Say what you will about new year’s resolutions, the start of the new year is still the best time to join a new gym, mainly because of the deals. If you live in a medium or large city, chances are you have more than enough gyms and fitness studios to choose from. If the thought of picking a new gym is giving you heart palpitations, keep reading to put your worries to rest.
1. Price & Contracts
While there are plenty of factors that go into choosing the best gym, price and contract terms should be at the top of your list. It’s 2020, we’re not about that keeping up with the Jones’ kind of life. We are all about living within or below our means so we can save for our old age. So basically, your new gym should easily fit into your monthly budget. If it doesn’t that’s an easy way to rule out a gym from your options.
Outside of monthly prices and fees, when you’re choosing a gym, be sure that you clearly understand any contractual terms. Can you cancel without penalty? Can you pay on a month-to-month basis? Can you suspend your membership if you go on a long vacation?
These are all questions you should ask before you sign a contract or hand over your credit card. Which reminds us, ask if
they are automatically withdrawing your monthly membership fee and be careful to read any credit authorization forms.
For big-box gyms like Golds Gym, LA Fitness, and Sports Clubs, for example, you can typically save money by signing up for an annual membership as opposed to a month to month membership. Similarly, at fitness studios, you can save more coins with larger class packages. Just be honest with yourself about how frequently you’ll be attending your gym before you purchase anything. If you like to switch things up every couple of months, a no-contract membership might be a better way to go.
2. Variety Of Classes & Equipment
The next thing you should put high at the top of your list is the quality of workout you can get from your gym. For this step, you should think about your own fitness goals and what exactly you want to get out of joining this gym.
Are you looking to lift really heavy weights? Then you need a gym with ample squat racks, heavy weights, and trainers who can guide you in this new endeavor. Or, are you looking for a variety of lifting, steady-paced cardio, and some group fitness classes? Then a box gym that has a ton of offerings is your best bet.
Alternatively, if you’d like to box for a few months, then focus on pilates, then spinning, you might be
better off purchasing a class pack, or enrolling in a service like Class Pass, where you can visit different fitness studios for a flat monthly rate.
Once you figure out your personal goals, pay a visit to a few gyms and find out if they can get you where you want to be.
3. Ambiance
Have you ever walked into a gym and the vibe was just all off? Whatever your reasons for feeling this way, that place is not the place for you. If you walk into a gym and feel intimidated and unsupported, then walk on out. When selecting a gym, you need to feel 100% comfortable and as though it were your second home. This a place where you’ll be spending 5-10 hours a week and you want to enjoy that time as much as possible.
This point is extremely important in keeping you consistent with your healthy lifestyle as well. If you join a gym that you dread visiting, it will be that much easier to skip your workout when you aren’t feeling completely motivated.
The best way to get a feel for the ambiance or the “vibes” of a gym is to visit at the time that you would normally get your workouts in, and have a walk around. Talk to the trainers and the other gym-goers (if that’s your style) to see if you
wouldn’t mind talking to them or seeing them a few times every week. If it doesn’t feel right, then keep it moving!
4. Feeling Of Community
This factor is last but certainly not least. Just as the vibes of your new gym can be essential to your likelihood to come back, the sense of community at the gym can make or break your health goals in the new year. Our favorite gyms or fitness studios make us feel as though we’re part of the family. Most important to us is that at least one person in the gym cares if we show up or not.
If your new gym welcomes you with open arms, has some opportunity to socialize with some members, or just has a trainer who knows you by name, you’ll be much more likely to keep coming back.
If being a part of a community is important to you, you might have more luck with boutique fitness studios or cross-fit gyms as these tend to have smaller, tight-knit communities. If you generally stick to the same workout schedule, you will likely see the same faces and easily make some friends and workout buddies. Just remember that you have to be clear about what you want and need.
5. Be Clear About Your Preferences
As you shop around for gyms, don’t forget that your preferences matter. This is your body and your
health and fitness goals we’re talking about. If you want spa-quality amenities, there’s nothing wrong with choosing a gym based on that. Or, if you want a gritty basement-style gym instead, you can absolutely ask for that and say no to the glitzier establishments.
You want this place to be your home away from home and one that you look forward to coming back to so you can actually make your resolutions for a healthier lifestyle stick.
Sharita Jennings is a fitness and travel enthusiast and creator of Get Fit Like That, LLC. She is a health policy attorney and ACE certified group fitness instructor and fitness nutrition specialist. She provides online fitness plans and leads group fitness classes in Washington DC. Check out her fitness tips and workouts at GetFitLikeThat.com.
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