Joining a gym is probably the best thing you could do for your health. Sure, you could go the ‘self-help’ way by picking up and doing random workouts, but you would go only so far with this ‘self-help’ approach. A time will come when you would need guidance of an expert.
Keep in mind that there is a reason why fitness trainers charge such astronomical amounts and are well paid by their clients as well.
Having said that, gyms are not within everyone’s budget. Not many pockets could afford to join a premier gym, and the situation has worsened with the new tide of recession which is taking over the economy in a negative way.
Also most gyms would make you sign a contract before you could get started, this to ensure that you don’t cancel your membership midway. As such, you should spend some good time on research before choosing the best gym for yourself and investing in it.
What to Consider Before Joining a Gym
Let me tell you about the top three things you should consider before joining a gym.
Eligibility: You should join a gym only if you are interested in doing intense workouts such as training or interval training.
If you are simply interested in cardiovascular exercises such as swimming, jogging, etc., you don’t need to join a gym.
Gyms are best suited for those who have outgrown the cardio and taken to intense workouts because those workouts offer better and quicker results compared to cardio.
Also make sure that the gym you join has plenty of exercise equipments and workout plans for you; the last thing you want is to get bored of doing the same workout using the same equipment repeatedly, day after day.
Location: Ideally you should join a gym near your work or home. If the gym is located at a place you hardly visit ever, you are very likely to stop attending your fitness classes after the first few days.
Plus, having a gym at the proximity of a place you live in or frequent to would also save you fuel costs.
Viability: For me, seeing is believing. No matter how popular a gym is, no matter how many times a gym is endorsed by top celebrities, it may not suit you.
That is why it is a good strategy to try out the membership for the first few days before joining on full scale. Most gyms offer “trial” or “guest” memberships whereby you could try out the equipments for free for the first few days. If your preferred gym doesn’t offer such plans, join the one which does.
Credibility: In this day and age of fraudsters, you need to be very cautious about the fitness trainers you would be working with. If the trainers are amateurs, you would receive very little benefit from your fitness training; worse, you could end up injuring your body badly.
Unless you are a fitness pro yourself, you would want to work only with professional trainers who know their stuff. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask the staff or the existing clients of the gym about the credentials of the trainers.
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In the video Brittany was pretty open with her view that a pro or even amateur golfer needs to be very aware of their fitness and she talks about how she likes to do weights but has not done quite as much as early in her career.
Reflect on Success