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So, your local gym is offering you a trial membership. Below are ten tips for taking greatest advantage of this opportunity, to help ensure you choose a gym that’s right for you.
Location, location, location
Before you even get started on the inside of the gym, determine how far away it is from your home or place of work. My husband works from home, so he goes to a gym that's four miles away. Since I work away from the home, I choose to go to a gym that is just two miles from my office. Proximity is not the only issue, though. Two miles on the 405 Freeway in LA at rush hour can take forever. Decide what time of the day you are most likely to work out, and then drive to the gym at that time, as a test. Drive it during the week, and on the weekend. Get an idea for how much time and energy you will have to invest just in getting back and forth. And while you’re at it, check out the parking. If you live in a cold climate, and you have to park a half mile away from the front door, that could be a deterrent. It’s hard enough to go to the gym every day. Don’t make it harder by giving yourself extra excuses to skip.
A little friendliness goes a long way
Once you get to the gym, take special note of the way you’re greeted when you walk through the front door. Is there a staff person there, ready to assist? (If not, does one show up quickly?). Does this person say “Hello,” and smile, and offer to help you? If not, that’s not necessarily a show-stopper, but remember that a gym’s employees are representative of the gym and its owner. If the front desk person is miserable or inadequately trained to serve you, it could be a sign that as a business, the gym is not well run.
Is it extra?
Most gyms offer you the opportunity to hire a personal trainer for an additional fee, but they should also have someone on staff at all times who can answer simple questions for you about machine usage, etc. So ask about what consultations are available for free. While you’re at it, find out what other features and amenities are only available for an additional cost. If you love cardio classes, and they cost extra, then a low monthly fee doesn’t do a lot of good if all it does is get you in door.
Speaking of cardio classes…
Ask the gym management what training or certification they require for their group instructors. Group classes should be led by certified trainers. If you plan on taking classes, ask to see a schedule to be sure the ones you like are offered according to your schedule. Try out as many classes as you can during your trial period.
Life in the locker room
Go into the locker room to get settled. Open the locker doors. If they are rusty and dented, it could be a sign of poor maintenance. Will you need to rent a locker? If so, how much extra will that cost you? Check out the toilets: Are they clean? Is there toilet paper on the rolls, soap in the soap dispensers and paper towels in the towel dispensers? Pull back the shower curtains. Is there hair clogging the drains and/or soap scum on the walls? Turn the water on, put it on the hottest setting and let it run for a minute. How’s the water pressure? (Ever try rinsing soapy hair with an eye-dropper?) How’s the water temperature? A nice, hot shower is a fantastic reward for a good workout – and nothing gets your day off on the wrong foot like washing yourself with cold water. Does the gym offer complimentary cotton swabs? Shower gel? Tissues? Together, these things just tell you a little bit more about how comfortable you will be there, and how much stuff you have to bring with you every day.
Who’s minding the children?
If you have small children and you need to find care for them while you work out, make sure you spend some time in the child care room, just observing. (It’s better if you can observe without them knowing that you’re watching, however.) Spend an hour or two watching the staff interact