One thing I forgot to add to yesterday’s post, was finding the right place to work out. Obviously, if you don’t like your gym, you’re not going to go. A lot of people join for the sake of joining a gym – whether it’s their first step to achieving their goals or merely something they do because they feel they have to, many of those people who join just don’t go.
I’m guilty as charged.
This begs the question, why join if you’re not going to go?
Well let’s nip that problem in the bud and find a place where you will want to go to work out.
Finding the right place
Figure out what’s important to you. Prioritize if you will. Example, if you don’t want to go to a gym that’s super crowded, you probably don’t want to join the hot new gym that everyone is raving about.
Things to think about:
- How much do you want to spend? If you don’t have a lot of room in your budget, check for specials – especially if you visit at off peak times. Are you a student? Many gyms offer student specials. Always ask for a guest pass before signing up – most gyms will offer 1-7 day passes before you join so you can try it out.
- What do you enjoy? What makes you cringe? If you don’t like feeling like everyone is watching you or don’t want to spend a ton of moolah, consider join a smaller gym. One that might be off the beaten path that doesn’t have all the spa-like bells and whistles that many gyms sell themselves on. If you want to go for classes, make sure their class schedule fits into your schedule. If their classes aren’t convenient for your but you know you want to take classes – why bother? Are you a swimmer? Don’t join the gym nearest to you if they don’t have a pool. Think about what you want out of a gym features wise before you commit.
- Location, location, location. If you have to go across town, in rush hour, to get to the gym before or after work…it’s probably not the right gym for you. If you work from home and don’t mind wasting gas? Go for it. Also, for me at least, if I can’t walk or bike to a gym…I might not go (case in point, I went to spinning at Evolutions once last week. I would go again but see also: morning workouts and I get home just after the last evening class begins. Wamp. Wamp.)
- Are you really going to go? Most importantly, why do you want to go? What are your goals, what do you enjoy and do they offer it. If you’re an outdoors runner maybe rather than joining a gym make it a point to grab some LivingSocial vouchers for area gyms to try out different classes like Yoga or Crossfit or pick up some workout videos (Jillian Michaels is always a favorite) to work out in the comfort of your own home. If you really want to join a gym and feel like it’s imperative to accomplishing your goals, get a friend or your spouse to join with you so you have someone to motivate you to go when you’re really not feeling it.
