Who here belongs to a gym?

And actually goes to work out, LOL? I'm thinking of joining a gym but the closest thing to me is The Rush. Is anyone familiar with them? Is it just a meat market kind of place?

For those of you who do go regularly do you really enjoy it? Are there some things you really like? I know everyone is different but this would be my first time joining and I just want to make sure I will go before I sign my life away. I've been losing weight and getting into exercising in the pool but now that pool season is over I need to find something else.

I would join the Y but it's not close enough to me and I know I won't go if it's a big trip. I also checked into Curves which is close enough but I know I would get bored with it quickly because it's so small and limited.

Any thoughts, suggestions or tips are appreiciated. :)

Yes, I belong to a gym. I went regularly from the time I joined last November until this June. Then I could simply NOT force myself to go in the summer. I am starting back up tomorrow ... I swear!

I checked Curves out, and didn't think it was for me. My sister joined it for a while, and it didn't do much for her.

A gym ... like anything else ... is what you make it. You get what you give. It's hard to stick with ANY exercise program, sometimes. The reason I joined the gym I did is that it's open 24 hours per day, which works for me.

Our family belongs to the Y, and we enjoy it a lot...but it's sometimes hard to get there with our busy schedule...:rolleyes: :p ;) I love swimming laps though, as well as playing basketball, and doing other acrobatics sometimes.:)

I've been going to Curves since January '04.
It's the right amount of excercise for me!:)

What's a gym? :p

I went for a year, but I have recently quit lol! I just got bored out with it. so now I just play volleyball, walk the dogs longer, and just do more things I like.

I joined an awesome gym, Louisville Athletic Center (LAC), in June 2004. I went for a long time, and lost some weight doing it. Then, for other reasons, I stopped going and I just gained a ton of weight. I hadn't been going regularly for about 9months, when I realized I was wasting my money. I went maybe 3 days out of the entire month, when I had that "I'm too fat to do anything, I'm starting a diet tomorrow!" thing some nights.. and then fail the next morning. So, I tried to go back but found out I couldn't because of my back. I have a bad back, yes only at age 17, and my doctor told me NOT to workout like I do. I just needed light activity - walking the dog, jogging around the block, etc. Not 2 hours of intense cardio. I go to see my back doctor in less than 2 weeks, we'll see what she says about it.

But since I can't go as often as I'd like to (I've been on a diet for about 1.5 months, so far, and lost a bunch of weight. :)) I ended my membership - I can go until Sept 30.

If I hadn't been depressed, I would've stuck to going to the gym regularly. I LOVE my gym - it's SO nice. It's not a meat market, either. It's got tons of things for you to do - aerobics, classes, cardio, weight training, sporting facilities, movies to watch, tvs, music, etc etc. It's so nice, plus, there is a section for the big buff guys to go workout. I learned that if I went into that area, I was more likely to get help with the machines because the guys were so nice! :)

When I got help with my depression and now I'm okay, my back started to fade out. It sucks major, because it would be a lot easier with a gym.

All I can say is think about your options. I didn't - I just jumped right into things, and wasted a ton of money. Look around, go visit the gym - take a tour, and "test" it out first for the day. See if it's you. There's nothing wrong with saying no. :)

Good luck, and I hope it works out for you!!!


PS - sorry I hijacked this thread with my oh-woe-as-me story.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Buckner - what you said was very helpful. Sorry to hear you've had so much trouble. Hope things are improving and congrats on the recent weight loss.

PJ's Mom - ROFLOL!!!!!!

Im a member of a gym but I hardly ever go there:o

Why join a gym when we have a $1,500 treadmill collecting dust in our very own basement? ;) :p

Seriously, I find it hard to get myself out the door to go to the bank or post office, how on earth am I going to make it to the gym on a regular basis? Even when I did have a membership, I went for two months then it pittered out.

I SWEAR once the weather cools to start walking again. Both Nicki and I could use a little momentum in our bones.

Catnapper - that is my biggest concern. I've gotten to the point where I don't run around much anymore. I pretty much go back and forth to my dad's (opposite direction of the gym) and that's it besides absolutely have to trips like for groceries. The gym I'm looking into is about 4-5 miles away but it's across a busy interstate exit with lots of traffic from tons of shopping/restaurants. I can see me saying the traffics too bad and not going. If it was on this side of the interstate I would say no biggie.

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Originally posted by PJ's Mom
What's a gym? :p

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I was JUST gonna say that! lol

Not at the present, no. I had to cancel my membership when I got real sick again.

I do better at things like yoga classes (with friends) or at home doing my own thing.

I hate "meat market" type places, so I tend to go early in the a.m.

I keep telling myself that I'm going to get myself a gym membership, but somehow between school, work and the countless hours of doing nothing, I can't find the time... :rolleyes:

Curves. :)

Many times during my early 20's and onward, I have joined gyms. I would pay my membership and then not go after about a month. My level of committment was pretty low.

Now and for the last year, I have been doing Pilates exercise beds....yes, you can get other forms of exercise while in bed!..... and I pay by the month and go 5 times a week. They expect you to call if you are not able to make it and they, in turn, keep the classes down to 5 or 6 participants.

So really what I am saying is, the small classes work better for me than the ones where you will not be misses at all....or you have to self direct your time spent there.

Just the fact that they are expecting me and in some cases, the classes are cancelled if only one person shows up......so there is pressure put on you by the other attendees, for you to attend to make up enough people to hold the class to begin with.......

This exercise works for me!

:p

I belong to Fitness USA. I tend not to go as often as I should because of the distance of the place from my home.

Once I get home, I never want to turn around and drive all the way back to the city.

I tried going after work, but the place was packed and all I could think about was Kia and knowing she had to go potty and me making her hold it longer. :o

My friend joined the same place so we've been pretty good about lately with car pooling once we both arrive at my place.

But my membership is done in November and I'm not planning on renewing.

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Originally posted by PJ's Mom
What's a gym? :p

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LMAO!! I'm with you on that one!

Yes, I have a membership and it's less than 5 minutes away from me. I couldn't pass it up because it's only $9 a month. I was going 4 times a week but when Storm got sick last November I stopped going and now it's gotten much more crowded. I was making myself go when they open at 5am and then I was continuing my free weight work out at home. I really need to start going again soon because it really does make me feel better and I have more energy.:)

I have been paying $145 a month for 2 years and have used it a handful of times, its a family plan.

I told my husband last night I am going to cancel it and hire a gardener for the backyard instead, we are just too busy to use it.

I belong to a dance studio where I do jazz dance weekly (2,5 hrs) and I belong to a gym where I go two times a week and do the weightlifting machines to have the power to dance:D

I didn't join the latter until May this year. I felt that I really really had lost power in the last year or so and felt I need to strengthen my muscles. The good thing is it helps your joints ( as the muscles help holding them), your back and it is good for osteoporosis (my mom being very osteoporotic I am afraid it might happen to me too) as it increases the growth of bone substance.

Plus I hope I will have arms like Madonna in a year:D ;)