Since I came back from Australia and moved to New York City for my summer internship, I’ve been more conscious about my fitness. After doing some rigorous research, I got a gym membership at New York Sports Club, which is only 3 minutes away from my apartment.
Here are some tips on getting a gym membership:
1) Always try to negotiate since the price the manager gives you is never set in stone.
2) Take advantage of their free trials.
3) Visit at least two gyms before deciding.
In my case, I first visited a gym which was 24/7 and had nice facilities but was 7 blocks away and pretty expensive. When I tried to negotiate, the gym manger ensured me that he’s been in the business for more than five years and knows that the gym offered best deals possible in the city. These managers are pretty aggressive and can be intimidating but do not let them fool you! I asked to do a free trial and loved it but decided to try NYSC anyway. What NYSC offered me ended up being half the price of the other gym, and I’m so glad I decided to choose it over the other one! (Let’s be honest, I don’t need a 24/7 gym. I will never go work out at 2 in the morning.)
The membership came with a free personal training session. When I went in for a consultation, an intense-looking trainer measured my body fat percentage and told me it was 29%. It is on the high end of an average woman’s, and he told me that if I’m serious about getting fit, I should be ready to work out at least 4 times a week. He also mentioned all the distractions that can come along the way: happy hours after work, dinner plans, laziness etc…. (I’m guilty of all of these!)
I decided not to pay the ridiculous amount of money for the trainer, but the 29% body fat was a huge reality check. My goal for the rest of the summer is to reach the lower end of the average body fat percentage and eventually enter the ‘fitness’ range in the future. I’ve been going to the gym about twice a week but starting this week, I’ll be going at least four times per week!