5 tips for choosing a good fitness club (and not regretting it)



Paying money for a subscription and being disappointed already at the first training session is not the best experience. How to avoid it and make the right choice?


When the strength and motivation to pump your body are found, and the budget for the subscription is allocated, it remains to take the most crucial step - to choose a fitness club. But even the strongest fuse can come to naught if you notice shortcomings in maintenance, inadequate cleanliness of the changing rooms and poor technical equipment of the Jim zone. Olga Kiseleva, President of the Association of Fitness Operators and Head of the World Gym chain in Russia, shares the most useful tips to help you choose your dream fitness club.


1. Choose a convenient location



You need a fitness club that you will definitely go to. If it is more convenient for you to study on weekdays, then choose a gym next to work, and if on weekends - with a house. Just imagine having to spend an hour on the road if you chose a hall with an inconvenient location. In this situation, it is unlikely that you want to do three times a week.





2. Go to a trial lesson at peak times


It is very important to go to a fitness club before purchasing a membership and evaluate how it suits your taste. The interior, the smells, the service - this and much more you should like. But it is even more important to visit the club during rush hour: on weekdays before 9 am or after 6 pm and on weekends. Evaluate how busy all the training areas are, whether there is a line at the reception for the keys to lockers and whether it is easy to breathe in the gym. Sometimes even in fitness clubs with very expensive subscriptions there is not enough space for all visitors. Keep in mind that in crowded gyms, training will not be enjoyable.


3. Rate showers and changing rooms


The high price for a subscription does not always indicate the high quality of the fitness club services. So whichever room you choose, be sure to check the locker rooms and showers at peak times. Even with a large number of people, it should be convenient for you to walk between the benches with things, and there should be no queues in the showers. There is no need to talk about cleanliness - it must be perfect. This is a matter of personal hygiene and your comfort, so these items should be taken with extreme care.


4. Evaluate the occupancy of the halls of group programs


We don’t think you will want to push rumba or yoga in a cramped space. So, before buying a subscription, check if the atmosphere in the rooms with group lessons is comfortable. Look critically at everything from room size to air conditioning. Also consider the amount of cardio equipment: treadmills, steppers, and ellipses. Before training, you need to warm up, and if there are not enough simulators, are you ready to stand in line for 20 minutes each time?


5. Spend time in the reception area


Ten to fifteen minutes at the "peak" time at the reception will be enough to form a complete impression of the fitness club. Based on the communication of employees, questions and complaints from customers, one can conclude about the service and the level of the room. This is important, because sometimes one unfriendly look kills the desire to go to the chosen place. Typically, network projects, unlike "no-names", are seriously involved in the education and training of personnel, so there should be no problems with communication with clients.