You said you were gonna do it, right? Join a gym and get in shape?

Well, the time is here to follow through on that resolution.

Just Get Going

Now, you certainly don’t need to join a gym to get exercise. There are more affordable ways, such as walking, hiking, running, doing push-ups with your dog on your back — even gardening and the like.

Why Join a Gym?

Many times, people have this idea that they’re going to join a gym and magically change everything in their lives and health. The thing is, you probably don’t need to join a gym. More likely, you want to change your lifestyle, and think joining a gym is just the thing to make that happen. And hey, for some people, it is.

If your climate makes it tough to get outside, or you want access to equipment, pools, or a community that will help in keeping you motivated, then joining a gym can be awesome. Exercise has been proven time and time again to be one of the best things to improve mental, emotional, and physical states of well-being, especially if you’ve been stuck inside all winter.

Plus, if you really love working with free weights and cardio machines, then your inner gym rat may never be satisfied without a gym membership.

How to Get in Shape Without the Gym

Getting in shape doesn’t have to equate with joining a gym. You could take a yoga class, join a local sports club, or get involved with doing something outdoors. There are plenty of ways to work out without a gym.

Okay, if You Must Join a Gym

Gyms can be great way to find the motivation, and the right place, to engage in regular exercise. I’m certainly not saying joining a gym is wrong by any means. If everyone had free access to a gym, we’d all be better off for it.

The problem is that gyms are notoriously sleazy businesses. All too often, people invest money in joining a gym in January, then come March, they become livid over the contract they can’t get out of, billing issues, the disgusting locker rooms, or some creepy dude that’s killing the scene.

So when you go to sign up for a gym, make sure its worth the money by examining some things first.

Your budget. Don’t get oversold. In an effort to attract more members, many gyms waive their enrollment fee at this time of year. If the aren’t, ask if they will. If they won’t, ask if any of their competitors do. Why, exactly, do gyms charge enrollment fees anyway?

Take a look. Hang out for a couple minutes to watch the gym vibe, away from anyone who might be giving you the tour. Are the people the kind of people you can be comfortable working out around? Be sure to ask people what they think of the gym. Don’t sign up for anything until you’ve checked out the lockers and facilities.

Equipment. Does the gym have the type of workout equipment you want to use? Do you need a TV to be entertained while on a Stairmaster?

Location. It might be worth joining the more expensive, or less well-equipped gym if it means saving a long drive and working out more frequently. Likewise, if you’re a middle-aged women looking to lose some pounds, it might be worth driving a little further to go to a Curves than to join a Gold’s Gym that’s full of muscleheads. You’re not saving money on your membership if you don’t use it. Quite the opposite.

Classes, basketball courts, and pools. Are you sure the gym has enough diversity for your taste?

People traffic. What are the gym’s busy times? Will that work for you? Be sure to visit the gym around the time of the day that you will usually work out to get a clearer idea of what your experience might entail.

Ask around. Ask the people that work their how long they’ve been there, ask if there will be any remodeling done and if that will affect your access to equipment, and ask friends, family, and people online about the gym before you sign a contract. Google is your friend — you’ll be amazed at what you can find out about the history of some gyms.

Are Personal Trainers Worth It?
Most of the time, yes. A good personal trainer will help motivate you, should you need it. Most importantly, they will teach you the right ways to go about working out and getting in shape, or educate you further to compliment what you already know.

Also, working with a personal trainer is less expensive than many injuries you might cause yourself by working out with poor techniques or practices.

The Problem with Shopping for Gyms

If you start looking around at gyms, it’s really easy to get frustrated, lose your mind and give up.

Why?

First of all, they make it all a terribly confusing process. When you sit back and look at it, gym memberships are one of the strangest consumer shopping experiences out there. They often hide their prices, and funnel you into talking to pushy staff people, who, without fail, will tell you they’re not salespeople — even through they get paid a commission based on their membership sales.

If you purchase a membership, be realistic about how often you’re going to use it — and what you’re going to use. Gyms sometimes charge for how frequently you work out there, or charge more for access to certain areas, classes, additional locations, time periods, etc.

Some of the greatest people I’ve ever known work at gyms or are personal trainers. Still, it seems everyone I know has had an experience where they were all psyched up to join a gym and get into a regular workout flow, then got turned off from joining by a pushy, and sometimes insulting, salesperson. Do not let the people selling memberships goat you into buying the full package if you’re not going to use it.

Remember, you want to get in shape — and save money. There’s nothing they’d like more than for you to buy the top-of-the-line package and never come in to work out. That’s just free money for them.

If you don’t find the right fit for you, its okay to give up on joining a gym. Just don’t give up on getting fit. Stay resolved.