Obesity has hit innumerable people quite hard, and this is perhaps one of the major health concerns today. If we take a quick look at stats, it reveals that one in every 13 people suffer from extreme obesity.

Being overweight can cause numerous health issues, and some of them might even prove to be fatal. However, with significant and careful checks on diet as well as quality time exercising, individuals have the opportunity to overcome obesity.

So, are you planning to join the nearby gymnasium and looking for a good value subscription? Check out this quick-read before nailing down the final move.

The back-story

Purchases of Gym memberships peak in January. However, many of the people that purchase it slowly become inactive members within 3 months. Going to the gym and maintaining a strict regimen can be a tough task. It requires a lot of willpower and discipline to keep going to a place that makes your muscles hurt initially, however, there is long-term promise of feeling and looking better and stronger.

Even though visiting the gym regularly is important, a lot of that depends on your comfort with the gym you’re going to in the first place. Here are some pointers to keep in mind to ensure you choose a gym that has everything to increase your chances of regular usage:

1. The place and destination

Here are a couple of reasons you should find a gym near your location rather than one that potentially looks and feels better, but is many kilometers away.

Another reason you might want to work up a sweat close by is because you might not have that much of free time. Sitting in the car for 30 minutes plus can waste precious time you could be doing something else with.

If there is a small-medium distance between you and your gym, it would be ideal if it can be used as a cardio proportion of your workout, warm up, and warm down, for example walking to the gym and after running back.

2. Equipment and facilities

You need not choose the closest gym to you for the sole purpose of shaving off time, if it’s barely usable. You will know which gym is ideal for you if you can make maximum use of the amenities provided.

• Post Workout amenities: If your gym offers showers, steamers, saunas, or hot tubs, that can be motivation enough to want to go there every day.
• Hygiene: If you are a stickler for cleanliness like a lot of people tend to be, then check out the hygiene factor. Anything other than spick-and-span machines and glowing bathrooms might be a deal breaker for you.
• An emergency plan: Other than being fully equipped with all your desired gym equipment, your gym should also be well-equipped for an emergency. Ideally, the staff would know how to perform CPR or have a defibrillator handy. Your gym should have the kind of equipment handy if someone throws up from working out too hard.

3. The floor area

The size of the gym might work in favor of your personality type. Large gyms are usually catered towards a large number of members and provide more equipment and amenities.

A boutique gym offers 24-hour access but only has staff during the day. They have a smaller member size since the selling point is based on accessibility at any time and exclusivity.

Smaller gyms cater to a specific kind of fitness, like cross fit training. They have around 100-200 members at a given point. It is up to you to decide what kind of atmosphere you would like to work out in.

4. Workout hours

If you tend to exercise in the middle of the night before going to sleep or wake up super early to start your day with a refreshing workout, then make sure your gym is open during the hours that you prefer to engage in, if a 24/7 hour gym is not available.

If you want to avail other amenities like on-site childcare, swimming pool, and sports court, they might have more restricted hours.

5. Subscription Costs

There are a bunch of things to consider when it comes to the amount of money you pay for the gym and how much you can potentially save. Here’s a quick rundown:

• The fees for subscription: The entire story begins with initiation, and ends with negotiation and subscription. Different membership plans have different prices, for example, there are direct debit memberships which decrease in price as the contract time length increases, and pay in advance memberships which can offer a saving over the membership time length.
• Membership freeze charges: In case you faced an accident and can’t hit the gym for quite some time now, your membership can be freezed for that period, which is better than canceling and then rejoining with the upfront start up costs.
• Upfront start up costs: Gyms usually have upfront start up costs, like joining fees, access card fee, upfront membership fee, etc. It is good to take this into consideration, so u can be prepared to have the funds upfront.

Signing off

Try finding a gym that is best suited to your personality and workout regimen. Whether you want to exercise at night or hire a personal trainer, your selected gym should be convenient enough. These considerations will help ensure that your gym-going experience is the most comfortable and motivating as it can be!