Choosing the right gym for you

Posted on 18 October, 2015

These days it seems like there’s a gym on every corner of every town centre across Canberra. Not to mention the bootcamps, yoga and pilates studios, crossfit gyms, boxing classes… the list goes on, and on, and on.

We Canberrans are most definitely spoiled for choice. However, with options comes decisions, and it can be challenging to even know how to start figuring out which gym is for you.

At the end of the day, this decision is going to lead to you investing a lot of your precious time and hard earned dollars on a membership. Ideally, you will be spending a lot of time at this place to get the most out of your money and to improve your fitness.

This means that you’ll want somewhere that you actually want to spend time and that works for you and your individual preferences and needs.

Here are four tips that can take the hassle out of the process:

Clarify what you want

It’s a lot harder to find something when you don’t know what it is that you’re looking for. Try and figure out what you want or need and go from there: do you need somewhere that’s family friendly or has a crèche for your kids? Somewhere that’s fit to accommodate your injury?

Is there a certain style of training that you want, like yoga or crossfit? Do you want somewhere with lots of extra features or more of a no frills, simple set up?

The benefit of answering these questions and setting yourself up a kind of ‘essentials checklist’ means that you can start off with a process of elimination and narrow in on what kind of gym or activity is going to be right for you, ultimately making the decision easier.

Do your homework

The internet is a great place to start. What’s even better is to speak to your friends, family and colleagues about whether they like where they are exercising.

First hand experience from someone you know is going to be one of the best sources of information. Better yet, read all of our Fitness Roadtests!

It’s also a good idea to research prices and membership conditions – a lot of the time this isn’t advertised online but a simple phone call or email should do the trick.

Make sure you read over the fine print, especially when it comes to terms and conditions of your membership – you don’t want to end up having to pay a 12 month membership out in full when you decide after three months that actually, it’s not for you.

Consider your coach/personal trainer/fitness instructor

 When it comes to qualifications, the general rule is that a fitness instructor (like a Les Mills Body Pump teacher for example) needs a Certificate 3 in Fitness as a minimum, whereas personal trainers (PTs) also need a Certificate 4.

Some have a Diploma in Fitness or additional qualifications which give them extra knowledge or specialisation in certain areas, like rehabilitation or specific styles of training. There are event PTs at some gyms that specialise in pregnancy personal training sessions.

Experience is great, but passion is excellent. I’ve seen PTs who have been in the industry for decades on their phone or having a chat to a friend during a clients session, and I’ve also seen trainers fresh out of PT school who are dedicated, eager to learn and get you results.

You’ll also need to recognise that there is usually a price point difference based on qualifications and experience so your budget will factor into this as well.

Depending on what you’re doing, you’re potentially going to be spending a lot of time with this person or group of people. You want someone who you get on with, who doesn’t make you feel unsafe and who will motivate you to get the results that you’re after.

Shop around

 The best way to figure out if you’re going to like something is to actually try it for yourself. Dip your toes in the water before committing – shop around and try a few different options.

Most businesses offer a cheap, or free trial period to new members so you can ‘try before you buy’.

Chances are that if a business you’re interested in joining doesn’t offer a free trial period they will let you come along to at least a free class or session. Don’t be afraid to ask!

Most importantly, never let a pushy sales person pressure you into making a rush decision. Take your time and remember that you are the paying customer.

Happy training!