Advice on joining the YMCA for excercise?

[Zsofia]

Can I piggyback on this thread and ask a question? Our local YWCA, as opposed to the YMCA, has now become the Palmetto Center for Women or something. What’s up with that? Does anybody go to similar progams at the YW? The one here seems to have a Curves-like circuit training thing that sounds pretty good, theoretically without all the ugly Curves politics. It seems to just be $30 per month regardless of what you want to do, while the local YMCA is much more (although it has a pool.)

[JThunder]

@Leaffan

Apparently, you can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal,
You can do whatever you feel.
what?

Eighteen posts before someone made a Village People remark? Shame on you, people!

[Equipoise]

Thanks for the additional comments everyone, I do appreciate them! ShelliBean, Terrorcotta (I’m so excited for the aquatics!), Anne Neville, Shecky, zweisamkeit, slortar and velvetjones, thank you for taking the time to post too. The Village People people need no thanks, but you did give me a smile.

Zsofia, I tried to find out some information about YWCAs before I started looking into YMCAs, but I couldn’t seem to find much of anything. I just assumed that since the YMCA went, for the most part, coed, YWCAs weren’t as, I don’t know, needed, I guess.

@velvetjones

You’ve mentioned that in your area it’s less expensive than other gyms. Not the case here where I am. The local Lifestyle Family Fitness Center is/was IIRC $15/month less expensive.

Each Y sets their own rates, but they’re very similar. The one I’m thinking about joining (though I probably will hardly ever go there) is the cheapest I’ve found. The monthly Single rate is $35.00, and the Family rate (so my husband could go too, though if we had children living at home they’d be included) is $45.00 a month. Another one I looked at, the Single rate was $45.00 and the Family rate was, IIRC, $67.00. It makes sense to me to pay for the Family rate at the same cost a Single rate would be at another Y.

Since you can join one Y and go to any of the others (in the city, though, I understand, maybe not the whole country), I see no problem in giving my money to the one who a) is cheapest and b) needs it most. They just opened and are in a poor community. I don’t think anyone would care that I’d rarely go there, they’re getting the money. The main reason I wouldn’t go there often is that it’s very far from my home, and there are several others that are much closer. This one, however, is close to my doctor, so I could still go there on doctor appt. days. I don’t know if that’s more or less than the center you mention, but to me it’s reasonable for the advantages I cited in my OP. A pool! Many pools!

@velvetjones

The YMCA here had restrictions on how long you could use the cardio machines…20 minutes at a time…you had to put your name on a list and if you went to the Y during their peak times you may have to wait quite a while to actually get on a cardiio machine.

At the Y I toured I was told 30 minutes per machine in the treadmill/silly-looking walker thingy/stationary bike area. That seems fine to me. I’ll do 30 on one, 30 on another, maybe 30 on another, whatever’s available. Also, I do not plan to go at peak times to use the machines. Only for classes, if those happen to coincide with peak times.

@velvetjones

The weight machines…forget about it…that room was always packed…I never got near those things.

If the Y’s here are like the one justrob talked about, they have a special area for Commit To Be Fit people. I’ll find out. In any case, I don’t plan to go at peak times, and I’m lucky in that there are PLENTY of Y’s to choose from in this city. If one’s full I can just try another.

@velvetjones

After being a YMCA member for a while and not really liking the expense or the experience I joined Lifestyle Family Fitness which had 3 times as many cardio machines, no time limits and no sign up sheet. A TV at every machine (YMCA didn’t have that) and enough weight machines that even at peak times I didn’t have to wait to get on the machine of my choice.

The YMCA I toured did have TVs on the treadmills. You just hooked your headphones into them. I’d be listening to my own music anyway. I understand about the advantage of your going to a cheaper place, which has more machines and no time limits/waiting list. I may find I would prefer something like that too (if such a thing existed) but I won’t know until I try and give the YMCA a decent amount of time to help or annoy me. From everything I’ve seen/read I’m going to be helped. Though…

@velvetjones

The other thing I didn’t like about the YMCA was the kids…too many kids…heck, too many people in general. That place was always packed.

That could be a problem and be annoying. I need to get the lay of the land and find OUT what the peak times are so I can schedule around them. I don’t like a lot of people (especially other people’s kids) around either, especially with my jelly rolls. Kids are cruel. I’ll see how it is.

@velvetjones

All of those things may have been specific to the area where I am (Central Florida) so YMMV but it turned out to be not the best choice for me. Just thought I’d share my expenience.

I can understand. I know that I’m very very lucky to have so many to choose from because if I don’t like one Y, I can just try another. I don’t take it for granted in advance, and I hope I don’t take it for granted down the line.

@velvetjones

Good luck working out, the Commit To Be Fit program sounds great ( I don’t remember that they had that when I was a YMCA member)

Thank you, I will give an update when I can.
slortar, I’ve only visited the one Y so far, but I plan to go to all the others once I have my card and can wander through as a bona fide member. I already know their schedules, and some locations have classes that others don’t, so I can see myself going to 2-3 different ones even if I like them all.

[justrob]

Equipoise someone already mentioned don’t be afraid of the weights and cardio (just another name for getting your heart rate up.) If you want to lose weight and get in better shape you are probably going to do some combination of those two.

One thing that my trainer said at the beginning was make sure you don’t burn yourself out. The scedule he set up for me let me ease into working out. I think the initial goals were partially to ease me into actually excersising but mostly to get me in the habit of going.

Good luck.