Choosing the right health club or gym

Volume 1, Number 44 | The Weekly Newspaper of Chelsea | July 20 - 26, 2007
Healthy

By Greg Rothman, M.S. P.T.

Last week in this column, I talked about the things you need to know when choosing a personal trainer. Since the fitness industry is largely unregulated, you’ll find a huge disparity in the quality of fitness professionals. This week, we’ll turn our attention to health clubs and gyms, which offer a range of amenities, services and membership prices.

The first thing to bear in mind before joining a health club or gym is that they are tools to a healthier body, not solutions by themselves. Joining a health club is a little like buying a diet book: To reach your fitness goals, you’ll need to use both consistently and in ways that support your goals. While this may seem obvious, you’ll be surprised at how many people expect a health club to “work” to get them into shape; many clients at my fitness studio have come to me thinking just that.

Facilities in New York City also vary widely, ranging from low-priced, ‘no-frills’ gyms (like the Synergy and Dolphin chains) to mid-priced health clubs that often include many group-fitness class options (like New York Sports Clubs and Crunch) to high-priced fitness clubs that may include pools and spas (like Equinox Fitness Clubs). There are also “urban country clubs” (like Sports Club L.A. and Reebok Health and Racquet Club) that provide even more amenities. And for those who want one-on-one attention and the privacy of an appointment-only setting, there are training gyms (like the Definitions chain and my studio, emPower Fitness Studio).

Whatever option you choose, it’s important that you visit the facility before joining and feel comfortable with the staff and environment. You also want to make sure their amenities and programs fit your needs. Whatever you do, be sure the staff answers all of your questions before you sign a membership contract.

Generally, when you visit a health club, you’ll be taken on a tour of the facility by an “advisor” (code for salesperson). In the early days of commercial gyms and health clubs, tactics were often ethically suspect, with hard-sell techniques the norm. These days, the process is usually less torturous, and many of the clubs do a good job of explaining the club’s features, benefits and policies prior to pushing you to sign a contract.

When I’ve called and visited health clubs incognito, I’ve found that most of them had “specials” that were good only that day or until the end of the month. In many cases, those same specials were still available after the period supposedly covered, so don’t feel unnecessarily pressured by these tactics. Find out all of the terms of the contract and get them in writing prior to signing any documents. Find out how you will be billed, the timeframe of the contract and under what conditions you may cancel or suspend your membership (if, for instance, you travel for extended periods, or are ill or injured).

If group-fitness classes are important to you, make sure that in addition to seeing the group-fitness area, you receive a copy of the class schedule to determine if your favorite classes fit with your schedule. Also find out if you can try one of those classes prior to joining the club to make sure that it meets your expectations.

If you plan on hiring a personal trainer at a club, find out the pricing and credentials of the fitness staff, and the kinds of training programs offered. (For more on choosing a fitness professional, see last week’s column at http://chelseanow.com/cn_43/choosingtheright.html.)

Joining a health club or gym can be a step in the right direction, going a long way toward helping you meet your fitness goals provided you’re willing to use the club consistently in a way that supports those goals. Prior to joining, though, make sure you see the facility, get all of your questions answered and determine if the services and amenities offered are a good match for you. Many people find themselves locked into a contract for a year or more at a health club they rarely visit because it fails to meet their expectations. Doing your homework is the best way to assure your needs are met, so you can take your fitness to the next level.

Next week, I’ll answer a few questions I’ve received from some readers of this column, so please continue to email me about your most pressing exercise and nutrition issues.

Greg Rothman, M.S. P.T., is the owner of emPower Fitness Studios (emPowerFitnessNYC.com). He received his masters degree in physical therapy from Columbia University and has 15 years’ experience in the rehabilitation and fitness fields, most recently as the personal training manager and top-level trainer for Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York City. SEND YOUR QUESTIONS about nutrition, fitness and sports injuries/rehabilitation to Greg at emPowerFitness AT aol.com.