How to find the right health club

BURLINGTON, Vt. (CNS) - Who would purchase a home without looking at it first or buy a car without a test drive? Similarly, it is important to know what you're buying when you purchase a health club membership.

Holy Cross Father Vincent J. Coppola of Sacred Heart-St. Francis de Sales Parish in Bennington, Vt., began his search for a health club with certain criteria in mind. - Does it offer a variety of workout machines, both cardio and weight?
- How willing is the staff to help members?
- How clean is the facility? Are the machines well maintained?
- What is the club's overall atmosphere: welcoming or dungeonlike? As Father Coppola's search exemplifies, there are many considerations beyond the type of equipment and the cost of membership. What should you look for when you go in quest of a health club or gym? Here are a few suggestions: - Decide where you want to do your workout - near home or near work? Choose a club in a convenient location.
- Make sure the club offers what you want: lap swimming, water aerobics, fitness classes, etc., and make sure its hours of operation suit you.
- Check out amenities such as the lockers and showers. Are they clean?
- If you need child care, inquire whether it is available. Are the providers properly certified? Be sure the atmosphere is compatible with your children's needs.
- What about the club's instructors? Are they well trained and certified? Do they make you feel welcome? Can they answer your questions? Heather Giordano, an exercise physiologist at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., a part of Catholic Health East and the Sisters of Providence Health Systems, suggests asking if staff members are trained in CPR and if they hold memberships in organizations such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association. "Then you know they have had to demonstrate knowledge in health and fitness," she said. "You know they'll be able to create a program with you that will work for you." Also, make sure the club is in a safe location, and ask if the club will serve as a convenient base for your walking, running or bicycling regimen. (Giordano said, for example, that a walking regimen is good - 30 minutes most days of the week for maintaining health. But if you want to improve health, don't get stuck in a walking rut, she said. Walk up hills, and pick up the pace at times.) If you're looking for club extras, ask if it offers yoga classes, massage therapy or nutrition counseling. And be sure to get a look at the equipment to make sure it is safe and well maintained. Notice whether staff members are stationed near the equipment. "If they're hanging around at the front desk and not back with the equipment, it does you no good if you're a beginner," Giordano said. It's a good idea to ask friends, family members and co-workers if they have had any experiences with the club. Check it out online if possible. You might also inquire about a guest pass or free trial membership so that you can get to know the club firsthand before joining. Try to visit at the time you plan to use the facility. Is it crowded? Is there a wait for machines you'll use? Who else is working out? Father Coppola likes to have other people working out when he does. "Sometimes you lack oomph when you're alone," he commented. "But if someone is working beside you, you say, 'OK, this is good'" because of what he called a "certain unsaid competition" that makes the workout more effective. "It gives you that extra zest, that determination that can push you to build your momentum," said Father Coppola, 42, who goes to a health club four or five times a week to run four or five miles on the treadmill, work on the steps and use the rowing machine for a thorough cardiovascular workout. For him, the workout has obvious physical benefits, but it also has mental benefits. "It puts me in a better frame of mind emotionally," he said, noting that physical exercise can also be a way to relieve stress. In considering price, calculate the membership's daily and weekly cost so that you get a better idea how it fits into your budget. Ask about payment options. Be sure you can afford the club. Otherwise, the financial stress accompanying your membership could undermine your get-fit, stay-fit plan. - - - Urban is the staff reporter for The Vermont Catholic Tribune, newspaper of the Diocese of Burlington.

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