What to look for when choosing a Gym or Fitness Club?

Club Greenwood Has The Best Studios Under One Roof!

It’s a good idea to do some due diligence before you pick your new health club, gym, or fitness studio. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when choosing where to work out:

How Much Does the Health Club or Fitness Studio Align With Your Needs?

Whenever you’re thinking about expanding your fitness routine (or starting a new one), it’s a good idea to think about the results you want to get from it. Yes, almost everybody wants to achieve that mythical endgame of 12% body fat and perfect abs, but long-term fitness goes far beyond just chasing appearance goals.

Are you looking to get stronger? If so, what does strength mean to you? Is it measured in bench press weight, balance, or your ability to sustain long-distance cardio? It’s perfectly fine if you’re not looking to put on muscle. Fitness goals like “I want to sleep better” or “I want to feel more confident in my body” are just as valid.

Of course, different sets of needs will be best met by different types of fitness. Doing your homework ahead of time helps you find the style of fitness that best equips you to chase your unique goals.

Different gyms also come with vastly different amenities, so making a wish list ahead of time doesn’t hurt. What are some of the things you’d most enjoy engaging with? Heated swimming pools? Indoor basketball hoops? Pickleball courts? Classes like yoga, barre, and cycling? Even if these amenities aren’t at the top of your wish list, they’re all excellent opportunities to explore new areas of fitness later on!

You can always see if your prospective gym has some sort of first-timer option that allows you to check out classes or workouts without committing to a full contract. There’s no substitute for actually trying the workout you want to ensure it’s something you can engage with.

Visiting a club in person is a good idea for many reasons. It lets you get a head-start on the next important question on our list.

What Kind of Community Are You Looking For?

Athletes of every sport and skill level tend to agree on one thing: having a good community is vital if you want to see long-term success on your fitness journey. In addition to offering support and accountability, a community also offers plenty of opportunities to learn from people that are more experienced than you are. All of these can make a huge difference as you pursue your goals!

However, the term community can mean different things to different people, so it’s a good idea to check out the gym ahead of time. Some people want a tight-knit class that they can routinely work out with. Others want a single, supportive mentor figure. Plenty of other athletes are content to just exchange approving nods and fist-bumps with other people in the weight room

If you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, access to coaches and personal trainers is incredibly valuable. That’s why Club Greenwood offers complimentary Pilates sessions to help new members get oriented and meet their peers! 

As an added bonus, finding a gym that fosters a fitness community is great for making friends outside of the gym. If you find yourself training with the same people over and over, it’s a good bet that they’ve got similar interests to you–at least as far as fitness is concerned! Since you already have something in common, it’s easy to meet new people, find exciting commonalities, and turn gym friends into permanent friends. 

What Does Committing to a Health Club Look Like?

There’s a popular saying in the fitness world, “Your progress isn’t defined by what you do on the days when you WANT to go. Rather, it’s decided by what you do when you DON’T WANT to work out.”

Without a doubt, the single most crucial part of a new fitness routine is your ability to commit to it. It helps to get an idea of what committing actually means. How does this new gym routine fit within your schedule? Are you able to come in two to three times a week? Can you build a workout with flexibility, cardio, and strength? 

At the end of the day, there are multiple factors to determine if a health club or studio is the right fit. Is there enough variety in the activities that work for you?? Is group fitness included in your membership, or is it separate? Are there options to work with private or small groups in activities like Personal Training, pilates, cycling, or lifting? 

The best way to approach the question is by being honest with yourself about your short-term needs, long-term goals, and ability to keep showing up. Almost every form of fitness can seem scary and intimidating at first, but that’s a fear that rapidly fades over time. By being mindful about what you’re putting into your fitness journey (and what you hope to get out of it!), you can sideline that fear, build sustainable habits, and crush your fitness goals. 

That’s where we come in.

Club Greenwood is the Denver Tech Center’s premier fitness destination for a reason: we offer a diverse range of fitness activities along with top-tier facilities and a supportive community. Our philosophy is that fitness should be intuitive, accessible, and—most importantly—fun!