Your New Gym

After this current pandemic, many people are finding themselves in one of two situations;

1. You have concerns about returning to your previous gym due to safety concerns
2. You haven’t been exercising and this pandemic has shown you how important it is to start to make your health and fitness a priority.

I’ve owned or operated my doctor’s office within a variety of gyms since 2007. There’s a lot out there. I’m going to do my best to explain the various options out there, in hopes to make your return a safe and positive one.

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be me telling you why our gym is the best and everyone should go there. It’s not for everyone, nor do we want everyone.

Here are 3 types of gym options/memberships;

1. Globo Gyms–
   Think Planet Fitness, Gold’s Gym, YMCA or similar. These gyms have low ($10-40/mon) “access” fees. They usually involve a lengthy contract and very little help once you join. There are endless rows of cardio equipment and plenty of free weights and machines. Some of these gyms may include large group classes of 20+ members.

   If low cost, and little direction is your “thing”; this may be a good fit for you. That’s not a bad thing, however, this style of gym is usually best suited for a very motivated gym goer who doesn’t require much oversight, help, or accountability.

2. “Boot Camps”–
   Here is where businesses like Orange Theory, Burn Boot Camp, Fit Body Boot Camp land. These gyms will have a higher price point than Globo Gyms ($99-199/mon). They almost always have an initial offer of 2-4 weeks free, to help get you in the door.

The biggest complaints I hear from people that leave these kinds of places is the classes are too large or there is not enough individual attention towards the members needs and goals. Getting started at these facilities is a relatively simple process and once you’ve joined, you can start jumping into classes immediately.

The main surprise here, to me, is that short of selling their branded supplements, most of these places do not offer any kind of individualized nutrition coaching program.

All in all, these kinds of gyms are super popular and do a good job motivating people to make a change.

3. The “Wellness” Center- There is a growing trend in fitness to collaborate with other health and fitness professionals in effort to offer more to their clientele. At facilities like these, you may see massage therapists, chiropractors, physical therapist, nutrition coaches, fitness coaches and others all working together as a team, to best meet the clients needs.

At these facilities (like ours), memberships usually start with a conversation. We need to start with a conversation to learn the clients needs and goals first. From that discussion, we prescribe options for the best way to reach their goals. This may include one on one personal training, individualized nutrition coaching and/or some group classes.

If injuries are a concern, or the client is recovering from a surgery, membership options may include treatment with a doctor or massage therapist.

The benefits of a set up like this, is that it allows the client to work with a team, so that the professionals can discuss potential pitfalls and keep open communication to best meet the needs of the individual client. Most clients appreciate the ability to have much of their healthcare needs under one roof and convenient for them in regards to travel.

Facilities like these would likely have monthly rates starting at approximately $150 and going up to $1000+ if they include personal training, nutrition, or other programs.

Depending on the individual and their specific needs, each of these 3 options can be beneficial. The truth is that none of these options work if you cannot show up consistently. The best facilities in the world, with all the top professionals and equipment don’t matter if you’re not willing to show up.