Gym - types/locations/recommendations

[ShastaBeast]

My current gym is rammed at the moment and they’ve taken away some equipment so I had to abandon the workout. I never go at peak times, so can only make it twice a week due to work - this time is precious. Or I could find a gym near work and go after, in peak time. Or pay lots more and travel a bit further by far/bus to a virgin/Nuffield type.

I’m disabled so don’t want a hardcore gym bunny type place but happy to pay a lot more for available machines and a nice environment. Sadly there’s nothing in easy walking distance and traffic can be a nightmare.

Is after work a bad time? Is there any types of gym recommended or to avoid?

I think all gyms are rammed in Jan and straight after work is the worst time of day. I'm a member at a David Lloyd and it's nice but yes busy in Jan.

I’ve noticed my gym (commercial big chain FF, but my local branch is fantastic) is really busy at the moment and then realised Hey, it’s January. They’ll all stop in a few weeks (smug, me? )

I don’t drive and am able-bodied but my main criterion for my gym is that it’s easy walking distance. Mine is around 18 minutes from home and 20 minutes from work. So I have NO excuses not to go.

The other thing I find is that I put my gym sessions and classes into my diary first, and arrange other stuff around them. After a while your gym dates become part of your normal routine.

So no excuse “I haven’t got time”

I think you could ride out the January rush. But if your gym is taking away machines, you should raise a query with management. Explain how important regular appropriate exercise is for you to manage your body and physical abilities. If they’re decent they’ll listen, before you have to cite the DDA.

So I’d be looking at a gym which wasn’t an extra faff to get to.

I’d love one in walking distance but current one is 25min walk everything else much further. I commute an hour a day and this gym is nowhere near the train station either. If there was a David Lloyd on the doorstep I’d join in a flash. There’s a Nuffield near work so could do lunchtime but I’d never go at weekends. I can’t really do classes as I can’t move in the same way as most people- l look young, fit and healthy but my spine and pelvis are fucked. I was told not to come back to a Pilates class and never tried a class again. It’s more physio than fitness so I need specific equipment (and no comments on how I’m using it from the hardcore types). No need for swimming pool as that aggregates my back.

I just wonder if a plush virgin gym would be motivating even if I need a bus or drive there.

Or there’s a couple of cheap 24 hour gym places 20 mins walk from work so could do pre/post work gym.

Or I need to move house and live much closer to a gym. And in the meantime pray for broken new year resolutions very soon. Three of five treadmills were being walked on so probably new members who’ll disappear in February. I don’t remember it being so busy the past couple of years.

Sorry to hear you were told not to attend a Pilates class - this sounds like a bad instructor, or was it on good advice?

I realise how lucky I am - I go to a big commercial gym, with a Physio practice on site. And the gym management really do a lot to encourage members to be nice to each other, friendly & helpful, not commenting on how people go about their workouts!

I think you need to work out which gym you're likely to use regularly and can squeeze into your schedule - whether you walk, drive, o catch the bus to it, in my view anyway, a gym needs to be able to fit into your life.

Good luck