Are you looking to join a gym for 2019? Do you know you want to get fitter, train more, train for an event but aren’t sure how to pick a gym?
Some things to consider to help you make the best choice for you:
- Location
When do you plan on going to the gym? Before or after work, on you lunch break? Pick a gym that is going to help you fit training into your schedule. Will it help if the gym is on the journey home from work, in your office building or closer to home. Once you’ve decided this you can look at the options in that area.
- Facilities
What do you want to do in the gym? Without sounding patronising you will need the equipment to do those things. You don’t need anything else. Unless a Watt bike is essential to the training plan you wish to follow it doesn’t matter whether the gym has one or not. It’s easy to get swayed by gyms which have lots of fancy facilities but unless you know you will use them they don’t need to be part of the gym picking process. On the other hand if you know the reward of a sauna and steam after a training session will make you go to the gym then look for ones that provide those faclities. If you’re trying to create a calorie deficit is the gym with the café that does amazing looking cakes the best option for you?
- Additional Services
Do you want to do classes rather than train on the gym floor? If that’s your plan look at the timetables and pick the gym with the timetable that suits you. Will you want a PT? If you do look at their offers and specialisms so you pick a gym which can best accommodate your needs.
- Atmosphere
Visit the gyms you are considering and ask people you know who are already members what they think (if you don’t know anyone have a look at the reviews on their Facebook pages). Different gyms have different atmospheres and there is no good or bad it’s just different gyms suit different people. I train at very corporate style gyms where everything is sleek, friendly and professional but my favourite gym is a local leisure centre which can sometimes be a bit chaotic but has a diverse customer base (in ages, professions, nationalities) and a more relaxed feel to it. On the other hand I also like the gym in my office (which is a more functional , weight based space) because everyone is very much in and out, minding their own business as we all have a limited time slot to get things done- at lunch time that suits me. Pick somewhere you will feel comfortable.
- Price
How much are you willing to spend? This may naturally cut down your options depending on realistic budget. Remember value is based on how much you get out of a service as opposed to whichever is the cheapest. Paying a lot for a gym that has many great services which you never use isn’t necessarily the best value though so make sure you can afford the membership before you commit but work on how much value you will get form the gym rather than the actual cost per month. You are far more likely to use something you value over something that is expensive and you feel you should use.
Heather Sherwood Fitness 
Staff is important for me. I have a city pass for Crunch gym, but I will never visit a certain Crunch fitness for one of many reasons. The main reason is that the trainers are WAY too pushy when trying to secure new clients. Sometimes it feels more like a used car dealership than a gym. Perhaps, the gym does not compensate the trainers that much, but geez.
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The staff definitely go a long way to making the atmosphere of a gym – everyone PTs, fitness instructors, receptionists – they can make a gym feel welcoming no matter whether it’s a budget gym or expensive health club
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