How to Choose a Professional Gym

Many people prefer to join a professional gym in order to kickstart their exercise program.  Gyms provide a wide range of benefits both physical and mental.  Before you commit to a gym, however, you should consider a few factors.

Most gyms are packed with a wide range of expensive equipment that would be nearly impossible to duplicate.  Although multi-station weight machines are the cornerstone of most gyms, virtually all professional gyms will have treadmills, stair steppers, rowing equipment, exercise bikes, stretching bars, etc.

Many gyms have expanded beyond traditional exercise equipment to include racquetball, squash and even Jai Lai. Jai Lai is a fast-paced Spanish-origin game played in a racquetball-like court with a curved racket, only much faster. The latest trend is for gyms to include swimming pools, saunas and even rock-climbing practice walls.

Unless you are extremely wealthy, you couldn't begin to duplicate the space or the gear of a well equipped gym.

More important than the equipment is the access to professional trainers and other experts available at most gyms. A quality gym will have professionally trained staff that are available to answer any fitness questions you may have. A good trainer is able to provide advice on weight-training, cardio fitness, and health and dietary concerns.

In addition, gym members are often more knowledgeable than the trainers. People dedicated to optimal fitness often take the time and effort to study the field. You'll find fitness fanatics, aerobics instructors and medical doctors among the members of most gyms.

A side benefit from a gym membership is the ability to socialize during your workout. Many exercise routines can become very boring and the ability to share the workout with others can help you keep engaged. Few people think a treadmill is the height of excitement and watching TV while walking can deaden your mind as you tone your body.

You'll make social contacts, get encouragement and become motivated into a regular routine in a way that is hard to duplicate at home.

Although gyms may seem to be the perfect answer, they do have their downsides.

One of the biggest drawbacks of a gym membership is their cost.  To combat this, gyms offer a wide variety of membership programs - per visit, per month, per year or lifetime. A per visit approach is always the most expensive, though it might be a good option if you're just visiting a city. The best value is sometimes the monthly membership, but costs can still be between $30 and $300 per month. Most gyms offer a trial membership, either free or at a reduced rate for the first month.

Besides cost, the biggest challenge of a gym is finding the time to go. And going to the gym can begin to seem like just one more duty among more urgent responsibilities. Many people in contemporary society lead extremely busy lives and finding time to go to the gym oftens ends up falling to the bottom of a long list.

Gyms are not always the cleanest environments. Most gym members are conscientious about wiping down the equipment, but it only takes a few to ruin a gym for the majority. A well trained and caring staff can keep a gym in good shape and insure that the equipment is well taken care of and clean.

Gyms can also be unhealthful. Being around many people in a hot, humid atmosphere can promote the spread of colds and other air-borne or contact-spread diseases. Showers are particularly prone to this since you usually have to touch the controls.

The benefits and disadvantages of a gym membership is an individual manner – there is no right answer that works for everyone. Unless you are fortunate enough to find the right one the first time out, try a few on a trial basis before committing to anything long term.