Exercise and diet

[TheAnswerIs42]

Oooh! I hadn't even considered they'd have a day care. Is there a minimum age? Do they need to be potty trained?

Usually the minimum age is 4-6 months or so. So potty training is not a problem at all. Basically they are playrooms with lots of toys, a movie playing, lots of kids and a few young moms working to keep everybody playing happy. I know for Gold's gym, daycare is included with a VIP membership, all you want.

Oh, and if you do sign up for Gold's, let me just toss out my two cents. I have heard a lot of horror stories, and never recommend giving them permission to deduct an amount from your bank account every month. I've heard of them charging people after their membership was up, and even raising the amount they were deducting without warning. The best way to get a membership is to buy it off of someone on craigslist or ksl classifieds in one lump payment (if you can). Gold's people will try to charge you $30 a month for a VIP, but online they go for $16 on a good day. If you do go through Gold's themselves, bring your game face and haggle them down as far as you can. I don't know if you will care about any of that if your insurance will pay for a membership, but there it is.

As for the classes - I keep thinking I will try one, but they look intense. And I always get anxiety that I'll look like the poor girl that doesn't know what I'm doing in the backrow, or I'll take someone's spot on accident, or not have the right equipment, etc. I keep trying to find someone else who goes to Gold's so they can come with me. (Wanna come, DL?)

And like DL, I'm not a fan of the body test thing. That's why my current goal is to not gain any weight - so I don't get angry at the lack of progress and quit. My husband says that he thinks my body looks more tone, so as vague as that is, that's all I get.

I wouldn't worry too much about workout clothes though. I only recently got any, actually. I was a t-shirt and random shorts person until about three months ago, when I finally invested in some dri-fit and tighter fitting clothes.

[Katya]

Oh, and if you do sign up for Gold's, let me just toss out my two cents. I have heard a lot of horror stories, and never recommend giving them permission to deduct an amount from your bank account every month. I've heard of them charging people after their membership was up, and even raising the amount they were deducting without warning. The best way to get a membership is to buy it off of someone on craigslist or ksl classifieds in one lump payment (if you can). Gold's people will try to charge you $30 a month for a VIP, but online they go for $16 on a good day. If you do go through Gold's themselves, bring your game face and haggle them down as far as you can. I don't know if you will care about any of that if your insurance will pay for a membership, but there it is.

I've heard that some gyms will give you a much better deal near the end of the month because there's a monthly quota they have to make. Do you know if Gold's is like that, 42?

[Dragon Lady]

I don't even own shorts! See? I'm horrible at this.

And yes, 42, I'd LOVE to go with you. I would be SO much more motivated if someone else was counting on me to be there. The one summer I exercised daily (and even got up early to do it) was thanks to a roommate who went with me. That is, of course, assuming that I can figure out how to get my insurance to pay for it. I know I got a letter or email once telling me that they did it… now to find the info on their web page… :S

[TheAnswerIs42]

I've heard that some gyms will give you a much better deal near the end of the month because there's a monthly quota they have to make. Do you know if Gold's is like that, 42?

Oh yeah. Basically, we found a $16/month deal online and went in to transfer it over - but the guy my husband talked to apparently really needed to meet his quota. So he talked my husband into buying one from them for $15/month, since we could pay for a long time up front. I don't know when they need to meet their quotas, but there are deals to be had. It makes me so sad when I see people online trying to transfer over their membership they got for $32 a month. Ouch.

[Laser Jock]

I had an experience similar to TheAnswerIs42's, though I don't know if a quota was involved. I'd done some looking online and found a bunch of people selling their contracts; the cheapest I saw was somewhere around $17/month. When I went in to check the place out and see if I wanted to actually go there or not, I ended up talking with one of the managers (maybe the big manager for that gym?), and I mentioned that I was looking at buying someone else's contract. He raised a few objections, and put on the pressure, but I wasn't budging (I wasn't keen on paying more than I could get by buying someone else's contract), and eventually he ended up offering me a deal for a bit less than the one online: I think it was $15 or $16 per month (though I paid in a lump sum, up front, for two years).

So, yeah. You can get much better deals than the advertised price, especially if you do your research, don't back down, and are wiling to pay up front.

[Dragon Lady]

Well, I checked and our insurance will reimburse $150/year per family. Gold's Gym is currently running a 2 for 1 promotional, which makes it a $17.95/month membership for each of us. Which means, after reimbursement, it would cost us each $65.40 for a year, or $130.80 total. Not including taxes. Which I'm not sure that Yellow would do it (he'd rather go running. Strange man.) so I'd have to find a cheaper route by buying someone else's or making the Golds Gym people back down on their price. (Which I'm horrible at.)

Also, 42, are the classes included with the VIP membership? Or just the machines?

[Wisteria]

I just gotta say, I think I'm spoiled rotten. My company has an in-house gym- not huge, but they have all the basic weight machines, treadmills, ellipticals, biking machines, as well as classes taught by four or five trainers who work there. I'm taking a running class from them right now, which is great, since I've never had any formal running instruction. I used to really dislike running, too- I would cough and my lungs would feel all nasty if I push very hard. And of course I push hard. Then one magical day not too long ago I discovered that if I just slowed down to a jog, I could go a lot farther without dying and not cough up a lung when I was done. I still don't completely love it yet, but I enjoy it a lot more. Pacing is a big thing for me.

[TheAnswerIs42]

Everything is included with VIP membership. Classes, daycare, tennis, and if you go to the Spanish Fork gym, you even get free tanning if you are into that sort of thing. So does Yellow want a membership? Or are you just looking for one?

And Wisteria, I know exactly what you mean. I used to try to run a bit on my own my Freshman year, and it was horrible. I would only go one mile and nearly want to puke at the end. When I started dating my husband and he started to teach me how to run, he spent the first few sessions saying "slow down!" What a difference that made.

[Dragon Lady]

No, Yellow isn't really interested. I just thought about it because of the 2 for 1 special.

That's great about everything included! Though, I'm not really into tanning. I don't really care to pay for a sunburn. Is there a membership that isn't VIP? Or do they just call it that so they can charge more money?

[thebigcheese]

There are different levels of membership. A former roommate of mine says VIP membership includes free access to the racquetball courts...which is something I've missed desperately since I graduated and lost access to the RB

[Sky Bones]

I was just going to say the best way to get motivated into exercising is to have someone work out with you, but seems DL and 42 have figured that out already. Way to go! (I would totally be there with you if I still lived in Utah.) Really, it does wonders when there's someone else there with you. My husband and I are really into health/fitness and we always have our best work outs when we're exercising together. Now if only the weather would warm up so we could break out the bikes...