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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).")