Ten Health Club Secrets

By: Lanny Schaffer, Ph.D

Joining a health club is a major decision. When you first visit
or join a gym everything may look great from the outside.
Unfortunately, there are many secrets your gym does not want you
to know:

1)DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING- IT's CRAWLING WITH BACTERIA. Most
infectious diseases are transmitted by direct or indirect
contact. Perspiring bodies in close proximity make such contact
higly likely. Anytime you touch a peice of equipment your hands
are contaminated and should be washed. The spray bottles of
liquid many gyms use to wipe down equipment helps somewhat, but
additional measures such as wearing long sleeves and pants is
recommended. Also, use your own towels and wear some type of
footwear in the locker rooms.

2)IF YOU LAST 90 DAYS IT'S A MIRACLE. Studies show that most
individuals drop their fitness program in 90 days. In fact,
health clubs count on a 20-30% drop out rate especially after
the January New Years's resolution crowd. Check the crowd
situation by visiting gyms during the time of day you want to
work out and see if waiting lists and time limits on machines
are enforced.

3) OUR EQUIPMENT COULD BE UNSAFE. Gyms do not need special
licenses nor do they need to follow special guidelines from
reputable groups such as The American College of Sports
Medicine. Gyms, their staff and their equipment are not always
up to par because there are no standardization laws. Injuries
often occur due to improperly maintained equipment. You can ask
to view the maintenance books to see if a gym does regular
upkeeps. Avoid any machine that sticks, doesn't move smoothly or
feels like something may be loose.

4)WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OF YOUR POSSESSIONS. If you
wallet gets lifted from your locker the gym will not likely take
responsibility. Many aren't aware that petty theft occurs often
in health clubs. Don't consider your belongings safe in a gym
locker while you workout. If you do use a locker, use a padlock
with a key as they are harder to pick than combination locks.

5)UNBEATABLE DEALS. Not all gyms sell memberships at the same
price to each prospective member. Most gyms have a tough sales
staff which is trained to sell whatever kind of deal they can
negotiate.

6)READ THE FINE PRINT ON YOUR CONTRACT. Many fast talking sales
representatives can make you feel like you are getting the deal
of the century. There may, however, be a few catches in the fine
print. Always take the contract home and read every word of it.

7)GO AHEAD AND TRY TO QUIT. Many clubs make it very hard to
cancel a membership by not returning cancellation calls or
saying a refund check is in the mail when it isn't. Trouble
canceling memberships is one of the leading complaints filed
against health clubs with the Better Business Bureau. Follow
your contract terms completely when cancelling a membership.

8) DON'T HAVE AN EMERGENCY HERE. About one third of heart
attacks that happen outside the home or hospital occur in
fitness centers or sports facilities. Most clubs are not
prepared for such events. While most staff is trained in CPR,
automatic external defibrillators are recommended by The
American College of Sports Medicine for most clubs. The average
club does not have this life saving device.

9)OUR STAFF ISN'T QUALIFIED OR KNOWLEDGABLE. There are no rules
that state trainers need any certification and many
certification courses are nothing but online flukes. Seek
trainers with credentials from a reputable association, with
several years experience, references and a background in one of
the sports sciences.

10)GO AHEAD AND TRY TO SUE. Most fitness centers have you sign a
waiver which protects them from lawsuits concerning bad
machines, flooring problems, accidents and mistakes by staff
which injure members. Most likely the court will rule on behalf
of the gym except where gross negligence may have occured.

As you can see, there's much more to a health club than meets
the eye. Fitness centers are businesses and have many of the
less pleasant qualities that go along with running any money
making operation. Awareness of the shortcomings of most clubs
makes choosing a gym a much more informed decision.

About the author:
Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and President of
The International Fitness Academy. For mure savvy fitness ideas
and news go to http://www.aerobics
-exercise-coach.com