If you are reading this article you have decided to take your life by the reigns and join a gym, but you are probably confused about what to look for in a gym.
There are literally tens of thousands of gyms out there, but you will only need to join one so it’s important to make sure you join a gym or fitness center that suits your workout needs.
There are power lifting gyms, bodybuilding gyms, martial art gyms, fitness gyms, fitness studios and many other types of places you can workout.
Know what you want from a Gym
Like the old GI Joe saying “Knowing is half the battle”, you should know exactly what you a re looking for, are you looking for a gym with tons of cardio equipment, do you need a 24 hour gym, do you need a gym that ahs extremely heavy weight and loud music, are you looking for a gym that offers many different fitness classes, do you want a woman’s only gym, all these factors should be taken into consideration prior to investing into a gym membership. Once you have decided the type of gym you want to join then you can actually start to “scout” the gyms and then choose.
Pay Attention to the Small Details
When visiting a potential gym, make sure to check out the state of the equipment, locker rooms, level of trainers there, the cleanliness of the gym, distance from home, etc….. You will also want to see if they sell their memberships on a monthly, walk in, or yearly basis. Remember to never get pushed into joining a gym as there may be a bit of aggressive marketing involved to get you to sign in that day.
Once you decide on a gym, make sure to read over the contract fully, checking that you are not being placed into any un-transparent and unethical clauses such as automatic renewal without notification, etc…… Always check to see if you can sell you gym membership in the case you may have to move, had an unfortunate accident etc……
Generally, the best gyms are the ones which allow you to pay a walk in fee, or buy 10 visits, usually these gyms are run by the local municipality and offer great equipment and amenities.
What Types of Fitness Classes are there?
If you are lucky enough to join a good gym that offers classes, then you should definitely take advantage of them as they are an amazing and fun way to lose weight and get into serious shape. Some great classes offered most gyms are pilates, boxercise, kickboxing, spinning, aerobics, jazz dancing, boot camp, MMA workout, yoga, bosu ball training, core training, and natural ginastica. These classes can help you burn hundreds of calories an hour and can even teach you some nice skills for the out side world (kickboxing, jazz dancing, etc…).
Joining a gym is a great way to start getting back into shape and lose weight. They offer access to great fitness and cardio equipment as well as there are always personal trainers who can help you with your workout routine and diet plan.