Beyond big

By Marco Buscaglia

Think of your health club options like your reality TV choices: There’s that one about the beautiful people, the one about interventions, the one about those living-off-the-land types who don’t need anything from anybody; the one about people overcoming insurmountable odds and that one about the free towels.

Oh, wait. That last one’s about health clubs only, no reality TV show tie-in just yet, at least not this season.

Still, for most people, a health club’s reputation matters the most, even if that reputation is unwarranted.

“I think a lot of people decide whether or not they want to join a certain gym by window shopping,” says Susan Jayne of Kansas City, Missouri. “They walk or drive past a place that’s close to home or work and make an immediate judgment based on the people they see on the treadmills through the window. Then they check how much it costs to be a member.”

If you’ve already narrowed down your health club choices based on location, cost and contract, here are a few other factors to consider before signing that agreement:

Test the atmosphere

Start with the basics, like clean locker rooms, a comfortable workout climate, decent parking and adequate spacing of machines. “I don’t like to be super close to someone when I’m on the elliptical and in some clubs, you’re right on top of the person next to you,” says Chicago resident David Thompson. “I want to be somewhere that has a little respect for their members and doesn’t just treat them like pieces of meat they can lump together to make as much profit as possible.”

Class offerings and size

Susan Jayne of St. Paul, Minnesota, says she tried out a few clubs but opted out because of limited class schedules. “If it’s a big club and they only have one or two classes a week in a certain area, those classes are going to be packed,” she says. “Fewer classes means more crowded classes and in most cases, those are no fun.”

Staff attitude

Despite Jayne’s assessment of club members, Darah Patel says the harshest member treatment can come from health club staff. “I’ve been ignored, insulted and discouraged,” says Patel, who lives in Los Angeles. “Maybe it’s a Southern California thing but most trainers at the health clubs I’ve gone to get all attentive when they’re approached by a typical wannabe Hollywood type, whether it’s a man or a woman. The more beautiful or handsome, the more attention. I’d look for a place that has trainers who want to help the regular people. And it’s not easy because I’m still looking.”

‘Vice’ proximity

“I’m talking about a health club right next to a Culver’s or a Portillo’s,” says Chicagoan Carlos Gonzalez, a 36-year-old insurance adjuster. “I’ve had great workouts wiped out in 10 minutes because I had to pass a McDonald’s on the way to my car. It sounds dumb but ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ I know I can stop thru a drive-through or order for delivery but there’s something about walking right past a fast-food place fresh out of a workout. You’re like ‘oh, I could easily have a hamburger and fries because I just burned off 2,000 calories.’ You set that precedent and then in your head, every workout is followed by a Big Mac. That’s not good.”