There have been commercials on lately for Curves Gyms for Women. Have any of you ever joined, or know of people that have? There is a Curves locally, and I’m looking for some form of activity. It’s the only local place, and I’m thinking that local is better in my instance. I spoke with the owner of the local place, and she described the gym as a different sort of animal than I’m used to. Apparently they do 30-minute workouts, and you go from station to station for a few minutes each, which makes a total workout for every muscle group in your body.
Have any of you had any experience with Curves (the gyms, guys!), and can you offer any advice?
There are 4 or 5 women in my office right now who all go to Curves and they absolutely love it. The main reason seems to be that they feel they are getting a decent workout without spending a lot of time doing it. Also, since only a short amount of time is spent on each machine, they say they don’t get bored, and since it’s all women they also don’t feel self-conscious.
I visited one location with my MIL and really liked it. The 1/2 hour session went by fast and I felt really good the next few days.
Other than the hours being limited (would prefer to have Curves open at 6 a.m. for those of us who like to workout before work), I thought it was great.
Yes…you do get results. They measure you each week-- monitor your weight.
Lacking much in the way of curves m’self, all I can say that Consumer Reports did a big article on gyms a few years ago. IIRC they didn’t try to rate the chains because there was too much variability; but I remember they said the single most important factor in actually using the gym was location. There was a huge drop-off in membership usage when a gym was more than ten minutes from the member’s home or work - I think it makes sense to think of it as “ten minutes from other places you have to be anyway.”
My gym company has been promoting that kind of workout you’re describing, as a way to attract new members who otherwise would think they don’t have time. My concern would be, what happens when the gym’s crowded? If you’re able to go during off-peak periods (generally, mid morning and mid afternoon) then it may not be so much of an issue. But during the before-work, lunch and after-work rushes it seems a recipe for conflict.
Can you go on a “guest pass” one day, Gingy? That would give you a taste of what it’s like.
I’m a member of a ladies-only gym, and I LOVE it. I have been going 5 years. My gym offers many other things besides the type of workout Curves does, but some (like spinning) are similar. From what I’ve heard locally, our Curves here gets rave reviews. As has been already said, a few things make a difference in how often you will go:
is it convenient to you location-wise
is it avaliable at hours convenient to you
is it un-crowded
If you can satisfy these criteria I think you will like it. I have lost 10 inches and am stronger now at 43 than I ever was in my 20’s. Good luck !!
Well, I went by the place this morning. My first impression was one of camraderie - all of these women working out and chatting at the same time, in a circle. I spoke with the owner for awhile, and I watched the training going on. What you do is walk in, take an empty spot in the circle, and go to it for 30 minutes. It’s three times around the circle, machines interspersed with padded boards for moving in place while waiting for the next machine.
It’s very near to home, I’d say about a 15 minute walk; it’s clean and cheery, and it’s really cheap as gyms go, $29 a month. The other ‘local’ (next town over, 3 miles away) place is charging $195 sign-up and $95 a month - ha! - and it’s a dungeon. Also in favour of the Curves place, starting on Monday, rather than paying the one-time sign-up fee of $149, she is accepting a bag of groceries for one of the local missions. Holy cow! Local, involved in the community, close to home, and full of other women. Yes, she’ll be getting my money, and I’ve already picked up a bag of groceries for Grace Place.
I suppose I’ll have to keep you updated on my progress.
I have a few friends who belong at different locations and say it’s great, that they feel more comfortable there than in the kind of gym/class you see in a Ballys commercial.
I can’t say anything more specific because the one by me has very short hours so I couldn’t ever go.
LOL…this thread made me curious, and I checked the website to see if there was a Curves anywhere near me. Much to my surprise, I found out there’s one in the shopping center RIGHT NEXT DOOR. I mean that literally…it’s on the other side of the fence across the parking lot of my apartment complex, so we’re talking, oh…fifty yards or so. I had just never noticed it before because it’s tucked back in the corner with a small sign.
It kind of sounds cool…I might go check it out tomorrow and see what I think. I’ll report back to this thread if I do.
My mom has been going for a few months and really enjoys it, I think because it’s targeted to older women who haven’t had any experience working out, so she doesn’t feel so self-conscious. Since this is the first time she’s ever done any kind of regular exercise (other than strolling around the neighborhood), I’ve really been encouraging her to stick with it.
My mom goes to Curves and I know she likes it. My impression is that it’s the sort of place that someone who’s nervous about or unused to a) the idea of working out and b) the idea of working out in public would feel comfortable. Keep us posted!
But what about those machines they use? I havent been to Curves or Contours but how can those machines provide the same level of intensity in a workout for every body without adjustments? If I were to hop on a machine right after a short, weak granny type is that machine gonna provide me with an adequate work out? Am I gonna feel the burn? I am skeptical of the one size fits all work out!
A co-worker my age (58) is going and loves it. She said she wouldn’t be caught dead in a regular fitness-type gym. She’s an ex-smoker, and she was worried that a workout would be a strain for her, but it’s not.
On Friday I made a new ID badge for another co-worker – I had to ask her name, and then I said “I should know that, you’ve worked here forever, what’s wrong with me?”
She said “It’s understandable. I’ve lost 123 pounds, so I look a little bit different.”
She said it took about a year, using Weight Watchers and Curves.
I joined Curves about 18 months ago. On the plus side: Close, easy, efficient, non-threatening, friendly, effective, inexpensive, fun. Minus side: not as good a work out for the truly fit individual, some of the games/promotions are a little reminiscent of bridal showers/tupperware parties.
I love it as a 51 year old woman. I was always intimidated by the more traditional gym in town and I’m WAY too uncoordinated to do any kind of group aerobics.
My 17 year old daughter goes with me to Curves on occasion and also enjoys it. She is very fit and gets in many more repetitions on each machine than I do during the same time period. She is especially active at the transition stations. I may do a few jumping jacks or jog slowly in place; she does karate moves and kicks over her head. We both work up a sweat and leave energized.
First workout this morning, and I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the walk home, which is about 15 minutes.
I guess we’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning, eh?
My wife recently started working in the daycare room at a ladies only gym. She gets slightly more than minimum wage and a free membership. It’s less structured from what I can tell than the programs at Curves, there are machines and whatnot but they also offer different kinds of classes, aerobics and yoga etc. Once our kids stop being sick she might actually get to start on a routine!
I;m sure this helps not all, but it sure is boring!
