council vs other gyms

bird-brain_2

i am pretty overweight having lost 6 stone via atkins and then re-gained about 4. i am pretty unhappy with the way i am and finding it hard to get motivated. i do have a bike but the roads where i live are scary, and it' hard to get started as a cyclist when you feel out of shape and embarassed by how hard it is for you!

i'd like to join a gym and have looked at prices for the local council facilities, plus la fitness and virgin. the local council runs a bodyline gym at about £25 a month, LA fitness £33 and virgin is (i'm guessing) a lot more. i am on a very tight budget but would also like to make sure i am paying for effective and modern facilites.

also, at least for now, i don't want to be in a room full of poseurs, as i am really not confident about my level of fitness. this might change after a while, of course.

can anyone please advise me on what the differences will be between these gyms? i would greatly value your opinions on the atmosphere of branded and council gyms, and the value for money of each.

shoequeen

Hi

You cant make your choice without visiting. If you feel a bit intimidated & a bit silly going to have a look then (lets face it) you'll never darken their doors to actually exercise there. You need to go and see how each one feels.

I suggest (if you want to be MSE about it) you start by visiting the most expensive one that you're least likely to want to join. then you can get over the feeling self-concious in the place you're least likely to ever go back to.

All gyms do inductions & will give you a safe exercise programme, so don't worry about not feeling sure of what you're doing. And all gyms have poseurs (you can ignore them) and all have friendly welcoming people who started just like you.

Congratulations on your weight loss. You may have regained some - but you're still 2st less than you were. Thats got to be celebrated.

custardy

as said go along and have a look.
however the gym isnt for everyone.ive dropped about 6 stone :eek: with another 2 to go.
ive got free weights at home,cant even move in my bedroom for them lol.

however the best thing i did was join a local krav maga class.its a good mix with very fit guys and some a lot fatter/less fit than me and levels inbetween
now something like krav isnt for everyone as its very hands on/physical but doing stuff in groups provides loads of motivation.
i started on one class being very apprehensive.now i do 3 a week and some of us meet up for a fitness class one a week outdoors. i do loads more there than i would on my own!
so dont just think gyms,look around at whats availavble locally,anything from yoga,martial arts or anything involving a bit of exercise

bird-brain_2

good advice, thanks.

the local council gym pass costs £25 a month, ish, but for £31 a month the pass includes aerobics/ kickboxing/ cheerleading etc classes and swimming pool. la fitness is in the city centre (more convenient) and is £33.

i just wondered if the commerical/ larger chain gyms are likely to offer anything that the council won't, apart from more convenient locations.

kal25

Hi bird brain, just wanted to say you shouldn't beat yourself up about putting weight on. The fact is you did lose some and should be proud of that fact. Also the fact you are not happy and prepared to do something is a very good start.
As some of the other posters have put it would probably be agood idea to go and see the gyms before deciding, you will then be able to see for yourself what is on offer. Myself personally started going to the council run gym because it's basically pay as you go ( as in you can pay for a month and not into a contract). The branded gyms normally entail that yoiu are signed up for a year. So if you decide it is not for you, you will be stuck in a contract. HTH and good luck.

hjb123

Ive just joined upto my local Total Fitness to try and lose some of my excess weight. Ive kept putting it off and finding other stuff to occupy my time but have finally taken the plunge! Its not too bad once you finally do do it. Best thing to do is have a tour round and see what the different places have to offer, how much they cost and what you get for the price. I know now I havce joined up I will make use of it and make sure I get my moneys worth out of what I am paying each month!

Although there is a main gym there is also a ladies only gym room which is good if you have confidence problems or find it itimindating all these stick thin or body building types going about!

BrunoM

The Pruhealth deal mentioned by Martin elsewhere on these forums/weekly moneysaving emails, is a pretty good way in I think. My OH went for it, we're paying £30/month for her health insurance now, and as long as she goes twice a week to her local Cannons, she gets the gym membership completely free (after the first 3 months - the first quarter they charge 25/month). OK so this is still 30/month - but Cannons would've charged around 55/65 per month as stand-alone, so it's a great deal in that respect, and I'm sure if something does happen we'll be very glad of the health insurance.
Also the "free only if you go 2+ times a week" is quite a good motivator (for me, to hassle her...)!

But yeah, go along and check them out first. When we were looking around, we got guided tours of each place, and in a couple places they offered us half-day trial memberships too.

Miroslav

Visit each one, tell them your aims and see which one sells it to you the best.

Remember the length of contracts. The bigger the name, the more likely they will want you in a 12-18 month contract, where a 1 off local gym may let you be contracted month by month.

bird-brain_2

brunoM, thanks for the suggestion, but i worked it out cost-wise and it was a lot more expensive for me to do the pru offer (and i don't really need insurance). but thanks for posting anyway.

i have an induction at the council gym tomorrow, and i think it's likely i will stick with them as i really don't want a 12 month contract.

Terrylw1

If you are worried about out of place, why not go for something more tailored than a gym.

There are lots of slimming groups thesedays where everyone will be in the same boat.

Also, they tend to be aimed mostly at women (some are exclusive) which is to help with the potential lack of confidence many women may feel.

You could also invest in some home equipment to get you started such as a twist stepper which is very small. Plenty of stuff out there, just shop around and stay away from the home shopping channel prices as they're far cheaper on Ebay!

The class type routine may be better for you so you can have support and a plan to lose weight whilst improving your fitness.

Maybe by doing that and some at home you may feel more confident to go to a gym. A lot of people fork out the fees and then lose the motivation for it.

I never bother with gyms myself as I can't be bothered waiting to get on the benches/machines so do everything outside of the gym e.g. weights, running etc...but it depens on how committed you are as you soon lose interest.

All the best

ailuro2

If you've four stone to lose, then good old walking with a heart rate monitor is the best thing for you, as long as you enjoy it, and of course once you're feeling a bit fitter, then you can add in some weight style exercises- with the dark nights coming in it's easy to get out there with some level of anonimity. Find a friend to go walking with, an hour twice a week and aim for 10000 steps during the course of a day the rest of the week.

I've been there and done that with gyms, and didn't really stick with it- I've recently joined a martial arts class that I'm really enjoying, and there's motivation to lose weight to do it better too! the forward break falls are a bit difficult with my current chubby belly, so I've a reason to lose it.

Diets never work long term either, I've gradually learned that eating healthy food is a much better way to keep my weight stable, and then exercise to burn a bit of the weight off.