Thinking of joining the gym? What you need to know

Will your New Years Resolution be to get into shape in 2009? Signing up at the local gym can be a good step towards this. In this post I will teach you the secrets to a gym membership.

Know what you want to achieve

Before you even find a gym think about what exactly you want to achieve. There are two main reasons people will go to the gym.
1. Cardiovascular fitness. Many people just use the treadmills, bikes, etc, to improve their fitness or burn off some calories.
2. Weight training. Most gym's have a good range of machines and free weights you can use to build up some muscle. Consider what muscles you want to work on. You need to ask yourself some questions. Upper body? Lower body? Why do you want to build up muscle? How often are you prepared to go to the gym?
If you're thinking of joining the gym just for cardio, I would reconsider. You can achieve the same results without joining a gym just by jogging, walking or playing sport. Maybe consider purchasing your own running machine or exercise bike. Also you will discover going to the gym just to spend an hour on the exercise bikes can be incredibly boring.

Finding a gym

After you have considered the points above and you still want to join up, you need to find a gym. Again there are some factors you need to consider. Do your research before buying a membership.
1. Price. You don't want to be spending too much on your membership. $60 or less for a 1 month membership or $500 or less for a 12 month membership are fair prices. Some gyms have very cheap deals for new members. But you need to remember these are only for new members. So after your first membership expires, the cost of another membership will probably jump considerably. Ask about a trial membership. Many gyms will offer very cheap or free, 1-2 week trial memberships for new members. I will come back trial memberships later.
2. Location. Ultimately you want a gym within 10 minutes or walking distance from you. The further you have to travel, the less likely you are to continue going. If you can walk there this can become part of your work out.
3. Equipment. Good quality equipment is important. Does the gym have equipment you can make good use of? Does it have enough equipment? Is it in good condition?
4. Other people. A gym session is always more enjoyable if you go with someone else. If you know someone else who already goes to the gym think about going with them. Just don't let them become a distraction at the gym.
This website may help you search for a gym.

Signing up at the gym

When you have chosen a good gym, it's time to sign up. The following point is probably the most valuable piece of advice I can offer you.
Do not buy a 12 month membership. When you first sign up they will try to convince you to buy a 12 month membership. They will tell you how you save so much money when buying a 12 month membership, just ignore them. Unless you are a die hard, gym junkie, I can almost guarantee you will not regularly go for 12 months. Nobody does. Chances are over 12 months you're going to get sick, suffer injuries, go on holidays and have other commitments. There goes at least 2 - 3 months of your membership. Yes, many gyms will allow you to suspend your membership, however this can be a long, tedious process, involving a lot of paperwork. Then the main reason not to get a 12 month membership is you will loose motivation. My guess would be 90% of people who buy a 12 month membership loose motivation and only go for 3 months or less. Would you want to pay for something you're not going to use?
As I mentioned earlier try to get a 1-2 week trial membership. This wont cost you much (if anything) and at the end you can decide whether you want to continue going afterwards.

If you still want to sign up to a gym, read Part 2 of this post, which will offer more advice for after you sign up. Remember to leave a comment if you have any further questions.