STOP! Don’t Join a Gym
If you are thinking of joining a gym, don’t.
I’m not joking.
January is the very worst time to join a gym – it will be crowded, full to bursting with new gym-goers, fresh from making their New Year’s resolutions and you won’t be able to move easily from machine to machine. You might love the atmosphere at the gym by March and might even enjoy going but the crowds in January will put you off like nothing else.
Also, if you think you truly want to join a gym, consider whether you have enough commitment to keep going after January is out. For most people it is a complete waste of money. 80% of the people who join a gym in January never go much beyond February (if they even last that long).
Though you think the pain of paying for something and not using it will make you go – it doesn’t seem to work for most people. The pain of going to the gym seems to be bigger than the pain of paying for it!
If you think you want to become a regular gym goer, think about what a commitment that is. How much time will it take you to get to the gym, get changed, work out and get showered and home again, three or more times a week? What will you NOT do to make time for that? And if you don’t think you will have to give anything up, then think again so that you can be ready for how much time will disappear rather than surprised!
If you still think you want to join a gym, prove to yourself that you are committed to fitness…
Keep up a non-gym exercise routine for two months and then reward yourself with gym membership. You can work out with weights at home (the weights will cost less than a gym membership) and you can run or walk for cardio training.
Better still take up an exercise you will love, something where they won’t be able to keep you away, like dancing or skating or rock climbing – whatever floats your boat.
Elliptical Horror Story
It’s difficult making a selection among all the elliptical machines available and finding one
a) where the elliptical movement is good
b) which fits your budget
c) that feels sturdy enough for the amount of punishment it’s going to take
But anyway, you visit stores, you look online and finally you make a choice. You get your elliptical trainer delivered and it appears just fine. Your fitness program begins in earnest – you don’t use the machine as much as you expected but you ARE using it… and then within a few months things start to go wrong.
The elliptical movement is not as smooth as before, there are noises coming from the machine, and then after a little while you can’t use it at all.
Then you’d expect warranty and customer service to take over when you have problems with a purchase as large as an elliptical trainer wouldn’t you – I mean these things are not cheap – over $1000?
Well, you might be wrong.
Read the problems one reader encountered with his NordicTrack elliptical.
What should you do if you’re thinking of buying an elliptical?
- Read our independent free elliptical buying guide
- Take a look at our reviews of ellipticals and best buys
There was a fair warning of problems in our review of the NordicTrack but unless you happened to see it before a purchase how would you know?
I have to say that NO machine is guaranteed to be error-free but with purchases of large fitness equipment like an elliptical trainer you do want to see the backup of great customer service who will look after you if you hit problems.
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