Before I started going to the gym, the prospect intimidated me. It was the same feeling I experienced when I thought about public speaking, or going on a job interview – I was afraid of looking stupid. It wasn’t the cardio machines I minded so much; they’re pretty self-explanatory. It was the weights.

What helped me get over my fear? The encouragement of someone who knew what they were doing; a person who knew their way around a gym and could explain things and show me what to do. Not only that, after a few weeks, and then a few months, this person could point out the progress I’d made – how I’d started out lifting a certain weight, and now I was able to do more; how difficult it was for me, in the beginning, to do more than a few ab exercises, like leg-lifts, without having to stop. (As we all know, being thin does not always equal being fit – and I most certainly was not.)

If you’re ready to make changes in your life – if you’re not already a regular gym-goer but would like to be – I know firsthand how hard it is to get started. You worry about being another statistic; one of those people who sign a contract for a year or more and end up only going sporadically. I do think you have to be mentally ready before you make that kind of long-term commitment (otherwise, you’d probably be better off exercising at home and outside).

But once you get there, although it’s helpful to have a friend who can give you personal attention and show you what to do, that’s not a requirement for success. Many gyms offer free personal-training sessions included in your contract, and at the very least someone will be willing to show you how to work the machines. Go online, get a book, pick up a fitness magazine – there are tons of places to find instructions about how to lift a dumbbell; what kind of sets to do; which muscle groups to work.

When you’re thinking about joining a gym, one thing that’s important to ask yourself is how much you’re willing to pay. The gym I chose isn’t ultra-fancy, so it doesn’t have a towel service, or a sauna, or a pool. But it’s in a big two-story building, with all the cardio equipment on the bottom floor, and the weight machines and large group-workout room upstairs. There are lots of windows, and lots of mirrors, so it’s bright and doesn’t seem at all closed-in.

In December I moved a little farther away from my gym than I was before, so it’s not quite as convenient for me to just stop in as it used to be. But even though I’m not as close, I prefer the ambiance of this particular gym, which means I continue to go there regularly – and the reason I do this became even more clear to me when I visited my local recreation center a few weeks ago.

There’s this rec center that’s reeeaallly close to my apartment – a very short walking distance. Best of all, Alexandria city residents can use the fitness room at this rec center for free. It sounds pretty perfect, right? Well, it would be – except for the fact the exercise machines are located in a narrow, windowless room, and the equipment itself appears to be the original models from when they were first invented.

Visiting that fitness room proved to me that I'd much rather get in my car, drive 6-7 miles, and be able to go to a gym that's large, has new equipment, and doesn't depress me. (Or, you know, go outside and attempt to run instead. That works, too.)

(On the flip side, one of my female co-workers told me she was trying to rationalize paying $130 a month – not to mention a $400 initiation fee – to join an ultra-fancy gym in DC. I was like, “Oh, HELL no...”)

In other words? You don’t have to spend anywhere close to $130 a month, but you also shouldn’t go for the cheapest option around – even if it is free. If it’s depressing, you’ll hate it and never go anyway.

Pasta Queen was trying to decide which gym she wanted to join, so she asked her readers how much they paid, and what kind of amenities they received for that price. Then she tallied the results. Among other things:

People pay anywhere from $9.99 to $139.00 a month for facilities that range from hole-in-the wall joints, community gyms, facilities with movie theatres and one place attached to a pub where you can charge beer and fries to your membership.

Lisa thinks she might be paying too much for her gym membership, especially given the downsides.

I'm paying 27.50 biweekly (math is hard, so I'll do it for you. $55/mo) and I thought that was kind of high, no? […]

Oh and then they have a different location that has a pool. Which is why I justified spending almost 60/mo on a membership – I’d save pool fees. They told me the other location was "right downtown". Yeah, no. I looked it up after I swiped my card and it's a good 15 minute subway ride from downtown. Which is like a 45 minute walk. Which means I have to take the subway which means I have to spend $2.75 each way. And if
I'm doing that then I might as well rent 2 and 3/4s of a towel twice a day. The liars.

Some gyms offer advantages like classes you might not have thought of taking. Who knows? Like LJ, you might start taking ballet, have fun with it, and keep going week after week.

For the first time since I was five, I went to a ballet class last night. […]

When I saw the gym offered ballet classes following the NYC ballet technique and repoitoire, I was sold. I will admit, many of the other women last night clearly had a fair amount of training. And I might not have felt like the most graceful in the room. But I loved it. What a nice change of pace to the week and especially for a Thursday night. Loved it. And so today, I'm off to buy my second pair of ballet slippers, hopefully to be used and loved a lot more than the last...

A concern that’s still present at gyms? Yes…fashion. Average Jane wrote a funny post about NOT dressing up to go to the gym.

Some women hate going to the gym because they have to look all prim and proper and cute and show off for all the other women who are there. And the guys. I say, take back the gym. Own it. Tell those cute bitches to go shove it. Tell them you hope their thong slices right through their butt cheeks while they’re on the stairmaster.

But don’t get me wrong, sometimes if I know I’ll be at the gym at the same time as one of the 3 hot guys who goes to my gym, I’ll opt for the short tennis socks instead of my super hot slouch socks that look so rad with my cropped gym pants. Or, I’ll wear my black tanktop instead of my pit stained white tank top just for an added confidence booster.

Sometimes just showing up in a pair of mismatched sneakers can cause consternation. Like Honeykbee’s dilemma: should she bag the workout or go on?

So of course there was a pivotal point in the ladies locker room, when I discovered the footwear faux pas, and I had to decide whether to bag the workout and slink home to sit on the couch and watch House reruns while eating meatballs in my workout gear, or to zip up, chin up, and proceed to get my cardio in under the watchful eyes of the sweaty and judgemental shoppers at the Sport & Health meatmarket. I eventually decided "fuck it" (a phrase, unlike "suck", that I vow will never ever even consider ousting from my vocabulary), accidentally cursing an elderly Korean woman in a wayyyy too small towel, and went ahead and exited the locker room, my Asic atrocity in clear view of one and all. Afterall, I have a trophy to maintain. Turns out it was one of those days when just when you think it can't get any worse, you accomplish new physical thresholds of misery. An hour and 731 calories later, my mismatched sneakers and I had gone twice as far on the stair bastard master than ever before.

Booya.

Stephanie warned us about the seven most annoying gym personalities.

The Peacock: These are the folks who like to stare at themselves in the mirror on the gym floor or in the locker room as they admire their muscles and or skinniness, in the case of women. They pose, flex, and twist to see the backside. "Yup, look at my body of perfection." They are the flaunters, and they want the rest of us to be reminded of that. There's nothing wrong with being proud of the results of all your hard work, but all the posing in front of others when it's not the Mr./Miss perfect body contest is showing off.

And, please, if you do end up joining a gym, keep in mind that it’s probably not the best place to…well, release gas. Amy wrote about her experience, and what makes her post so funny is that she included illustrations.

I had the strong and sudden urge to pass some gas.

Before I let loose, I evaluated my surroundings. The treadmill to my right was empty and the treadmill to my left was occupied by a man with headphones. I figured it was safe, so I let her rip.

After I did the deed, it occurred to me that there might be a person on the stairmaster directly behind my treadmill. I did a quick glance over my left shoulder, and sure enough it was occupied.

Related reading:

That’s Fit: How to Find the Right Gym

ABC News: Creative Consumer: Dirty Secrets of Joining a Gym (some things to watch out for before signing a contract)

MSN: 10 Things your gym won't tell you

MSNBC’s Fit List: Avoid the 3 Most Common Gym Mistakes

MSNBC/Self magazine: Confessions of a lapsed exerciser

Fit Sugar: How to Make Your Time Count at the Gym

Fit Sugar: What to Do After Your Workout

BlogHer: Susan Wagner shows us What to Wear to Work Out and the right type of gear to choose (includes good advice about running vs. walking shoes)

BlogHer: Maria Niles reports the boom in baby boomers working out and posted pictures of herself in action at the gym

BlogHer: Kristy has two hilarious posts about her gym experiences, one involving a personal trainer and one about bagels

(Contributing editor Zandria also blogs at Keep Up With Me.)