Go to the Gym Now!

It doesn't necessarily have to be the boring old gym if you hate that type of gym but getting fit is something you should do early and often. (Before starting any new exercise program or type of activity consult your physician).

Going to the gym has never been easier. There are gyms in almost all cities that have one or more locations. The gyms will also often have many options of what type of workout you can do. Whether that's running, weightlifting, classes including Zumba, Spinning, Kettlebells and many others or just using the showers and saunas which some have there is a lot you can do at a good gym.

What to look for in a gym

There are various types of traditional gyms out there. Traditional gyms tend to have cardio areas, weightlifting areas, change rooms, rooms for classes and sometimes other facilities as well. When you are ready to look at traditional gyms you should take a tour and see what they have to offer. Can you imagine yourself using these facilities?

There are some things to ask yourself. Are the facilities clean? Is the equipment clean? Do they have free weights and machine weights? How new and plentiful is the cardio equipment? Do the change rooms have free lockers? How are the showers? Are there any other benefits like a clothes ironing area or a sauna?

You should also try to go and see the gym during its busiest period. It's easy enough to go off-peak hours and poke around, but you should really take a look in the busiest period because likely you're going to run into that period from time to time.

Also important - how much does it cost and how much commitment do you have to make? Most gyms want you to commit to at least 12 months in some type of contract. Things to look out for are how long is the commitment and what is the penalty for breaking it? Do you get a discount if you sign for a term? Are there any deals on that you could take advantage of? Do you want personal training and is that included? Do you get access to other locations both in and out of your city?

There are no perfect answers to these question but gyms I've gone to range from $30-75 a month with access into many locations because they are chains. They tend not to have spa facilities (I didn't look hard as I don't really use those) but you can find them and they will likely cost more. Most gyms are busy before work, at lunch and after work so keep that in mind based on your schedule.

Other types of gyms

If you want to avoid the typical gyms because they are not for you there are many other options.

Rock climbingRock climbing gyms are more and more common and offer a great workout. These gyms tend to offer two types of climbing. The first is bouldering where you don't wear a harness or use a rope to keep you from falling. Before you panic at that idea, with bouldering you don't tend to climb very high, but instead climb only around 10-15 feet off the padded floor. Between the cushioned floor and the friends who should be spotting for you it's reasonably safe.

Top-roping is another type of indoor climbing where you do wear a harness and tie into a rope above you while your partner ties into the other end of the rope. In this case you may find yourself climbing 50+ feet above the ground depending on how high the walls are in the climbing gym. Between some clever friction gear called a Grigri and your partner's weight, they will keep you safely off the ground in case you fall off the wall.

In either case you will be asked to take a beginners course and/or do a test of your skill as well as sign a safety waiver before you start to keep everyone aware of safety.

KickboxingKickboxing comes in a couple forms. There is kickboxing where it is only punching and kicking much like the name implies. This is traditionally known as American Kickboxing. There is also Muai Thai or Thai Kickboxing which also includes knees and elbows in the striking mix. Before you start to worry that hitting people isn't for you - the good news is you don't have to hit people! Or even get hit yourself.

Most kickboxing gyms will have beginner classes where you do more than kickboxing. There will usually be a warm up period to get the blood flowing (which in itself is often a great workout), then technique and combinations where you will practice kickboxing itself with pads and finally a burnout period where you spend that last bit of energy you likely don't have!

For a general workout and getting in great shape I have yet to see anything better! If you do want to move from learning and general fitness to competition, most gyms have teams or associations with other teams that you can join after you've got to a high enough level.

Other ideas

Yoga is very popular, as are dancing classes, CrossFit gyms, Pilates gyms and many more. Sometimes these are combined together in a multi-purpose gym or they are highly specialized. Often they will offer a cheap or free introductory class so you can see if it's for you. A quick search on the internet will help you find these gyms in your area.

Whether you are retired with a drive to try new things, just out of school or married with 3 wild children it always makes sense to stay active and hit the gym! You will feel better, look better and it's been shown to make you happier both in the short term after a workout and in the long term.

For me the best decision I made was to just go for it and stay in share!

*As with all life changes consult an expert for advice before starting on the changes.