Picking a Health Club
Picking a health club can be a daunting confusing task that is unless there is only one or two in your area.
There are so many things to think about, from the equipment, to the classes offered, to the personal trainers, and the cleanliness of the facility.
Before joining a club, consider the following set of questions.
a) What are you expecting from your health club? Are you looking for group classes, cardio equipment, weights, a pool or sauna?
b) Is the health club near or on the way to your place of employment?
c) When you are given a tour, did the facility appear clean, and did the members appear happy and relaxed?
e) Does the club offer a juice bar, showers with towels, healthy snack machines, free trials for classes, or does that even matter to you
f) How attentive is the staff to the needs of the members? Were they smiling, glad to offer assistance, and answer questions.
Do they know how to use the equipment, and are their personal trainers on the floor if you have questions?
I recommend, that before you join the club, ask any of your friends or co-workers if they have used the facility, and how they feel about the place.
Ask them how much they pay, and how long they have been a member.
You should always ask the club if they are offering free passes or trial offers to try out the facility.
What ever you do, what ever club you choose, have fun, feel good, and get fit.
Experiment at the gym, learn more about yourself.
We all have our own schedules, routines and ways of working out at the gym. I can't help but to notice the people who are there the same time I go, doing the SAME things everyday.
It's great that they are working out and doing what they do to stay healthy, but on the other hand-switch it up! I can see how some gyms elaborate equipment and extensive class list can be overwhelming, where do you start?
Experiment with everything, that's what I'm doing. I never thought I would LOVE Yoga so much, I never thought I would have to leave Kickboxing halfway through the class. But, even though the class might not feel comfortable, don't give up & try again. When you are experimenting, you are learning more about yourself, your limits and what you need to improve.
Your body will tell you what it likes and doesn't like.
Break away from the few machines you are familiar with and when reading the machines instructions isn't clear, ask a staff member to help you, that's why they get paid.
Your gym generally has dumbbells, resistance bands and exercise balls. Learn to start integrating weights into your workout. This will help you burn more calories, even after your workout.
Then, there is always the pool, racket ball or basket ball court. So many options!
Although the gym may only offer exercising indoors, other resources like fitness magazines have new tips every month on broadening your weight training and mat exercises, clip the articles out and bring them with you.
We all have different personalities& lifestyles,
what type of exercises are right for you?
Take this Fitness Quiz
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For more tips on how to make your membership pay off-take a look Here
Personal Trainers- Bad Attitude-No Brain.
I have been to several health clubs in the past thirty years of my life, and worked with a fist full of “personal trainers.” I can’t help but note, that not one of the trainers has ever asked me any health related questions in order to design a training regiment fit for me.
I have never been shown how to measure my heart rate, or take my pulse, and I have never had a trainer offer to measure them for me. I haven’t even had a personal trainer offer to show me stretching exercises before I begin my workout.
The personal trainers that I have worked with are generally focused on showing me how the equipment works, and talking about themselves. They spend a little time going over technique, but rather then stand their watching me; they usually walk away and chat with their friends. Most of the personal trainers that I know don’t even bother to make sure I am hydrated, or ask if I am taking any medications that could interfere with an elevated hart rate from exercising.
My biggest problem is with personal trainers that push people to run faster, put more weights on the leg press, and lift weights way above their limit. Some trainers will even have people do things that they themselves would never do. Why is it that trainers always want to push us beyond our own limitations. We are the ones who know our bodies best. We are the ones that can feel the pain, the racing heart beat, or the stress in our shins or lower back. It’s up to us to tell the trainer that enough is enough. The answer is simple, we have to be pro-active and speak up rather then feel intimated by a person who thinks they are the know it all fitness guru that they are not.
