gym fees

[joel]

so my wife wants to join a gym as she wont be able to continue running as the weather gets worse during the fall/winter. unfortunately neither of know a whole lot about the options or what's involved.

she's been to the "she's fit" close to our place on kingsway. they quoted her a 100$ sign-up fee, and then 25$ a month for a contract of a year, so that she has unlimited access to classes, equipment, etc.

For those of you who might have more experience with gym fees and different gyms maybe you can advise if that's a good deal. Also do gyms typically provide a free trial period which includes classes?

also what are some other options? is there anything else besides getting a full gym membership. Are there places where you can sign up for just the classes.

I think she is primarily interested in the classes and probably less inclined just to use equipment and workout on her own.

any advice is appreciated.

[Duncan]

there are tons of exercise classes she can look into at local community centres that don't require membership/contract fees... just a course fee and no crazy pressure to continue membership.

Additionally, don't you guys have a treadmill? can't she use that to run indoors when the weather gets bad?

[joel]

i think she wants to join classes as she'll feel more motivated to keep it up.

[Duncan]

ah, but yea, in that case, community centres have classes as well. You can sign up for a month long class or get a punch card or pay drop in fees.

[se7entse7en]

Running in the rain isn't really that bad. I mean, whether you're running in the sun or the rain, you're still gonna get wet and the first thing you're gonna do after your run is crawl into the shower and get even wetter. Though I have to admit that running in the dark does kinda suck.

The RunningRoom has clinics where they give you tips on running and help you achieve your goals (on Tuesdays). They have various clinics to choose from ranging from a walking clinic right up to running a marathon and doing a triathlon.

They have practise runs on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings that anybody can run for free.

If she's looking for help with motivation, it's always easier to run with a group of people. Signing up (paying) for a particular clinic does seem to help build camaraderie... or at least it helped me.

[nature boy]

the new trevor linden gyms are like $15 a month. not sure about programs there though. there's one that just opened up in middlegate.

the cheapest places are the small independent places. if you go to those chains, expect to pay more in membership fees (but probably nicer equipment). and community centers have drop-in fees too. so you can check the place out without committing.

[joel]

i think "she's fit" is affiliated with club16(the trevor linden gym's). She was also quoted a $15 a month price after startup fees, but that did not give her access to any classes, just equipment use and only at that specific gym. the $25 month fee actually she was quoted was supposed to all classes (except for one hot yoga type class) and apparently use and access to all club16 gyms too.

[nature boy]

she might like the just ladies places. lots of dudes go to gyms just to check out chicks (jt and keian).

[se7entse7en]

fwiw, I just got an email saying that the new 5K and 10K clinics will be starting up on Sept 15th @ the BBY RR. (Market Crossing)

[joel]

thanks for your guys feedback and input. I think joyce has settled on joining the She's Fit fitness club nearby our place. She's been to a couple of classes so far and says she enjoys it.

She's also considering starting the 10k clinic at the RR. I am still considering whether or not to join her.