In 2009, CHOICE magazine sent a flock of secret shoppers to gyms throughout Australia to sort the shifty from the nifty. What it found was an industry high on emotive techniques to sell memberships, yet “far less vigilant in explaining the prices, contract and cancellation terms”.
“The best protection you can have against pressure sales tactics is to be aware of your rights. Would-be gym members shouldn’t sign up before they understand the terms and conditions,” explains CHOICE spokesperson Christopher Zinn.
Carly Busseler, Fitness Manager at Norths Fitness in Sydney, advises the following checklist:
Do your research
Does the gym have the facilities, classes and expertise you’re after?
“Make sure your membership is flexible and complements your lifestyle. For example you should be able to freeze your account when you go on holidays and cancel at anytime without an additional charge.”
Consider the location
Is it close to your home or workplace? “If hitting the gym becomes a hassle because it’s ‘out of the way’, you’re likely to neglect visiting.”
Try before you buy
“Ask for a complimentary pass to trial out the facility before you commit.”
Once you’ve signed
When you’ve met your match and found the right gym, the next hurdle is maintaining your motivation and wringing your membership for its maximum value.
“At the beginning of each year there’s massive spike in memberships across the board from all those New Years’ Resolutions. Unfortunately motivation starts to wear thin after only a few months,” says Busseler.
She believes the two biggest reasons for falling off the bandwagon are boredom and a failure to see results. “People have an eagerness to see results straight away. The media constantly misleads people with talk of ‘special pills’ and machines that will give you what you want yesterday. It simply is not true. The only special pill is exercise!”
Mixing up your routine is key. If you stick with the same old sequence of workout equipment you’re less likely to succeed, says Busseler. “It’s imperative you have fun and understand why you’re doing the exercises… Statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly get better results faster.”
Book in for an induction with an exercise specialist
A fitness assessment will help you set achievable, realistic and measurable goals.
Be class savvy
Whether it’s latin dance aerobics or circuit training, classes should be part of your membership and will help you keep motivated.
Enjoy yourself
Strapping on your running shoes and hitting the gym is often the hardest task of all. But once you begin your workout, relax and enjoy the process—don't fight it.
Make a plan
Having goals, particularly short-term ones, allows you to track your progress and keep you motivated when times are tough and you don't feel like exercising. “Keeping a journal of your cardio and resistance training workouts, as well as tracking what you eat are truly the secrets to fitness success,” says Busseler.
Remember: exercise works
“After a good workout you experience the most powerful ‘feel-good’ drug in the world – endorphins! Etch that feeling in your brain. It will fuel your motivation on those inevitable days when you just don't feel like exercising. Being physically fit affects every single aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better and live better!” she says.
Exercise correctly
Don’t waste time performing (at best) unproductive exercise, or (at worst) dangerous exercise. Get educated on how to workout correctly by hiring a personal trainer to teach you to move smooth and safe—both on and off equipment.
We accept
