most gyms offer free week-long trial memberships in the hopes that you’ll sign up later, so if you find somewhere you like, give it a test run and see if it indeed meets your needs and expectations.

I’ve put together a list of considerations to make your gym quest a little less daunting. Keep these points in mind when shopping around.

First and foremost, what sort of commitment do they want? Most gyms have "contracts," agreements you sign that bind you to a membership for a predetermined term, such as six months, a year, two years and so on. Contracts are fine, as long as you are perfectly clear on how long you are joining for and what you get for your money.

But beware of the hard sell. Much like car salesmen, membership salespeople depend on commission, so they’re going to try to sign you up for the biggest, baddest package they offer. Unless you want that big bad package, don’t get talked into it. If you’re feeling pressured, say a polite thank you and leave, or ask to see another salesperson who makes you less uncomfortable.

Once you find a staff member you like, ask them about any specials the facility might be running. A lot of clubs offer New Year’s packages, student discounts, and senior citizen rates that might give you a break on the price. But by the same token, watch out for the ‘too good to be true’ deal. Many clubs try to rope you into a membership forever and ever by offering a rate so cheap that you feel it would be a crime to turn it down. But much like getting a divorce, trying to leave them will cost you plenty. To avoid such monetary pitfalls, ask direct questions of your salesman: what happens if I decide to leave the facility? What if I move? What if I’m dissatisfied with your gym? If you don’t receive an acceptable response to your question, get out of Dodge.

While salesmen will be salesmen, how do you feel about the rest of the staff? The very essence of a fitness center is determined by its employees, and these people should be health and fitness personified. They should look, act and conduct themselves as fitness professionals at all times. Observe how they interact with the members, their bosses and each other. They should be friendly and personable as well as informative and knowledgeable.

All personal trainers and aerobics instructors should be certified through a national organization. A few reputable names include ACE, AFAA, and ACSM. Ask the gym owner or manager about his employees’ certifications. He should be ready and willing to answer you immediately.

Are the facility and its employees neat and clean? Gym floors and equipment should be free of dust, dirt or other questionable puddles or stains. Showers and bathroom vanities should be sparkling clean and sanitary at all times. Employees should appear neat and well-groomed. All free weights should be put away in their appropriate and assigned place, and air circulation should be efficient. If any of these things is grossly out of line, move along.

Does the club offer everything you want? If you’re into aerobics, ask to see a class schedule. Most facilities will offer Yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling classes, cardio kickboxing, or Step to name a few options. If you’re a busy mom or dad, see if they have childcare. Ask about other niceties such as towel service, sauna, whirlpool, blow dryers, tanning beds and massage. If the gym doesn’t offer something you just can’t live without, move on. The next club might offer that and more.

Do they have enough equipment? During your week-long trial, go to the gym at the time you think you’ll be working out and note equipment availability. Keep in mind, however, that 6-9 AM and 4-7 PM are peak hours in the gym! Think of it as rush hour – you’re gonna have to wait in some traffic now and again. If this is the time frame you’re choosing to train, take a patience pill and wait your turn. It’ll be like that everywhere. If you’re in there at 2:30 in the afternoon however, and are sill having trouble getting onto the machines or cardio equipment you want, chances are the gym has too many members and not enough gear. Move on to emptier pastures.

Is the facility convenient to your home, work and schedule? Check on their hours of operation, both during the week and on the weekends to see if their timetable correlates with yours. Also ask if they have more than one location. Some gym franchises, such as Gold’s, World’s and other large chains, offer memberships that allow you to use their facilities all over the globe. So if you travel frequently on business, you might want to check into those options.

Good luck, and have fun shopping around! Once you find a club that suits you, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Shelly Lynn Hughes is a founder and a partner of VISTA Magazine, a national Canadian health magazine. She has a regular advice column called "Ask Shelly." Shelly is also a cover model, freelance writer, entrepreneur, national fitness competitor and Ms. BC 2001. She has been featured in Oxygen Magazine, and Women’s World Magazine.

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