Changing or choosing a new gym can be a little bit overwhelming. I was a member at my previous gym for over 10 years and it was a much harder decision than I expected when I finally decided to leave and join a new one. I guess there was an emotional attachment and a comfort in the old. However I am now so happy I moved! I would always recommend going for a day or two to test out any gym before you join.
These are the factors which I took into consideration and may help you make the right choice when looking for a new gym…
Quality
The first thing I looked at was the quality of the gym. My previous gym was Fitness First, when I joined it was brand new but over the years the cleanliness and general upkeep of the gym had gone downhill. Every time I went people were always moaning about something – It was cheap membership so I suppose you get what you pay for! I would still say my current gym has its faults but when they have so much footfall and use there are bound to be issues. I now go to Nuffield and the membership is higher and I believe in general it is better quality – The staff are always friendly and helpful, the gym is big in size and there is lots to do.
Value
Like anything you need to look at value for money. My current gym provides towels, has a pool and sauna area, weights and 3 rooms for classes. I compared this to my old gym which I only really did classes in and wouldn’t step foot in the tiny spa area. So although there was a price difference I feel I get more value for money now. The Nuffield gym is also within walking distance (although I usually go in the car), this means shorter journeys to get to my workout, so I’m saving on petrol – Things like this can make all the difference!
Usability
It really depends what you want to do at the gym. If you do lots of classes you need to make sure the gym caters for you, likewise if you lift weights or go swimming. If they don’t offer what you need then you are not going to be happy. I used to do lots of classes but I had started to get bored and so I looked at the gym space as well. My gym could do better on classes but there are some good ones, there’s also a weights room and the good old treadmills too!
These are the 3 things which I looked at when changing gyms. When you workout a reasonable amount like I do it can be a big decision – You will be spending quiet a bit of time there so you need to be happy with your choice.
What did you look for when choosing your current gym? Comment below!
You make so many great points! I never really thought of the pros and cons to a gym besides proximity & price until I had left my old gym to join PF. I missed having the more intimate atmosphere of the last gym and avoided going to PF because of it. I really wished I had thought to see what else was in the area!
Great post!
I am very lucky in the fact my gym is a budget gym with great facilities and it’s super clean and tidy! The big downside is classes are crap – not frequent enough and not enough variety – but I don’t mind that much because I mainly use the weights room (which is fantastic)