Is your gym right for you?

Over the last fifteen years or so I have had memberships in many fitness establishments, from very cheap gyms to quite pricey upscale fitness clubs and trendy studios. However, even during my school years when I could not afford a fancy gym, I was willing to pay a premium for a gym with a bigger fitness class selection and more professional and energetic instructors. Being able to exercise regularly has always been a priority for me and I knew that going to a gym that I didn't like would make me unhappy.

We all know too many stories of 'gym dropouts'. People join the gym and drop out just a few months or even few weeks later. Or even worse, some people keep on paying membership fees for years without actually going to the gym and only deceiving themselves. I'm not going to get into the psychological side of this issue. But I am positive that a part of the reason lies in the choice of the gym. Below are some of my personal suggestions of what to think about when choosing a gym. 

Note: this post is focusing on traditional gyms or fitness clubs as this is what I have the most experience with. However, there are many other alternatives, such as ClassPass packages or specialty studios.

Gym membership price

I'm not in a position to tell anyone how much they should be spending on their gym membership. However, I have a few thoughts to share:

• While price is often a driving factor, it's highly correlated with all other factors. For example, a fitness club with highly certified trainers and nice and clean showers stocked up with high-end shampoos and lotions is going to be more expensive than the one with basic class offerings and no shower. So if any of these other factors is important to you then the cheapest option is not necessarily the best one. 
• I've heard people saying that their gym membership needs to be expensive enough for them to actually go there. Otherwise, they don't feel bad skipping it or not using at all. 
• If you join the gym because it's cheap but you don't really like it, you might end up taking some ad hoc classes somewhere else, which in total might be more expensive than a membership in the gym you like. 
• Lastly, as one of my colleagues said recently, if she decides to make some investment in herself, the first thing she'll spend money on would be exercising (i.e. a good gym and a personal trainer.) If you invest in your well-being and health today, you are reducing your medical bills later.

Gym location and proximity to home / work

Unless you are super motivated, you won't regularly go to the gym that is out of your way. This is one of the main criteria for me when choosing a gym. Before having a child, the option that worked best for me was having a gym as close to work as possible so that I could go to the gym right after work. After having a baby, however, I switched to a gym close to home as I could only take classes very late in the evening after our daughter went to bed. I was quite unhappy with the gym, though. Eventually I opted for a more expensive gym with multiple locations, including two very close to work for my workday lunch workouts and one not far from home that I go to on the weekends.

Selection of group classes

If, just like me, you are a fan of group fitness classes, class offerings and schedule would be important for you. Make sure to check class offerings before joining the gym. And if possible, take advantage of free trial periods to see if the class variety and difficulty level is right for you.

Trainers and group class instructors

I've seen many instructors in my life and can tell that the energy, professionalism and enthusiasm of a fitness instructor make a huge difference. You are much more likely to come back and stick around if you like the instructor. One of the main reasons I left my previous gym was that it felt like the instructors were teaching classes as a side job, and did not seem very motivated or motivating.

Gym equipment

Take the tour of the gym and see what equipment they have if you prefer to workout using the machines.

Gym facilities

If that's a deal breaker for you, make sure to check availability and cleanliness of gym facilities, such as showers, towels, hair dryers, shampoos, etc.

Personalized approach

If you are looking for a more personalized approach to exercising, such as individual programs, personal trainers, small group sessions, check gym offerings and personal trainer staff. For example, there are gyms out there that offer small group exercises where each group of 3-4 people is assigned a trainer who works with them on their personally developed programs.

Gym member audience

It is worth checking the gym's target audience if you care about the intensity of the classes offered. Is this gym targeting very athletic people and, therefore, offering high intensity advanced level classes or is it targeting a mixed audience (such as students, housewives, older people) by offering a mix of lower intensity beginner or intermediate level classes?

Other gym characteristics

Depending on your specific needs, you might want to look at other criteria, such as specific gym facilities (squash or basketball courts, pool, etc.)

If you are still deciding on which gym to join or are unhappy with your current option, I hope you find this list helpful.