Don't break a sweat finding the right gym Tips for finding the right workout facility to fit your needs

By Chris harris

The day has finally come. The day you find your skinny jeans and feel the tingle of hot motivation. The day you lost your breath mowing the lawn and decide to make a change.

You decide to join a gym.

Like any major life decision, though, stop and evaluate your goals and options. Southeast Missouri has several workout facilities with varying atmospheres, amenities and costs.

"Find the right vibe," says Jill Mills, manager at Anytime Fitness in Cape Girardeau. "Make sure the club fits what you're wanting to accomplish as a person."

Draft a list of your needs and wants. Do you need childcare? Would you enjoy group settings and classes or do you want to work out solo and not be bothered? Does proximity to your home or work matter? Do you want a nutrition program as well?

Finish the list and start touring facilities. Most clubs in Southeast Missouri will offer a tour whether you walk in or call ahead, and the tour guide will likely offer a free pass for you to work out on your own.

During the tour, check to see that "everything's working and the equipment is current, and you're not doing something off of a 1980s machine," Mills said.

Take inventory to see if the facility has the equipment you want -- free weights, enough cardio equipment to handle a crowd, space for individual floor exercises.

Mike McKinnis, membership coordinator at Fitness Plus, puts cleanliness at the top of his list for gym-seekers. He also says to evaluate hours of operation, watch to see if trainers associate with clients and help them on the floor, and see if the staff is in general perky and cooperative.

Fitness Plus staff guides and follows up with members to encourage them and keep them on track. They give new clients a bingo card that pulls them through the facility into areas they may not have ventured.

"What we're trying to target there is getting people to use the whole facility," McKinnis said. "We're trying to make it a complete package where you're going to use everything."

Most gyms -- Fitness Plus included -- will offer an assessment upon joining so the new member has a baseline on which to compare progress. Many also offer follow-up assessments, usually every six months. During the tour, ask about the assessments: what they include in the evaluation, how often they occur and if the gym reminds you or if you have to chase down a trainer.

Some gyms also give new members a few sessions with a trainer.

"A gym can be a really intimidating place," says Amy Sutherlin, fitness manager at HealthPoint Fitness.

If someone has never lifted weights before, she says, "it's unrealistic to expect them to know proper techniques." Having a few tips from a trainer helps prevent injury and improve results.

Sutherlin says to also check the qualifications of the staff. All the staff members at HealthPoint are working toward a degree in a health-related field.

Anytime Fitness offers a baseline assessment and makes trainers available, but "We hit more on privacy instead of the group settings," Mills said. The gym focuses more on convenient hours. Like its name suggests, Anytime is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and members can always access help online.

Most gyms have a computer tracking system that can customize workouts, show video clips and send encouraging messages. These programs differ between facilities, so ask to see a demonstration.

Amber Tallman, a Cape Girardeau mother of three, had plateaued at her old gym and needed the encouragement at HealthPoint to try new things.

"Everything that I have done since I've been here has been completely different than anything I've done before," she said.

She decided on HealthPoint because several friends work out there, and it was a place she could bring the entire family.

Different gyms have different options for younger members. Fitness Plus has equipment specifically designed for teen workouts. Some offer sport training; some have babysitting service; and some don't allow children at all. Make sure you know what you want for your children before signing the papers.

Tallman's son participates in sport training, her daughter works out with her and her 10-year-old participates in family nights.

Tallman said she knew she personally needed a change but was apprehensive about joining a large gym.

After a few trips, "You just kind of feel dumb for feeling apprehensive. Everyone makes you feel so welcome," she says.

Sutherlin says the staff at HealthPoint likes it that way.

"We want people to feel like this is a comfortable place, and it's like a second home to them," she says.

Usually when someone walks in the door, they've already made the decision to join a gym, but they need to tour several before making a decision.

"It's trying to find out whether it's a good fit for them because if it isn't they're not going to come in," Sutherlin says.

For Rachel Whitaker, a teacher in Southeast Missouri, Fitness Plus was the right fit. She and her daughter toured several facilities and like the variety of equipment Fitness Plus provides and the six sessions with a trainer.

"I like to kind of do my own thing, but now that I know how to use the equipment right," the workouts are more effective, she says.

Whitaker was also searching for a place for the entire family to workout, "maybe not all together, but at the same time."

Whitaker's old gym did not offer group classes, but she says she's found friendly competition and a change in routine with the myriad of group fitness classes.

Above all, she says, find "something that you would stick to; that you will actually like to go in there and enjoy it."

Choosing a gym is like buying a house. It basically comes down to whether or not you feel comfortable in the facility, around the people and if you can see yourself on that specific treadmill or in this specific exercise class.

Checklist

Ask these questions when looking for a new gym:

> What are the hours, especially on the weekends?

> Does it have childcare and when?

> What activities/reward programs does it offer?

> How clean is it?

> What are the locker rooms like?

> Does it offer free towels?

> Does it offer laundry service?

> Are there plenty of showers?

> Are there enough lockers?

> Is the workout floor crowded?

> Are there enough machines?

> Are the machines old?

> Do they have built in TVs or overhead?

> Is the staff friendly?

> Is there a caf? What does it offer?

> Is the gym conveniently located to my house/work?

> Do I feel motivated and confident here?