Gym Quest – Part 1

Posted by GenaM - 08/17/08 at 06:08:14 pm

All of us want to be in shape. We want to be healthy, have energy and still fit into the jeans that were hip during our heyday. To reach that personal utopia, we may need to join a gym… and that can be scary territory for the novice gym-goer. Visions of perfect Muscle and Fitness models lifting mega weights while we schlep our way through a beginning workout invade our minds, but don’t give up. You can find a gym that helps you reach your goals.

Exercise physiologist Kelli Calabrese encourages you to “remember that a fitness center is just a building with equipment and professionals that are there to help you. Don’t join the first center you see. Explore and ask questions.”

So what should you look for?

• Location Find a fitness center that’s convenient—one that’s close to your home or work with hours and classes that fit your schedule.

• Personality Look for a health club that fits you. Just like all people are different, the same is true for gyms. Some cater to professionals. Others to a 20-something crowd. Some provide childcare. Others are for women only. As you search, Marsha Taplett, a certified personal trainer in Arlington, Texas, suggests that you “ask yourself what you’re looking for in a gym. Do you need a gym just to workout or for other reasons like social interaction?”

• Environment “The facility should look and feel as if it is cleaned several times throughout the day,” Calabrese says. “How clean a club is will give you an indication of how well the club is run.”In addition to cleanliness, take note of the condition of the equipment. It should be in good working order with clear usage instructions. Avoid gyms that have broken or out-of-order equipment.

• Staff Look for friendly, professionally-dressed employees. Then ask if the fitness staff is certified by a nationally recognized organization like the American Council on Exercise (ACE) or the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).“This would assure you that, at a minimum, the staff has completed courses in designing exercise programs for healthy adults and has an understanding of the exercise sciences,” Calabrese says.

If you know that gym life looms in your future, don’t distress. You can find the gym (or YMCA or community rec center) that fits your needs. Once you do, you’ll be on your way to getting reacquainted with those heyday jeans. Now, won’t that be paradise?

Do you have suggestions for finding the perfect gym or overcoming your gym phobia? We’d like to hear them!

Stay tuned: In next week’s blog, Gym Quest - Part 2, I’ll give tips for having a  successful health club experience.

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