Help me find a health club

July 7, 2006 10:24 AM

Are there any websites where consumers review and rate health clubs in the U.S.?

I am looking to join a health club want to find a website that has reliable, impartial consumer reviews. Google/Yahoo search results are jammed with pay-per-click garbage. Please help me weed through the junk!

posted by punkfloyd to health & fitness (6 comments total)

Hey punkfloyd,

I found some reviews of chain clubs here, but I think what it really depends on is your location. Talk to friends - or if you live in a city find a guidebook or something.
posted by ifranzen at 10:54 AM on July 7, 2006

Hi - here's a suggestion that may or may not be appropriate. If you are simply trying to get in shape, you might consider starting with yoga or pilates instead. Both of these are excellent for strength training, and you will find yourself with far more directed training (and measurable results) than just joining a club and wading in to a lot of different techniques, machinery, etc. In addition, most yoga and pilates studios do not charge by the month - rather, they sell classes, with discounts on multiple purchases. No contracts, either, so if you don't like it, you're not screwed (and Bally will be very aggressive in not letting you out of your contract; in addition, my experience with them is that even quitting at the end of your contract is hard. They just keep billing in many cases.)

Once you have built up your condition with yoga, pilates, or even something like kickboxing, you'll be in a much better position to choose a more general club - and you'll have made friends and contacts who can recommend something local.

Otherwise, I might pick a local, independently-owned gym. These are usually much less slick than the corporate gyms, but they are friendlier and often cheaper. If you are interested in weight training, you must get a book called "Getting Stronger," by Bill Pearl. There's no better, user-friendlier guide - with specifics for many body types, athletic preferences, and different skill/injury levels.

BTW, this is strictly my opinion, and others may disagree, but if you do try yoga or pilates, I would recommend the Iyengar style for the former, and Classical/New York style for the latter. The reason is that these are both highly disciplined, which will teach you the routines so you can do them at home or on the road.

good luck,

Dan
posted by soulbarn at 10:59 AM on July 7, 2006

I have found that sometimes there are good reviews of a local business on Yahoo! Local, so you might want to look up local health clubs there to see if there are any reviews written.

Another thing you may want to consider is seeing if you can get a short-term free membership to the local gyms. Many will give you a free week, which should be enough time to do a few workouts, meet a few regulars, and get their opinion. But the best part of trying it yourself is that you'll be able to see if it matches your needs - what I look for in a gym might be totally different than what you look for.
posted by tastybrains at 11:25 AM on July 7, 2006

Good advice all. Thanks!
posted by punkfloyd at 11:30 AM on July 7, 2006

Yelp

Citysearch
posted by giantfist at 12:14 PM on July 7, 2006

ifranzen is right that clubs run by the same company may vary considerably. Case in point: the Bally Total Fitness (lowest tier on the Bally's club scheme) in Toronto is much nicer than the Bally's Sports Club (higher tier, more costly club) at Worldwide Plaza in NYC.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:25 PM on July 7, 2006