Gym memberships, are they for you?

OK raise your hand if you have, or at one time had, a gym membership. Yes, my hand is raised also. Everyone I know from young to old, weekend warrior to elite level athlete, have had the experience of owning a gym membership. However, there is only a very small percentage that actually attends the “gym” on a regular basis and gets full value for their money – my mother is one of them.

 

If you are about to purchase a membership, or are thinking about re-activating your existing membership then let me offer you a few words of advice - research before you invest your money. Research the facilities that are close to your home, work, or school; research the type of equipment, programs, and support staff the gym has to offer; research the operating hours and maintenance of the gym; research the cost of the gym membership and the contract that you may have to sign; but most importantly research yourself.

 

You may ask what does research myself mean? Well it simply means are you “ready” or are you the type of person that would benefit from a gym membership? You need to ask yourself the following questions; Will I like working out in a gym that may be full of strangers? Do I need to be around others working out to motivate myself? Can I vary the workout in the gym to keep my interest levels high? Will driving to the gym, paying monthly fees, using the same equipment outweigh the benefits of the membership? The list goes on…

 

After comparing the pros and cons of the membership then my suggestion would be to pay for a month’s trial membership at a gym. If the gym wants your business then they will provide you with the opportunity to try it out for a short time period – if they do not then move on to the next gym. After familiarizing yourself with the gym and programs within it, if all looks good then spend time setting some personal fitness goals and get at it.

Craig Dalrymple

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