Gym shopping

Joining a gym is a step in the right direction for many rainmakers who are committing to a healthier lifestyle. Web MD wrote a great article on how to select the right place for you. I will add a few of my personal tips and suggestions:

1. Be realistic about location. The more committed you are to fitness, the further away your gym can be your office or home. People that cannot bear to miss a day will drive across town to go. People that are just getting started usually won't and will use the distance as an excuse not to go. Since people who are committed tend to also be in better shape, there is a good rule of thumb you can use. Your gym should be no further away than the distance you could physically run. In other words, if you are just getting started and could only run a couple of miles, the gym better be close to your home or office or you won't go regularly. As you get in better shape, and more committed, it can be further away. I am not saying you should run there. I am saying your level of fitness is a guide to what lengths you will probably go to get there.
2. Be aware that most gyms are run like car dealerships. It is a hard core sale environment behind the scenes. There are daily sales contests, incentives for cash up front, and a big board in the manager's office to keep track of how the "membership consultants" are doing. Keep that in mind when you are being sold a membership. You are the prey.
3. Visit the gym during the time you pan to use it. You need to see what peak time is like and how busy it is. Are there machines available? What does the crowd look like? Are personal trainers and their private clients hogging up some of the open areas you may use? Peak times are usually in the early morning and right after work from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday.
4. Do not be swayed by amenities you will not use. That swimming pool looks great. But, do you swim now? Gyms with amenities like pools, hot tubs, towel services, unlimited aerobics classes, free toiletries and the like are always pricier. If you use it, that's fine. If not, you are subsidizing someone else's membership.
5. Work out with people who look and act like you. Membership attrition is commonly over 50% per year at many gyms. The ones that stay are usually the ones who are most comfortable there. And, the staff will represent servicing the majority of the members who stay. So, if you join a gym full of pharmaceutically enhanced meatheads, expect the staff to encourage hardcore power lifting routines. If it is full of executives, you can expect more professional and thoughtful assistance.