The benefits of H’s new job? He’s much more likely to go in and open when it’s snows. OTOH as we were driving to the gym this morning, I noted this was his first snow day ever (since college) where he’s had to work! Me? I’ve never had one - even where I had to work from home - and likely never will.
And then I could start at 6:30 instead of 7 when it officially opens. I ran/walked 1.5 mile warmup and then did a hardish 8 miles. Felt great. Then some easy bike to cool down, abs and now I am doing the hydro bed and massage chair! I think there have been 5 people here in the first 1:40 lol. But they all have been happy it’s open. The other girl who’s supposed to work isn’t coming. Hard to blame her. She’s young and lives out in the county. We are only 2.25 miles away and live on a main road.
How much snow did you get? Nice perk having your H work there!
We got maybe 3 inches and though H used the snowblower there are some spots best done by hand - so I did those plus my usual morning cardio inside and walked the pup a mile in the snow!
About 3” here too. I didn’t do much shoveling yet. I’ll do some shortly. I’ll get the sidewalk ad steps to our house but the back where we park, we’ll just walk through it. Part of it is gravel and not shovel-able anyway. We don’t get enough snow to justify a snowblower
A relative of mine who retired got a retirement job as a front desk rep at a large community center/gym. They really enjoy the conversation with members. I often think working PT at gym in retirement would be ideal for me, either at the front desk or as a personal trainer, but then the whole conversation thing is a BIG negative.
Is “enforced scheduling” just mean showing up and working your scheduled shift?
BTW, I’m talking someday, when I’m old(er).
I think I could work in a wide variety of gym type atmospheres. And I definitely spend a lot of time in the gym, but I do prefer my current gym where I’ve been a member for years.
Right. In retirement, I cherish schedule flexibility. I have a volunteer gig opportunity at a biweekly drive-thru food bank. Excellent website that lets you pick your job/shift each time. But… I selfishly only sign up when it gets close, when I know there are not conflicts with other fun.
In another group I belong to we were talking today about local and chain gyms. Prices, ease of visiting, membership perks or options etc
I considered getting a gym membership- haven’t had one since Covid - but I said to and for me a gym needs to be really close to home - like less than 10 mins . If I have to drive 15-20 mins to a gym my time is better spent exercising at home and I’m not going to be inclined to make that drive commitment to go.
Unfortunately the only gym that fits the close bill for me IS a Planet Hollywood or there is a private gym but it’s more of a “sign up with a trainer gym” not go as you like and do what you want to do.
What are priorities or perks important to you in a gym??
I don’t belong to a gym, but do belong to a yoga studio where I practice yoga and take barre classes. Close proximity is very important to me, much of the reason we live where we do is that it is a walkable neighborhood. I have to like the classes offered and the way they are taught. Another priority is a place that welcomes age diversity (I’m 67).
Fortunately the studio I belong to hits the mark on all of those. I do walk to and from if the weather allows. As an added bonus - the studio is locally owned.
Close proximity is important. So are the hours. Have to be open early enough for me. Good early weekend hours. Price definitely. And not crowded. I don’t share well. I definitely don’t want to wait for something I need to use. Equipment is important too but I can make do with a lot of different setups. Oh and good treadmills/cardio equipment because I need an option for when outside is dangerous.
We have a Planet Fitness about 5 minutes from our home, and we were members for years. And…we just didn’t use it much. I really hated the vibe and feel of the place. I always felt good after going, but motivating to go was difficult.
Now we belong to Lifetime Fitness and we both love it and go regularly. Lifetime is a national chain but they are not prolific, only a few per state and not in every state. The drive is 13-15 minutes from our home, so not real close and yes - it is a time commitment. H uses one of the personal trainers (for a fee) and really appreciates that service. After his workout, he uses the sauna and steam room. I play pickleball, go to strength classes, and use the cardio equipment (all included in the membership fee.) Lifetime offers a full menu of classes 7 days/week, and has a whole tier of classes that are just for 55 and up. There are numerous introductory classes, which is how I first tried pickleball. There are 2 indoor pools but we haven’t made use of them yet. In the summer, there is a beautiful outdoor pool and a separate lap pool. No extra charge to use the outdoor swim club if you have been a member for 1 year plus. There is a cafe where you can get coffee/tea, smoothies, and healthy meal items, and an in-house spa (salon, massages, facials.) The membership fee is obviously not cheap and we don’t use all the amenities, but it is a place that is very enjoyable to be and is so far a great investment for our health and well-being. I appreciate that I can choose to take a class, OR choose to work out on my own (vs PF which has no classes or small gyms which only have classes.) I have also made a bunch of new friends through the women’s pickleball group I was invited to join - we play several times a week and have had a few social events outside of the gym. Joining Lifetime has been a retirement game-changer for me!!
Hours is a good one. I belonged to the university Rec center for several years and one of the fitness center campuses was close my home and well, right where I worked! But then my work location changed, and the center closest to my house had limited to no weekend hours and then Covid! Park it was also kind of crummy
I haven’t had a paid gym membership in more than 15 years. I tremendously prefer working out at home. The convenience is nice, particularly when weather is non-ideal. I work out ~6 days a week, so the time saving adds up. For weights, it’s also nice to have all the machines preloaded with the weights I want and no lines. Being able to wear any type of clothing is also nice, particularly for cardio (prefer running with no shirt) and generally not being concerned about appearance. I like being able to watch TV while I workout, or do various things between sets if using weights, such as throwing toy for my dog. I can control the temperature and fan speed/direction. I like having food and drink nearby, including being able to eat immediately after workout. I like being able to shower privately (and not having to choose between shower at gym or drive home sweaty). I don’t need to be concerned about other people not cleaning up and/or passing infectious diseases (COVID). I could continue.
I also have a small gym with my HOA as a backup. I don’t plan on joining a paid gym membership, but if I did join, the 2 most important criteria are:
Located as close as possible, without traffic/parking delays.
Supporting the exercises I favor. For example, many gyms don’t offer heavier weight dumbbells.
Other considerations include,
Supporting the non-standard hours in which I like to work out and open on holidays
Less crowded, rarely lines/waits for the equipment that I regularly use
Equipment is well maintained, with almost all working
Good ambiance, including things like lighting and mirrors
Sense of community, preferably with some people I already know
A decent subgroup of persons with similar workout style as myself, or at least what I’m doing won’t attract a lot of attention or complaints
Lack of annoying persons (rate varies at different gyms)
Not excessive fees or troubling membership terms
No problematic gym policies, including things like thermostat setting
Special perks that appeal to me
Of course other people have different fitness/workout goals and priorities than I do, so your list might be completely different. For example, I don’t care about classes, trainers, nutritionists, having a pool, … but such things might be top priority for others.
I have a home gym, which I actually began filling with equipment pre-Covid, but I’ve belonged to one gym or another virtually all my life. I’ve been a member of my current gym for 8 years, I think. I get a great deal.
As stated above, my priorities and/or desired perks for a gym are going to be different than others here or elsewhere. In no particular order:
Community - I love my gym community. If you remember the show Cheers and the show’s theme song, it’s “where everyone knows your name.” Members will root for you, “spot” you, without hesitation, motivate and push you, if desired.
Space - I need space. Space to use a yoke, shuttle runs, to move freely between areas. I don’t want machines taking up every bit of floor space. I rarely need or want machines. My gym does have them, to appeal to the bodybuilders and powerlifters, but they’re at least purposeful at this gym. And one needs space for burpees and jump rope.
The GHD (Glute Ham Developer and Glute Ham Raises) - The most underrated piece of gym equipment. The “Rodney Dangerfield” of gym equipment.
Weight - Bumper and calibrated plates and collars. And lots of them.
Squat Racks - The most important singular strength exercise, bar none. Your legs are your foundation.
Deadlift Platforms - When I deadlift at home and put the weighted bar down, you can hear and feel it in the house, as do the neighbors.
Olympic Platforms - If you have to “bail” on a snatch or jerk, then that weighted bar is coming down hard from shoulder level or above your head. See #6 above.
Rope Climbs - I love climbing rope.
Pull-up bars - Crucial exercise for your upper body, shoulders, arms, back and core.
Wall Space - Where one can work on their handstand pushups, shoulder taps and wall walks.
Boxes - Jump! Jump! Jump!
24/7 access - You gotta workout when you can.
No TV’s and preferably no mirrors. If you’re watching TV or yourself in the mirror, then you’re not working hard enough. IMO, mirrors in the gym are for “showboaters.”
Gym music (Spotify) shared by the members, not management. So, rock, punk, rap, EDM, Emo, classical, and loud enough (volume is limited) to pump up the membership, but not all the time.
Owners that really listen to member’s suggestions, specifically mine!
No shirts, no shoes, no problem!
Filtered water filling station for filling water bottles.
I find that TV can enhance cardio, if you have the right show, which for me is simple and low thought plot, intense physical action, and interesting. It also helps pass the time for me and generally makes workout a more pleasant experience. I hit a 190-200HR (via manual pulse count) in the later sets of my HIIT workout tonight while watching TV. “Not working hard enough” was not the problem.
One of the reasons I like mirrors is for form and reviewing movements, as well as more easily noticing when something is off, reducing risk of injury. I find this particularly helpful when using free weights. However, I expect that most gym goers instead use mirrors for posing.
Now that you are working from home, I bet you’d like the chance to get out and see people while exercising. A gym membership might be nice. But also consider various exercise and yoga classes you might have around town.
I used to go to Zumba Gold with a friend after work on Wed evenings before Covid. She mentioned that all the new classes are daytime hours, but I imagine you mig have more flexibility to do that now.
I’m not someone who needs a lot of people contact though if I find the right group I enjoy it. And honestly somewhere like a gym I DON’T want to talk to anyone - I want to put my music on and be in my own world! A class might be different.
There actually is a new yoga studio opening in the neighborhood - wouldn’t quite walk to it but a very short drive. But I’ve never really done yoga and I’m not sure it’s for me. I am watching their FB page (they open tomorrow) and will see when they post some pics who is attending. Though it doesn’t hugely bother me I’m not really interested in joining a class where everyone is under 30. :). It’s on my “think about it” list.
