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Health club or Gym?

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- Health Club or Gym?
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Why join a Health Club?

"Health club" sounds pretty simple right? It's must be about getting fit & healthy, but how is that any different from a gym? I have always loved the outdoors and found it really hard to keep motivated going to a gym and do indoor exercises, but having been a member of a health club for a while I can now see its benefits. Fitness in my view shouldn't just be a quick power workout on the way home from work, but a lifestyle as a whole where exercise is just a part. Naturally it's not easy to get the balance right as there are many components of daily life that need to match up, and in some periods they just don't! Joining a health club is a great start to a more balanced life, as it on top of providing a great fitness environment
gives a space just to relax & rewind. Many clubs offer pool, sauna & spa facilities, which I feel is a big bonus compared to a standard gym. Some days you may not feel like exercising at all, and spending time in a club's recreational areas can add a lot to your life style. It can be hard to choose a health club, but here's some tips on what to look for in a health club.

What do I like?

The most important thing before deciding on a gym or health club, is to simply find out what things excite you. What do you like? What exercises do you enjoy and how do you relax? If you don't like water activities or relaxing in the sauna, it doesn't help you that the club offers great pool facilities. Or if you are mainly into cardio exercises, what do you need the big weight lifting part of the club for? Naturally there's always going to be areas of a gym or health club that you use less, or don't use at all, but it's important that you enjoy the majority of the things and activities offered.

In addition to the standard gym equipment, some Health Clubs include facilities such as:

Badminton & Basketball courts
Tennis & Squash courts
Child care
Variety of classes & training sessions
Pool & Spa facilities

Will you be using those?

Trendy Gym bags

Health Club or Gym?

Any thoughts?

What do you prefer?

Gyms for sure

Definitely Health Clubs

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Classes & availability

A great part of joining a gym or health club is the option to join classes. Usually most classes are covered by your membership, so you don't need to worry about pulling your out your wallet if you want to give something a try! I have found health clubs to generally have a much greater variety of classes, which for me was another great tick for choosing a health club.

Becoming a club member has meant that I have tried a lot of things which I normally wouldn't have. It's easy to give it a try, and if you don't like it, you just don't sign up for the next one. It's as easy as that.

Examples of training sessions:

Yoga
Pilates
Tai Chi
Boxing
Spinning
Power plate exercises
Aqua jogging
Aqua Zumba

Things to check:

1) What's the timetable for the classes?
2) Availability? Is it easy to book & cancel?
3) Level? Try to get a feel for what audience a certain class attracts, beginners or advanced? It's always nice to have someone to chat with, it is a club after all, so it's meant to be a social thing too.

Recreational areas

A big plus for me is the pool facilities. I enjoy swimming and pool exercises as well as relaxing in the spa. Some days you may not feel like doing that much exercise, and what better way to spend the time than rejuvenate in the spa & sauna. In that way a club becomes more than hard work outs, but a place of calmness and well being.

Some places also offer massage and day spa facilities, which add a different dimension to a fitness club.

So if you enjoy those things, check how busy the facilities are, and the overall condition of them. If such recreational areas aren't for you, look into what other clubs or gyms have to offer.

The obvious one - Cost & Terms

Yes the one always on the back of the mind -how much is going to cost? It can be a real hassle to get out of a contract if you change your mind with a gym or health club, so carefully look through their terms before signing up. How easy it to terminate the contract? and what are their payment terms?

I have found Virgin Active to have fairly good terms and their prices are reasonable. It is easy to start and stop and it is money well spent if you use it frequently. Therefore ask your self:

1) How close is it to where I live? If it's too far you are probably not going to use it enough to make it a part of your lifestyle
2) Do their opening hours suit me?
3) Does the membership allow me to use partner clubs too?

Running gear

Health & Fitness Clubs

Virgin Active AUSTRALIA Health Clubs: Virgin Australia Health Clubs
Health Clubs of America main site: Health Clubs of America
Virgin Active UK health Clubs: Virgin Health Clubs UK
Virgin Active SPAIN Health clubs: Virgin Active health club Spain
Virgin Active ITALY Health Clubs: Virgin Active Italy Health Club
Virgin Active Health Club SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa Virgin Active Health Club
Equinox AMERICA Health Clubs: Equinox US health clubs
Virgin active PORTUGAL Health Clubs: Virgin Active health club Portugal
Xsportfitness AMERICA main site: Xsportfitness US
VClub Australia: Vclub wellness Club Australia
American Family Fitness: American family fitness

Guestbook & Feedback

Please feel free to add comments

Thank you for stopping by. What's your thoughts on fitness clubs? Are you already exercising a lot or would you like to get fit? Let me know you were here, I appreciate your comments.

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MonikaWeise Aug 31, 2011 @ 3:52 pm | delete

Thanks for clearing up the difference between a health club and a gym.

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seashell2 Jun 30, 2011 @ 8:21 pm | delete

I workout at the gym usually three days a week... light weights and cardio machines! :-) Like the gym bags you've featured here!