Local Gyms vs. Big National Chains
Monday, February 18th, 2008This weekend my wife and I went gym shopping. We're at the YMCA right now but it's a bit of a haul from our house. We wanted something closer.
So, this article by Tara Parker-Pope in the NYTimes was pretty timely:
Local Gyms Outpace the National Chains
In its first-ever survey of health clubs, the magazine polled more than 10,000 subscribers who had visited a gym in the past six months. Gym-goers gave opinions on staff, equipment, classes, crowds, cleanliness and billing issues. Included in the group were 3,400 respondents who gave their reasons for canceling a gym membership during the previous three years.
Notably, national health club chains fared the poorest in the survey. The magazine found that private studios for yoga, dance or Pilates and gyms at local community centers, schools, work and nonprofit Jewish Community Centers and Y.M.C.A.’s received the best marks. National chains were often criticized for long wait times for machines, problems with contracts or fees, poorer cleanliness and less adequate locker rooms than other gyms.
I've said before here that I'm an outside runner, so gyms in general have little appeal for me. My wife on the other hand is a big-time gym rat. She's a serious free weight lifter, not a machine junkie either.
We went to two different clubs and neither one seemed to fit for us. In fact, our experience was a something of a disaster. In particular, there was this one massive club (open 24 hours with spa and everything else you could imagine). It was like going on vacation or something, but it definitely wasn't for us. Just too freakin' big! Of course, with all that room, the free weight area was wee itty bitty. Kind of a joke actually, and I don't even lift.
The one part of the club I might actually enjoy was the climbing wall, but it was closed. Turns out it's only open at special times on certain days. Yikes.
Well, we'll probably keep looking. Maybe some little gym will work better for us.
