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Kiran Tamada asked:


Joining a Fitness and Health Club is a great way of maintaining active lifestyle, spending your leisure time having pure fun and the best way to expand your social network. It is very important to know whether the club suits your personal interest, so before signing below the dotted line, consider all the pros and cons, before taking a decision.

The first and foremost thing to consider before joining health club or fitness club is its location. It is always better to have the club close by to your office or house, so that you will not have excuse of going regularly due to distance. Survey shows that those members who live far away from the health and fitness clubs, they do not go to health club on regular basis.

The next thing to consider is staff and customer care. Professional trainers and instructors should be certified. If you suffer from any pre-existing disease or physical limitations, in such circumstances, ensure your instructor will be able to handle and work with you. Look and watch out for the customer care of the health club and see if they answer your questions, clarify your doubts and are polite. If the health and fitness club have dietitians, physical therapists and massage therapists additional services, it is always better.

The next question to ask is the availability for what service you are looking for. Say if you are interested in learning tennis, see if they have the classes at convenient times suited to you.

The best way to know if the particular health and fitness club will work for you is to go for trial class. Most health and fitness clubs offer trial classes. During the actual trial class you will know whether you like the instructor, able to understand him and if you feel comfortable in the class, you can also know more about the pace of the class, music, if sufficient space available and other personal preferences you have.

Look out for the equipment the health and fitness club has. The equipment most is modern, clean and up to date. Also ensure they have enough numbers of all equipment so that you need not wait in queue for your workout. Remember treadmills and bicycles are the most used equipments in fitness and health clubs.

One of the important aspects of health and fitness club is social interaction. Most health and fitness clubs have space for social gathering with comfortable couches and chairs. A good health and fitness club is well equipped with coffee, tea and juice machines.

Other miscellaneous things to look out for are parking space, condition of bathroom and showers, and see if the whole facility is maintained well.

Catherine Williams asked:


Giant neon lighted billboards of men showing their abs; women in their skimpiest swim wear proudly displaying their curvaceous bodies; full page newspaper and prime time TV ads extolling the advantages of being fit. The fitness fever is raging!

People want to lose the love handles, the beer bellies and the ego deflating unwanted fat. Various weight loss diets have comeand left, the latest exercise equiment has been raved about but the popularity of fitness clubs is still gaining ground. Membership in a health center is increasing and is is now at an all time high. The American Sports Data projected that by year 2030, the health club membership will steadily rise from 35 million to 70 million.

Flashing a health club membership card seems to be a status symbol. After all fees to become a member, especially to posh health clubs, can be quite expensive. Additionally, it is a sign that the member is aware of the health hazards of not staying physically active. Getting a health club membership card means that the person is aware of the need to exercise and desires to be physically fit to prevent coronary heart diseases, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes as well as various cancers that are commonly associated with being overweight.

Naturally, an exercise regimen can be done at home. Why then do people join health club? First off is the motivation that the environment of the health clubs provides. Exercising alone can be tough. Being surrounded by friends and other people who have the same goal is motivating. Fitness centers are staffed with certified trainers and health card staff who will guide members on the proper techniques of exercising minus the risks of incurring injuries. Personal trainers will custom design programs that will suit a member’s particular needs. Most health clubs have nutritionists and dieticians who will recommend the correct diet that will speed up the realization of the weight loss goal.

A membership card will give you access to various types of exercise equipment as well as other amenities like saunas and institutional sized swimming pools, tennis courts and running tracks. Since health clubs are well maintained facilities it will always be the right temperature to do the stretching, the weight lifting and all the other exercises needed to lose weight and to tone the muscles.

Health club membership does have several downsides too. For one, membership can be pretty expensive. The location of the fitness club counts a lot too. Chances are membership in a fitness club that is not easily accessible would be wasted money as the member would find excuses not to go. The same thing is true with a fitness club that is too crowded or one that has unfriendly or “invisible” staff. A new member just starting on a program needs to be guided by professionals. In some cases though, in house trainers have many customers and getting their attention is quite hard.

Health clubs do have pros and cons. It would be up to the prospective member to choose the right club that would suit his needs.

Jack Yang asked:


There are many people who will be making a decision about fitness centers and there will be many factors to consider. Many fitness clubs offer free trial memberships in order to get you to join their centers. Many allow you to bring a guest and will also have occassional promotional offers with special low prices for joining during that time period. There are several different types of fitness centers to choose from. An aerobic studio is popular among women and is a place where people can perform cardio exercises to increase the heart rate and burn calories. The yoga studio is a type of center where yoga and meditation exercises are performed in order to promote a healthier mind and body. The gym offers equipment such as weights, treadmills, bench press and more to assist with fitness goals. Dance studios are also a type of fitness center that offers ballet, modern and other types of dance that strengthen and tone the body. Athletic clubs are also very popular and are great for those who like to work out doing sport type activities.

When you begin your selection process you may want to go in and ask to take a tour of the fitness facility. When taking this tour pay attention to whether or not the facility is well maintained and is cleaned properly. Tour the shower areas and bathrooms as well. This is very important beacause these key areas can carry lots of germs and bactrial that can make a person ill. Gym equipment should always be cleaned as they are used by many people and can carry many types of germs and viruses. If you are a parent you may want to know if the center provides childcare while you workout and the hours that they are available. If you decide to join a fitness facility pay attention to the contract that you sign as it may have other charges that you might not be aware of. The variety of equipment may be a big issue for you so you may want to look around to see if they have a nice selection of gym equipment available to you.

Choosing a fitness center can be a very difficult decision. Many people join gyms only to find out that they are inconvenient and don’t suit their needs. Many factors go into choosing a fitness center and it’s a decision that you should feel comfortable with. Factors to consider should be cleanliness, safety and personal needs. If the fitness center that you consider does not meet those basic needs then entering into a contractual agreement could be a very unwise decision. Entering into a contractual agreement with a fitness center should be well thought out and not entered into lightly. So before you enter into this agreement do your research to make sure that the fitness center you choose fits all of your individual and personal needs as this can determine whether or not you can acheive your weight loss or fitness goals.

Paul Hata asked:


Fitness clubs are effective motivators. They should motivate us and not frustrate us. Before you choose on a fitness club, make sure that it suits your needs and goals. And before you do that, you should first learn and decide on what is your priority. By then, you will know what you really need in a fitness club. Here are some guidelines you can consider in choosing a fitness club that is best for you:

1.Location

The location is the first thing that you should consider when finding a fitness club. If the club is far from your home, you will just another excuse not to work out. It is best to find a facility that is near your home.

2.Employees

Are the employees friendly and nice? Will they be able to help you reach your goals? Make sure that the instructor has the necessary experience to work with you. The instructor should be a certified professional that can work with you safely and effectively. Your instructor should also know if you have physical limitations or you may find an instructor that is well trained to work with you. You can also check the age of the instructor especially if it is one factor for your motivation and learning. The staff should also be helpful, friendly and professional. You can also ask the services they offer and find what is important for you. Some facilities have their own dietician and physical therapists that can offer services for you.

3.Programs

What kind of programs does it offer? Find time to see what programs are there for you and check if they suit your interests. Do they offer group classes? Choose the facility that offers the classes you really like. You can do a trial class to check it out if you want.

4.Facilities

Are the facilities and equipments good and will they be available anytime that is most convenient for you? Check if the equipments are enough for all members. Otherwise, you will waste your time falling in line and waiting for your turn. Also make sure that the facility is open during the time you are most likely to do work outs and exercises.

5.Equipments

Is the entire facility well maintained, clean and safe for you?Machines and other training facilities should be in clean and in good order. If you see a lot of “out of order” signs, it could be something to think about. Modern equipments are safer and more comfortable to use, so you may also want to consider that. Are the floors cleaned regularly to avoid accidents? Is there enough room for everyone? Also check if the facility is located in a place away from danger, consider also if the location is well lit.

6.Club Members

Are the members of the club friendly and can they be your friends?The fitness club is also a venue for social interaction. Take time to drop by and meet the members of the club before you enroll. Other members can be your buddies in the near future and should be considered.

7.Schedules

What is the schedule of classes and will they be convenient for you?Find out what classes are offered at a specific time and consider if you will be available at the schedules given.

8.Cost

How much would it cost you?It is important to know the monthly membership fee and what it covers. Some fitness clubs have hidden charges and you should be keen in checking that. Check if they have promotions or discounts and do they offer services at an extra fee. It is also important to know how long the club has been and how often they increase rates.

9.Needs and Priorities

How is it different from other fitness clubs? Don’t just stick into one fitness club. Try to visit as many facilities as you can and make a comparison. Then you can just narrow down your choices to the facilities that met your needs and priorities.

10.Feedbacks

What do people say about it? Take your time to gather feedback from other members. Ask them what they can say about the club and let them tell you about the experiences with the facility.

Choosing a fitness club is just like shopping on the best shirt for you. Do not be pressured and do not try to contact them right away. You can take your time to review and gather enough information if you are still not sure which one to choose. Once you have made your choice, enjoy and make the most out of it.