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10 things your gym won't tell you
Not all health clubs are problem-plagued, but don't be surprised if yours is filled with illness-causing bacteria, employs a poorly trained staff and makes it expensive to quit.
1. "If you're still here in April, it'll be a miracle."
The fitness craze is going gangbusters, with gym attendance up 23% since 2001, to 41.3 million, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).
Most new recruits sign up in January, the busiest month for fitness clubs. That's when well-intentioned souls trying to stick to their New Year's resolutions flood their local gyms, often resulting in long lines at the treadmills, overtaxed gym staffs and towel shortages in the locker rooms.
But it's not long before the throngs thin; most people who make those resolutions trip up in the first 90 days, says Alan Marlatt, the director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington. Indeed, that's what clubs expect. "They bet on it," says Meg Jordan, the editor of American Fitness magazine, adding that most gyms count on a 20% to 30% dropout rate. (See also "The skinny on weight-loss Web sites.")
In the meantime, there are ways to avoid the January crowds and make it past the 90-day hump. When selecting a gym, visit the facility during the time of day you're most likely to attend. If it's crowded, check to see whether waiting lists and time limits on machines are enforced or whether it's a free-for-all.
2. "Don't touch anything -- this place is crawling with bacteria."
About 80% of all infectious diseases are transmitted by both direct and indirect contact, says Philip Tierno, the director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center and the author of "The Secret Life of Germs." That makes the gym, with its sweaty bodies in close proximity, a highly conducive environment for catching everything from athlete's foot to the flu.
In swabs of medicine balls, for example, Tierno found samples of community-acquired MRSA, a strain of staph resistant to some antibiotics. "You take your chances," Tierno says. "Any time you touch a medicine ball or machine, you have to know that your hands are contaminated and should be washed."
What about those spray bottles that some gyms provide for wiping down equipment? They may help, Tierno says, but he recommends additional measures, such as wearing long sleeves and pants while working out. Also, bring your own towels because there's no guarantee that your gym's linens have been bleached or rinsed in clean water. While in the locker room, make sure you wear flip-flops, and avoid sitting nude on any exposed surface.
3. "We're not equipped to handle health emergencies."
Almost one-third of sudden cardiac arrests outside homes and hospitals occur in fitness clubs or sports facilities, says Mary Fran Hazinski, a registered nurse and senior science editor for the American Heart Association.
Yet most health clubs aren't fully prepared for such crises. That was the case at a 24 Hour Fitness in California, where Nick Pombra, 43, collapsed after running on a treadmill in July 2004. The gym staff tried CPR, but by the time paramedics arrived, it was too late, says Mike Danko, a lawyer for Pombra's family. The fitness company declined to comment.
Though effective CPR can buy time, it won't reset a heart after cardiac arrest. That's where automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, come in. Chances for revival drop as much as 10% each minute that passes without proper CPR and defibrillation. But even in states such as New York that require gyms to have CPR equipment, as well as AEDs and trained personnel in clubs with more than 500 members, two-thirds surveyed by the attorney general's office in 2005 weren't in compliance. Find out if your club has the right equipment and, equally important, a staff trained to use it.
4. "Our trainers don't know what they're doing."
If you work out at a gym, chances are an on-site personal trainer will try to sell you his or her expertise. And with their Colgate smiles and buff bodies, they must be able to teach you a thing or two about getting into shape, right? Not necessarily. Trainers need no standard certification, and the credentials that some flash require only a quick online course or a fee, says Neal Pire, a fitness-industry consultant and former trainer.
Jonathan Jacobson, a marketing executive with a degenerative disk disease in his lower back, sought out a trainer to design a routine appropriate for his condition. But after a boxing regimen the trainer recommended, he was left in pain. When his doctor told Jacobson, 35, to stop, the trainer suggested Pilates, which only further aggravated the problem, leading to a slew of medical procedures.
"He had certificates and tons of plaques on the wall," Jacobson says. "It's taken about a year to not be in pain every day."
You should seek trainers with credentials from respected institutions such as the American College of Sports Medicine or the National Strength Conditioning Association, preferably with some training in sports medicine or physical education.
5. "We won't let you quit."
If you think giving up the Ben & Jerry's is tough, try quitting your gym. Trouble canceling membership is one of the top complaints against fitness clubs logged with the Better Business Bureau and states' attorneys general.
Before Chris Hinkle and his wife moved to North Carolina, they met with the manager at their Gold's Gym in Austin, Texas, to cancel their prepaid membership. They were told a refund check would be in the mail. That was March. After months of unreturned calls, Hinkle contacted the Better Business Bureau, which also got no answer from Gold's and gave it an unsatisfactory rating.
"I was an ecstatic booster of Gold's," Hinkle says. "Now I tell people to never go there." A Gold's spokesperson says the club sends a refund in such cases once it receives proof of a move -- documentation Hinkle says the Austin manager didn't ask for in March.
For those paying monthly, calls from collectors or a battered credit score may be the first clue a membership was never terminated, says Todd Mark of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta. Follow contract terms to the letter, providing proof of a move or a doctor's note. Create a paper trail, and alert credit agencies about any dispute. (See also "How to quit the gym (or anything).")