8 Questions to ask before you sign that gym membership

Did you know that 6 months after joining a gym in January, only 46% of members continue to use the gym? That means 54%, over half of all new members, never return! That likely explains the thinning out of members at my gym as January comes to an end.

Joining a gym, whether a big box gym or the neighborhood boutique gym, is a lot like buying a car. You’re escorted to see the club’s features, the sales rep points out the number of treadmills, total square footage of the club and the pride and joy of the club – number of classes offered.

You are then shuffled into a closed room with few or no windows. From there you’re asked personal questions and a contract appears quickly with lots of fine print.

You sign up and leave feeling excited. You imagine a trim you that will look great in a new spring wardrobe.

Then doubt creep in.

Why?

You know your new physique won’t happen just by driving by the club every day.

You’ve made a commitment to yourself to become healthier, fitter, and hopefully slimmer PLUS you’ve made the commitment to pay the monthly membership fee.

Your doubts are in good company. These statistics show how club newbies slowly lose their motivation after the glow of the New Year dims:

• 75% of people will make it past the first week

• 71% will make it past 2 weeks
• Following one month 64% are still on task

To prevent becoming a statistic, ask yourself these questions as you go gym shopping:

1. Identify what’s most important in your gym club membership.

Do you want yoga classes, Zumba, are you interested in hiring a personal trainer? Is day care a deal breaker? Or maybe you need a 5:30AM class so you can squeeze in exercise before work. Is having a climbing wall a dream come true? Are you hooked on spinning classes? Or is your dream to be part of a kickboxing class?

Tip: Filtering out the “nice but not needed” features helps focus on what is the most important to you. This keeps you returning to the gym. It also prevents you from paying for amenities you never use.

2. Does the club meet the “convenience test?”

You find a club of your dreams, the décor delights you, the smell is sweet, the classes are cool, equipment is top notch and the cost is crazy cheap … but its 25 miles from your home.

Are you committed to drive long distances (on a consistent basis) to work out. Life is full of distractions and excuses pile up faster than laundry as to why we can’t squeeze in time to go to the gym.

Another question “is this club on my way home to or from my work driving route?” If it is, you may be able to use it more frequently.

Tip: Weekend mornings are a great time to catch-up on an unexpected missed weekdays of exercise, are you be willing to drive 25 miles or greater on a Saturday or Sunday?

3. Does the gym motivate you to move?

Club ambiance can make you want to sweat or sleep! What’s your impression of the club’s energy level? Do the employees at the front desk make you feel welcome?

Are there enough windows to let in natural sunlight? Research shows that we are more apt to move our bodies when exposed to natural sunlight and high energy music.

Speaking of music, do you find the music deafening or are you tapping your foot to the beat? These nuances can add to the experience of indoor exercising.

Are you looking for a low-key environment where people are reading whilst pedaling away on the recumbent bike or do you desire the heart-pounding “full throttle” rush of classes full of like-motivated people?

Tip: During your visit, look at the members, do they look like people you want to hang out with? What about the age of the members? The gym will design programs and services based on the most prevalent age group of their members. Is that a good fit for your needs?

4. Is Mr. Clean a regular visitor to the club?

Club cleanliness is the feature most that receives complaints. The volume of people using the facility requires a dedicated cleaning staff using appropriate cleaning products, techniques, and cleaning schedules.

During your walk through with the sales rep, check out the changing and rest rooms – is their paper in the towel dispensers, sink and toilet area clean?

What about the pool area – does it smell and look like a pool regularly maintained? As you cruise the main workout area, look at the corners, are they full of dust or dead bugs?

Tip: Do you see spray bottles of sanitizer to wipe down equipment between users? Are there paper towels in the dispensers in the workout area? A clean gym is more than aesthetically appealing it’s also safer!

5. Maintain control of your purse strings!

The cost to join a gym is not cheap. In fact, it can add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year. The initial cost to join a gym often includes a processing fee or activation fee. This is total profit to the gym.

Tip: Ask the Sales Rep to waive the activation fee. They have the power to do this. Bonus tip: My insider days as a Certified Personal Trainer taught me to visit the gym on the last days of the month. Quotas have to be met and Sales Reps will be more willing to negotiate a deal with you.

6. What’s crowd control like?

How busy is the gym? Sunday at 2pm the club may be empty but Monday at 5:30PM it could be standing room only!

Note the size of the classes that interest you. Is there a chance you could be turned away since the class is full? Plus, do you have to pay extra for these classes?

Looking at the main gym floor, are people standing in line to use an exercise machine? Observe the gum etiquette – are there individuals holding court over the free weights?

Tip: Before you commit, visit the club at the times you plan to be there most.

7. Try before you buy!

Request a week’s pass. The best way to decide if you want to join a gym is to visit it for several consecutive days at the times you plan to use it.

It’s easy to obtain free passes from the web site for big box clubs. For smaller clubs, ask if they offer a class pass. Boutique sports-specific gyms often charge for a single class. This fee is nominal compared to buying a membership that you end up not using.

Tip: Download a copy of the group classes. Select the classes that interest you the most at the times you know you would be at the gym. Don’t forget to schedule them in your calendar too.

8. Would you like to partner with a professional?

Hiring a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) has made the top 10 fitness trends for years. For people who want to exercise with weights but don’t know what to do or are concerned they’ll injure themselves, hiring a CPT is a gateway to discovering this spectrum of fitness.

The club may have a proprietary certifying program but what’s more important is to look for CPT’s who’ve received their certification from national level certifying organizations such as ACE, ACSM, NCSF, or NASM.

A bonus is the trainer that also has an undergraduate degree in exercise and kinesiology. A skilled trainer creates a session that’s safe and customized for their client.

You should leave the session with more energy than when you came in.

Tip: Observe the trainer during their client sessions. Are they engaged with their client or distracted by others or their phone? Are they servicing clients with similar needs as yours or do they cater to a particular group like semi-athletes? Does the client appear to enjoy the session?  

Full disclosure: I’ve been a ‘gym rat’ all my life. I signed on with my first gym when I turned 18 and been a card-touting member for 40 years. A gym membership provides me structure, new ideas to exercise, in person socializing, networking opportunities, accountability, enjoyment, escape from inclement weather and support my continued commitment to maintaining my fitness goals.

What do you think? Have you found a gym membership helpful to keep you on track with your exercise? Please leave your comments.