Picking the right gym for you is about as crucial to your physical fitness as picking the right partner is for your relationship! I would say that no one gym is neccesarily better than the next, they’re all just different and it really depends on your taste. Now, as you can guess, this article was inspired because I just joined a new gym! After moving a couple months ago, my old gym was no longer convenient and I needed to find something more local. There are about four gyms within walking distance of my apartment with quite a range in style and atmosphere. After visiting them all it became clear what was important to me in a gym and what gym I would REALLY want to go to day after day – and that’s the key to finding a place that helps you work out! Here are the ABC’s I would strongly advise you to consider when choosing the perfect gym to start shedding that holiday weight at..
ATMOSPHERE
Do you feel like your in someone’s basement? A mannequin on display at a store in a window front space? Now don’t misunderstand me, I don’t mean these negatively, if you like the rough and gruff appeal of a basement like gym with the barebones of decorations and tons of machines and weights because it makes you feel like your ready to pump some iron and work hard – then that’s the right gym for you! If you get so bored at cardio but absolutely love people watching, maybe a gym with a huge window front that you can stare at while working it on the elliptical is for you. If your like me, you’ll tend to go for the spa like gym with a sauna and jacuzzi because it makes you feel like your treating yourself to a workout each day. The key is just to recognize which one is going to get you into YOUR workout happy place!
BUDDIES
Nothing beats having a friend to meet at the gym, I promise nothing will make you look forward to it more. My friend Katelyn and I have been taking full advantage of belonging to the same gym, exploring classes together and gossiping on the treadmill before rewarding ourselves with a nice sauna or steam session. It doesn’t even feel like work if you have someone to join you and you’ll never miss a gym date when someones counting on you to be there!If you don’t know anyone in your neighborhood, it might also be a good idea to take some group classes and try to make a gym buddy out of someone you frequently see in your favorite classes.
CLASSES
Classes are SO important if your a group exercise person or just stuck in a rut. I’m not a huge fan of spinning but I absolutely love the spinning class at my gym because I know I will get a work out I wouldn’t get by myself. If your a yoga girl, you may want to ask around the gym about the different yoga instructors and who teaches the best class. NYC gyms are expensive enough as it is, you don’t want to join one and then have to go take your Zumba class somewhere else, so make sure you pick one with classes you could really see yourself going to!
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