Choosing The Right Gym
Most gym memberships for the big chains are a minimum of a one year contract, so once you've signed you will find that you are obliged to either pay for a full year, or make the monthly payments for at least a year regardless of whether you go to the gym once or a thousand times. This means it's important to make sure you're choosing the right gym, that you're cetain you'll use regularly.
So you should ask as many questions as possible before joining. The most prestigious gym will also usually be the most expensive, but if it doesn't provide the facilities you need, it can be a very costly mistake. Many people join, use the gym regularly for a couple of months, but then lose interest as they're not getting a varied enjoyable experience. Whilst they may stop using the gym, they're still tied into paying a monthly fee for the full 12 months !
Some questions to ask yourself include:
- What facilities do I really need, and will I use them regularly?
- What are my aims in joining?
- What times do I want to go the gym?
- Do I want professional advice?
- How often will I go to the gym?
- How will I get there?
Important questions to ask the gyms include:
- What is the minimum contract period for the gym?
- Is there a reduction in price if you pay yearly?
- What is included in the basic membership cost?
- Are all gym instructors and personal trainers fully qualified and registered
- What's the busiest time for members (usually Monday evenings and lunchtimes if near businesses)
- Ask to see the gym's insurance status if you plan to do any classes. Most importantly do they cover the instructor for accidents?
- Is there a separate ladies gym?
For a more complete list, check out this article about choosing a gym from a friends website
specializing in gym membership in the UK.