There's a sign on the door of the Gold's Gym I go to that says something like, "Know that being here is half the distance." Or maybe that's not exactly the phrase, because come to think of it, that phrase sounds a little silly.
Whatever it is, it's inspirational as heck and every time I see it, I think in my head, "YEA I'M HALF WAY THERE! I'M AT THE GYM."
This may sound a little silly, but for someone who finds it at times agonizing and miserable to drag themself to the gym, they know what I mean.
Picking the right gym can change all your emotions toward the gym though. It may not inspire you to go to the gym more if it's a gym you feel special in, and like the amenities more. But it just may, and at this point, what do you really have to lose...other than some WEIGHT!?
There are many independent and franchise gyms and health clubs and it may be tricky to pick the one that's right for you/
But there are some questions I ask myself when picking a gym for me, and I thought I'd list a couple of them here so that maybe they can help you too:
What does this gym have to offer?
Are there any special classes, equipment or services the gym offers that you are particularly interested in?
How much does it cost to attend this gym?
Is the amount of money fitting to how much you will be using the gym?
What kind of contract do I have to engage in at this gym?
You do not want to feel bound to something you're not sure if you can commit to.
What do I like about this gym?
What do I not like about this gym?
The last two are pretty basic, so let me give you an example. There is a gym near my hometown that has a separate section for women only. I like this, in a way, because I don't have to worry about what I look like, at all, when working out. Now, I don't really care that much in general what I look like when I work out because working out is all about what I'm going to look like after a year of working out! But sometimes it's nice to know it's only girls in the room.
What I don't like is that the gym separates the girls and boys and gives them different equipment as if to say girls can't workout the same way boys can. (By the way, I say girls and boys but mean men and women.) Sure, there are some things that girls shouldn't do that boys can do in the gym, but for some reason this rubs me the wrong way.
Now, that was a kind of petty example, yet an example of thinking about what I like and don't like about a particular gym. A better example would be that I like the Pilates class at Gym A but do not like the cardio equipment. I like the helpfullness of the staff at Gym B, but I do not like their free weights.
What do you think about when picking your perfect gym?
posted @ Friday, August 14, 2009 10:30 PM