Fitness centers are one-stop shop places where people can receive a full-body workout. Most people can’t afford or don’t have room for a home gym, but with all the equipment and activities most fitness centers have to offer, home gyms don’t even compare. A membership to a fitness center gives you access to all that it has to offer in order to keep you looking and feeling your best. When trying to decide if a membership to a fitness center is right for you and where to join, keep all these different aspects in mind.
Amenities
Fitness centers have oodles of physical activities you can participate in. The more activities and amenities a gym has, typically the more expensive it is to use.
Equipment
You will find so much exercise equipment at a fitness center that you probably won’t even know how to use most of it. Don’t get discouraged though; all you need to do is ask one of the employees how to use it and what part of your body it works. There is exercise equipment for muscle strengthening and toning (e.g., free weights, benches, weight lifting machines) and cardiovascular exercise (e.g., treadmills, ellipticals, stairsteppers, stationary bicycles).
Classes
Many fitness centers offer group classes that you can participate. Some fitness centers require that you may need to sign up for these classes and you may need to pay extra money. Often you don’t need to do either, and you can just show up and join in. There are many different types of classes, including weight lifting, spinning (on stationary bicycles), kick-boxing, aerobics, yoga, and Pilates. Try each class once to see which is your favorite.
Personal Trainer
Many fitness centers offer the use of a personal trainer for a fee on top of what you already pay for your membership. Usually you sign up for a certain number of lessons. Each lesson generally lasts a half hour to an hour. The personal trainer will talk to you about what your fitness goals are and what you hope to accomplish. Then the trainer will create a fitness routine for you and will help you through that routine to make sure you are performing all the exercises properly. This can be expensive, but for some people, especially beginners who don’t know where to begin, it is worth it.
Other
Some fitness centers have a wide range of amenities and offer access to a swimming pool, basketball court, tennis court, or racquetball court. These extra amenities may or may not cost extra money but can be fun ways to get in exercise. And many fitness centers have a hot tub for you to relieve your sore muscles afterward.
Membership
Many fitness centers require that you sign up for a membership. Membership to a fitness center can be quite pricey. Memberships are usually sold in year increments, commonly one-, two-, or three-year memberships. Usually there is an activation fee that you have to pay just one time in order to begin a brand-new membership. Then there is a monthly fee that you pay in order to keep up your membership. Many fitness centers can set this up so that the money is withdrawn directly from your account, if you prefer not to worry about remembering to pay it every month. You can also pay the money all at once if you prefer. Some fitness centers will offer a small discount if you pay the total membership fee at one time. Fitness centers like these include 24 Hour Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and Bally Total Fitness. These centers can be found across the nation.
Some fitness centers will let you pay as you use it. You may only need to pay month to month or even per time that you use the fitness center. This type of minimal commitment is a good idea for someone who doesn’t know if they have time to go to the gym very often, so they don’t end up wasting a year-long membership by only going once a month. This type of fitness center is usually a town recreational center, also known as rec center.
Some fitness centers have the option of a life-time commitment. This is available usually just for places such as country clubs, where there is more than just a fitness center. A country club usually also has a golf course with a pro shop, a restaurant or two, a spa, and more. A membership to a country club will be expensive.