How to: Choose a heatlh club - Boston Business Journal:

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But health club industry insiders say closer inspectionh reveals a host of differences in termsof price, convenience and level of support services that, once can help guide a would-be member to choosinf the right gym. Boston-areza residents eager to boost their fitness have no shortage of from corner gyms tonational chains, each seeking to distinguish themselvesx with its facilities and Which club a person chooses probably dependas first on what they need from theier gym, said Lloyd Gainsboro, the president of , a 240,000-square-footr facility that features adult and children’s programs as well as on-sitw medical services and physiciajn partnerships.
“If you’re a 20-somethingb and you’re already in shape, you can join a Gold’s or a Worlcd Gym and use the equipment and be he said. “But the majority of the especially forolder people, need guidance to make their workouts successful and to make sure they don’y actually hurt themselves when they’re trying to get fit.” Dedham Health and Athletic includes personakl training in all memberships and only hires personal trainers with four-yeadr college degrees in exercise science or “The industry has gotten but it’s still easy to become certifiedd as a trainer,” he said.
“We want to make sure our clientws are being taught by people who knowwhat they’re talkin g about so they’ll keep coming back and meet theitr goals.” Many clubs are now working extraw hard to ensure their members continue to come to the gym, loweringh as many barriers to workinfg out as they can. “We want to make it as easy as possibld for them to come andwork out,” said Pam corporate director of sales at , bases in Boston. That meand choosing a gym with convenient locationse and theright amenities. While different factors may influencew aclub choice, some common themews are often cited by club owners as carryintg significant weight for consumers.
For instance, a good club should have very high standardsafor cleanliness, with workout and locker-roonm areas every bit as clean as the best said Derek Christensen, owner of Revolution Fitness LLC on Columbus Christensen bought the club and spent nearly a year renovating it, creatin g a modern fitness studio, and he is now settinv out to assemble what he hopes will becomw seen as the best fitness training stafdf in the city. Club shoppers should take the time to become fullyt aware of what a facility is offering for contracyt terms and what is included in the said Gainsboro, whose Dedhamk facility offers 30-day memberships and does not require long-terjm commitments.
“People need to ask about extra class feesor babysitting,” he said. meanwhile, dispelled the myth that healthg clubs want people to sign up and not come tothe gym. For a locallt owned shop like his own seekingt to compete against nationall chains such asand , more service and attentiohn from club staff is a key “In the end, the price points are all prettty similar,” he said. “We get a lot of high-ene users — people that sign up actually comeand that’xs good because I can have feweer members on my roster and pay each of them bettedr and more personalized attention.
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