Duvall’s story is remarkable, but research suggests that her success is far from unique. Scientists at the University of Western Australia studied 126 women and found that those who exercised at a gym were four times more likely to stick with their routine than were those who worked out at home. Although the women in the study were supervised while they exercised, you don’t need a trainer by your side to get better results at a health club than at home, says Wayne Westcott, PhD, who has observed thousands of women’s workout habits as research director for the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA. (Especially when you own one of our favorite fitness DVDs.) “Gyms offer a range of activities to keep you from getting bored,” he says. “And you typically work out harder in a gym because you’re less likely to get distracted by the phone, kids, or laundry.” Getting What You Need Health clubs are catering to women like Duvall more than ever before. The old gray and swampy weight rooms—once a bastion of no-neck jocks—have been scrubbed, shined, and stocked with women-friendly features such as saunas, stair-climbers, and even child care. The result: more personal attention and convenience, and an emphasis on machines that trim and tone (cardio equipment and weight-training machines) as opposed to megapound free weights that build power and bulk. (Just be sure not to make these 10 treadmill mistakes.) More from Prevention: Why Women Don’t (But Should) Lift Weights Class schedules once dominated by standard-issue aerobic sessions now have jazzy new lineups including Cardio Salsa, Urban Yoga, and Pilates Strength. Plus, not a gym in the country can get away with omitting personal services such as customized fitness training and counseling in nutrition and weight loss. Having figured out that convenience and pampering (in addition to weight loss) are among women’s most basic desires, clubs have begun offering a vast assortment of on-site extras: day care, hair salons, dry cleaning, gourmet takeout, massages, and facials.With the types of services and facilities available today, there’s no excuse for not finding a gym that’s right for you. Still, in surveying our readers, Prevention heard over and over again that family responsibilities and lack of time and money were prohibiting them from making regular appearances at the gym. So we asked the leading experts how to turn these top excuses into get-to-the-gym solutions. More from Prevention: 25 Easy Ways To Get Fit In 10 Minutes Excuse: “I have no time.” “I work 9- or 10-hour days—sometimes even longer—and I always think that if I’m going to make the effort to go to the gym, I’d better spend at least 1 1/2 hours there,” says Meana Kasi, 26, a marketing manager in Silver Spring, MD. “Because I don’t have that much time, I just never go.” Solution: Streamline your workout. Look for a gym—ideally one within 15 minutes of your home or office—that has circuit training. These quick workouts mix short bouts of cardio with resistance training for a total-body workout in less than an hour. “I love that I can get in a complete workout in 30 minutes,” says Melissa Coulstring, 28, a children’s mental health counselor in Belleville, Ontario, who goes to Curves, the women-only fitness-club chain that popularized this trend. Excuse: “I’m strapped for cash.” “I wish gyms would stop charging so much,” says Edie Chow, 31, a retail sales associate in New York City. “I just can’t afford to spend $250 on an initiation fee and then another $80 a month after that.” Solution: Look for the basics. You don’t need a juice bar and Aveda gel in the locker room to get a great workout. Small, independent gyms may have fewer extras and luxuries, but they make up for it in price and service. Typically, small facilities charge $20 to $40 a month, depending on the region—often less than half of what you’d pay at a larger club. Curves gyms are also pared down (no pools, locker rooms, or classes), but at only $29 a month, their circuit training is a great bargain.If you want a full-service facility, check out the local YMCA. Most have a weight room, pools, classes, racquetball, a track, and more. “I couldn’t believe I’d get a gym with two pools for just $20.50 a month,” says Kandi Schafer, 57, a housewife in Rome City, IN, who joined a Y. Other low-cost or possibly free options include church gyms (free), municipally run gyms (as little as $75 a year), and university gyms (often free or nearly free to neighbors). More from Prevention: The $10 Fitness Tool That Boosts Calorie Burn Excuse: “I’m stuck at home with the kids.” “My children are 7, 5, 4, and 2, and I homeschool my two oldest kids,” says Jill Whipple, 27, of Navarre, FL. “I can’t drop everything to go to the gym, and I don’t want to stick my kids in a playroom that’s like something out of Lord of the Flies.” Solution: Put the kids in gym class. The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) reports that 70 percent of clubs offer child care and more are adding it each year. Gyms generally charge $1 to $5 an hour per child, but many places will include several hours per week for free with your membership. To make sure you’re getting quality child care—not minimally supervised chaos—pick a gym that has a full-time day care center manager, and speak to her before joining. Also, ask what kinds of kids’ programs they offer. Many places have special kids’ fitness classes and craft sessions, which are much more fun for kids (and less worrisome for moms) than unstructured playtime. (Can’t get out the house? Give these 7 Slimming Workouts for Small Spaces a try.) Excuse: “I find the gym intimidating.” “In one gym I visited, the aerobics floor was positioned so that your rear end faced the exercise machines,” says Cheryl Scott, 40, of Minneapolis, MN, a former customer service representative. “Talk about uncomfortable!” Others say the thought of walking into a health club and not knowing how to use the equipment or perform the moves in classes such as Cardio Yoga and Pilates freaks them out. “I have this anxiety that everybody will be watching me do something wrong and I will look like a complete idiot,” says Rebecca Benitez, 33, an administrative assistant in Campbell, CA. Solution: Try a women-only club. Such a gym can be a haven if you’re just getting back into a routine. “I’m much more at ease if I don’t have to exercise around men,” says Linda Pruneski, 43, an executive assistant in Willoughby, OH, who goes to Curves. Another option is a more intimate, hands-on facility. “Small gyms are often more reassuring to the mid-30s or mid-40s mom who has several kids, hasn’t worked out in years, and doesn’t want to deal with a bunch of 20-year-olds dancing around in spandex,” says Todd Rotruck, a trainer in Greensboro, NC, who has worked at several gyms in the past 12 years. “They’re less of a meat market, and staff members pride themselves on learning members’ first names and tend to dish out more personal instruction and individual attention than the big clubs will.” Excuse: “I keep strange hours.” “I’m usually at the office until about 10 or 11 pm,” says Audrey Henderson, 23, a public relations account executive in Venice, CA. “I moved to LA in May and joined a gym, only to find that when I was ready to work out, it was closed.” Solution: Find an all-night gym. Health clubs are working overtime to accommodate early birds and night owls. Many large chains are open around-the-clock, such as Life Time Fitness, Crunch, and—no surprise—24 Hour Fitness. Some small gyms are also willing to make special arrangements to fit your schedule if you ask. “My new facility allows me to let myself in at 5 am, which gives me time to work out and get to work before 8,” says Rachel Reagan, 42, a banking assistant in Oklahoma City. Excuse: “I’m always on the road.” “At my job, I log 110,000 miles a year,” says Cynthia McKay, 49, a CEO for a gift basket company in Castle Rock, CO. “I’m sure some exercise would do wonders for my jet lag and sleepless nights, but I don’t feel comfortable in hotel gyms, which tend to be isolated and too quiet and feel kind of iffy, especially for women.” Solution: Get a gym passport. Until airport gyms are commonplace—currently, only a handful of airports have them—joining a club that is a member of IHRSA’s Passport program is a reasonable alternative. The program gives members of participating IHRSA clubs guest privileges (some clubs still charge a small guest fee) at more than 3,000 facilities worldwide. “At previous jobs, I traveled all over the US and Canada,” says Audrey Perry, 53, of Vernon, British Columbia, a former call center manager. “If I wanted to work out, I just went online and found a gym that was a member in the town where I was traveling and popped in with my Passport card.” If you have a long layover, go to www.airportgyms.com for nearby facilities, most within a 15-minute cab ride. Gym Must-Haves Here are four essentials that will get you to the gym more often: Friendly People “People join a gym because of the equipment and the facility, but it’s the friends they make that keep them going back for more,” says Tod Perry, a personal trainer and gym owner in Oklahoma City. So before you sign up, scan the room and ask yourself, Is there anybody in here I’d feel comfortable working out with?If the answer is no, keep looking. Quality Staff Make sure trainers and instructors are certified by one of the following groups: American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, National Strength & Conditioning Association, or National Academy of Sports Medicine. And ask other members how useful the staff really is, advises Melyssa St. Michael, coauthor of Becoming a Personal Trainer for Dummiesand a former gym owner from Bentonville, AR. Well-Run Extras If you love to swim, check out the pool at peak hours to get an idea of the crowds. “There should never be more than three people per lane,” says St. Michael. Pools should have designated lanes for slow, medium, and fast swimmers, and the water should always be clear enough to see a penny resting on the bottom. If taking gym classes is your thing, make sure the ones you’re interested in are held at convenient times. Also, look at how the room is designed: Mirrors are good, but too many make some people uncomfortable. And ask about the floor. “You want a suspended floor, meaning a wood floor with foam or coreboard underneath,” says St. Michael. Pleasant Atmosphere The place should be not only clean but also pleasing to look at. “Your mental well-being is as important as your physical well-being, and if your surroundings aren’t attractive, you’re simply not going to want to be there,” says 2004 ACE Personal Trainer of the Year Karen Merrill, of Kailua, HI. Gabriela Lopez, 41, a phone company manager in Atlanta, believes that it’s worth it to pay more money and drive farther to a gym she enjoys. “My gym is on a beautiful, quiet street. I love the swimming, the spa, and all the services, and I can honestly say it’s one part of each day that I truly look forward to.” The Art of the Deal Once you’ve found a gym you like, it’s time to negotiate. The average cost of a gym membership is $55 a month, reports IHRSA. And January is a great time to snag a bargain because most gyms will offer discounts in hopes of scoring your New Year’s-resolution dollars. Free Trial “It’s not enough just to walk through the place,” says St. Michael. “The salesperson should give you a week pass or several day passes so you can try any aspect of the gym that is important to you, be it Pilates class, massage therapy, or the steam room.” Rates Veterans, seniors, and students receive reduced rates at most gyms, but others can get deals, too. Rachel Twine, 41, a municipal employee in Langley, British Columbia, got her dues reduced by $13 a month by informing the club she had a better offer from a different gym. If you have flexible hours, ask about off-time memberships. Many gyms will let you utilize off-peak hours (between, say, 11 am and 4 pm) at a lower monthly rate. You can also inquire about corporate rates. If your company isn’t eligible, ask how many coworkers need to join to qualify. You may also get a discount if you join with a group of friends. Membership Fee Even if you can’t negotiate a better monthly rate, you can almost always request that the membership fee (or initiation fee) be waived or reduced. If the gym won’t do it, walk away. Chances are you won’t be allowed out the door before coming to an agreement. Contracts Most experts don’t recommend signing up for more than a year. In fact, they advise paying month to month if you can, even if it’s slightly more expensive, because then the gym has to earn your monthly payments. Never buy a lifetime membership, which is now illegal in most states. If a facility tries to sell you one, report it to the Better Business Bureau. Cancellation Most states require that gyms let you cancel your membership (either in writing or in person), without penalty, within 3 days of joining.
