health clubs - cost/benefit question I'm weighing

[tygab]

Here's the question. I have been going to a gym for 2 yrs that I really have some issues with.

The pros - for me it has the basics - a pool, indoor cycling classes, weights, and t(d)readmills and is 5 minutes drive after work. It is also $55/month which for this area gym with pool is reasonable.

The cons - the whole place is oversubscribed and it drives me batty, but particularly the locker room. It is often filthy, there's not enough changing area etc. The pool is not much better; while I don't often have to share lanes, the pool area overall is "aged" and always has either exercise classes in one part or playing kids or both, at the times I can go. When I swim, I just wanna go and lap swim in peace, among other lap swimmers. And it is not near my home so weekends are not convenient. And one of the treadmills of my preference is almost always broken.

In short, I feel like I should not be rewarding this gym's ownership for what I feel like is not enough investment back into the facilities to improve.

After researching, I found another place which is about 15-20 minutes from my house, but of course in the opposite direction from work(!).

Pros: close to home for weekends, a dedicated lap pool (not sure how winter demand will be but I'll assume it's at least reasonable), outdoor pool with lap lanes in summer, restaurants, big spacious women's locker room which were CLEAN at 7 pm, modern aerobic area, plenty of classes, in short a very full service, upscale-y kinda place.

Cons: Price - 2x my current place. Weekday location is inconvenient. It would be harder to go during the week, with weekday cycling class times at 6 pm, though, in theory I could get there once or twice a week by making sure I leave work early enough. $5 fee if I am a no show to spin class I signed up for (this doesn't happen often to me now, but it will happen especially with that time).

In nice weather, weekdays, I ride or run around my house. I will do some lake swimming in summer. Getting outside is my preference, and cheaper, but with shorter days and colder weather it isn't always an option. I also do have a trainer which is convenient and good variety.

So it seems my choices are either save $ but hate the place I go, or spend $$ but maybe not feel like I am using it to it's maximum...

I would be interested to hear what you look for in a health club and what you're willing to pay for that... and what you think I should do I guess...

[crazycanuck]

Just my 2 cents..

I thought about joining a gym just to utilize their spin bike and weights machine. Ian & I discussed it and we bought ourselves a second hand spin bike & a weights machine instead. I would rather work out at home when I want to. I can do Spinervals DVD's without leaving my house The weights machine, hand weights, theraband, swiss ball, medicine ball etc are used almost daily & are ourrrrs to use every second we want..

I swim twice a week year round with a group and refuse to give that up.

Why not just get some weights for home? Can you just get a swim pass for the pool? The place sounds huge!

that might have been 5 cents..

[dex]

I switched to a gym that's a little less conveniently located (not entirely by choice, since my previous gym just closed its doors with no notice one afternoon). I find that I still go, but it takes massaging my schedule a bit--sometimes driving instead of riding to work if it's a swim day, changing around my lifting routine, packing extra food in the morning...nothing drastic, but little tweaks that make traveling a little farther out of my way a little easier to accommodate. Sometimes I find this extra prep stuff annoying, but usually I don't pay much attention to it.

You might want to ask the gym staff about how busy the lap pool is in the winter, since it seems like a pool is one of the most important criteria for you. It would suck to fork over the extra dough only to find that the pool is way too crowded for your comfort/use for a chunk of the year.

[tygab]

@crazycanuck, no, neither has a swim only pass. I have yet to find someplace that does. if there were a convenient one that'd probably do it, because the rest I could do elsewhere most days.

@dex, very true. this is probably the sticking point. Based on what I've seen of area pools, this is probably the best one because they have other pools for exercise classes and kids. The only conflict is in winter the lap pool is used for swim team between 4-6 but I'm working then anyway. Every other pool I know of and researched (including Y's, none of which are close) splits one pool into many different uses which means it's likely busy.

I think I'd be happy going here and could work out the scheduling somehow. guess I gotta find a way to save $50 somewhere else to come out even.

[teigyr]

I was lucky because when I switched gyms, everything was in my favor. The new gym was nicer, less crowded, closer, and less expensive

I will say that when I quit my old gym, I was fed up. I had already been researching other possibilities. I only use the gym for swimming and spinning though I might start up weights. In the new one, the pool is so nice. The locker room (not that it matters but still) has hair dryers, a bathing suit dryer, sauna, and the lockers are wood-paneled. It just seems more civilized.

I think you should go for it. While the new one seems less convenient and it's more expensive, you might look forward to going vs. dreading an unpleasant gym experience. It'd be nice if you could find somewhere closer though. I know the cost is more but there is something to be said for a gym that is within a mile or two of your work or where you live.

[Mr. Bloom]

the whole place is oversubscribed and it drives me batty, but particularly the locker room. It is often filthy, there's not enough changing area etc.

I hate crowds and I hate filth...that would decide it for me.

[tygab]

thanks, all. I think this has confirmed what is the right direction for me. Closer to home, and a club I will be happy with, vs, skeezed out by! I have been researching this new and other possible gyms for months and it is really the best around for my interests.
It also doesn't hurt that I found two reviews of my current gym from random internet people and both said the same things I did, so it's not just in my head!

Plus maybe I'll try some of their yoga classes.