burning calories

january 99

Last month in this section of our magazine we shared information about home exercise equipment with suggestions that before investing in these expensive machines that you may want to investigate joining a health club. January, being the month of New Year’s resolutions, we thought we’d share the pros and cons of health clubs so that you can feel safe if you decide to join one of these well advertised palaces of fitness. We all have heard stories about health clubs that sell contracts to finance companies which do not take lightly to those of us who become disinterested or disappointed when the club does not meet our expectations or needs. More times than we would like, contracts with very small print lock unsuspecting people into a longer contract than they thought they were signing up for, with escalating fees. Health clubs are in the business of making money -- after all this is the U.S. and so they count on a percentage of members who continue to pay monthly fees which more than cover once in a while exercise most members do. It’s a fact of life that will power to NOT EXERCISE is often stronger than our will power to get to the club. It is a sad statistic that of every three people who join a club, only one works out there 100 days a year. So let’s work our way through the maze and get you exercising because joining a good club can be fun, healthful, and a good place to meet people who are similar to you. Here’s a list that can help you find a good health club: Join a club that is close to where you live. The rule of thought here is that the club needs to be 12 minutes or less from where you live or work for you to continue to use it more than 12 weeks. Choose a club that makes you feel comfortable. If you are a no nonsense person who thinks make up or designer outfits with matching shorts and tops are less then necessary for a good work out, look out for the clubs where members look like they are going to a work out fashion show. Also look at the age of the population. If you are 50 something and the average age of those working out is 20 something, keep looking, unless you are still looking for something other than fitness. Price is an important factor for the majority of people which is why clubs have specials and advertise a lot. Membership usually includes an initiation fee and then monthly payments. You should visit clubs which range from no-frills to the high-end clubs with marble and wall-to wall plush carpeting, to specialty clubs that basically offer one sport like tennis or racquet ball and may or may not have a exercise room, pool, etc., and then decide what you need. You also need to look at private versus more public clubs, and free standing, versus clubs which are extensions of hospitals. Bottom line, make sure you get in writing, anyone can understand, what you get. Do you want a restaurant, massage rooms, aerobic classes, personal trainers, or a small gym with exercise equipment and a track? What comes with the monthly fee and what is extra and how much? Before we go on, make sure you ask about and check on any initial fitness evaluation, and a session with a fitness expert which should be part of your initiation, not extra. Check on payment options if you are uncertain about making a long term commitment. Some clubs will allow you to join on a monthly basis which may be more expensive than joining for a year, but less expensive than a yearly fee you are obliged to pay for a club you don’t use. Watch out for clubs that don’t allow you to try it out. Also make sure that there are no hidden finance charges if you decide to pay monthly. Ask about membership types. If you are interested in a limited membership find out if they are available and how much they cost. For example, you may want only aerobics or to use the gym and not want to join the pool or squash parts of a club so your monthly fees would be less. Make sure that the club will allow you a free pass to try out the club. This is your time to see what the club is really like at the time you are most likely to work out. Check on the level of classes and times they are given. It is a waste to join a club which does not offer the level and type of class you want when you need it. Check out the equipment in the gym and more importantly how long of a wait you will have when you have time to exercise. Remember, that the workout machinery will be different from what you have at home and you may need some help figuring out your starting point, so check out the staff at the same time. One thing that is very important to most people is the cleanliness of the club, but don’t overlook the locker room on your first trip. Check on the number of towels, how safe the lockers are, how crowded they are and if the staff routinely cleans them. If you need a hair dryer, you can bet that others do also so make sure there are ample supplies so that you can leave the club and go about your routine day looking groomed. Check the credentials of the instructors and their openness to listening to your special needs. This is very important for those of us with chronic diseases. We may need extra help or intervention if we become hypoglycemic. I for one, need to know that someone knows something about diabetes and is capable of helping me in the unlikely happenstance of falling blood sugar. Certainly, I would not want an instructor to think I was drunk or worse, if all I needed was the carbo I had placed near my exercise mat. Ask to see certification for instructors. These exist, so make sure you know who on that floor is capable of helping you. Don’t sign any contract on the spot. Take it home and read it; once you sign it, it is binding and legal. It should spell out your rights as to whether you can cancel the contract, or freeze it if you get sick. Think twice about any club which does not allow you to read the contract at your leisure. This should be a red flag to you. Make sure your contract has an escape clause that says you can cancel within a few days if you change your mind. Also look for a cancellation clause if you move out of the city. Make sure your heirs are not liable for your membership if you become disabled or worse. You should find out if you can transfer your membership. Most clubs do not allow this so if you aren’t sure go to a club which will allow you to pay monthly until you are sure you wish to make a commitment for a year. Do know that clubs have the right to change the times of classes and hours they are open, and as we stated at the beginning, they have the right to turn your membership over to a finance company. Ask about this because if they sell your membership you are dealing with different types of problems. You have looked at the clubs in your city and joined one. Congratulations! Now as the new year begins, remember that you do not want to be one of those two out of three who pay and never exercise. This is for your well being. In the process, if you’ve selected well, you may find many people like yourself with whom to watch a ball game, have coffee or just solve the problems of the world.