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Getting the Best Deal Possible on your Gym Membership

Getting the Best Deal Possible on your Gym Membership

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Along with the New Year come throngs of new gym memberships. Unfortunately, many of us will waste resources on well-intentioned mistakes. Check out these six tips to get the best deal possible:
1. Try before you buy. Contact gyms near your home or office and request a no-commitment trial. Most fitness facilities will give you a one-week pass to try out the facility. Be sure to visit during the times you are most likely to work out, so you can gauge the crowds and check out other qualifiers. Try the classes that interest you, examine the cleanliness and condition of the facilities, including the weight machines, the locker room, and the swimming pool. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the club, and get a copy of the fee schedule so that you can plan your strategy for negotiating your membership dues.
2. Join at the end of a month and time your purchase. “You can often get the biggest discount on a gym membership later in the month,” says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. That holds true in January or during any month of the year. Metcalf says that toward the end of a month, gyms trying to meet their monthly sales quotas will offer you lower rates to entice you to join. If you are not in a rush, consider waiting until the summer to lock in an annual membership rate. The summer is the slowest period for new gym memberships and maybe your best time to get the best deal.
3. Do your homework. Get references, look for a report with the Better Business Bureau, and research your options on line, reviewing complaints and feedback. Be aware that gym membership sales can be very aggressive and misleading. The Better Businesses Bureau of the U.S. and Canada handles thousands of complaints annually from dissatisfied gym members. This makes health clubs the 28th highest complaint category among hundreds of businesses. Most of these complaints stem from discrepancies between what consumers say they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract said.
4. Consider pay as you go before you commit. If you have any reservations about the contract or the cancellation policies, pay as you go until you are completely comfortable. It will cost you extra in the short-term, but will save you far more in the long-run.
5. Know what you’re buying. If you decide to sign a contract, don’t rely on what the salesperson says. Read the contract carefully. Can you terminate it, and, if so, how? What happens if you move or become disabled? Is there a separate enrollment fee? What are the monthly charges? Is there a penalty if you pay late? Does the contract renew automatically? Beware of or low-cost lifetime memberships or “free” memberships, which may be a sign that the club is in financial trouble. Make sure any discrepancies are addressed and that the contract is adjusted accordingly before you sign. Entering into a gym membership contract is a big commitment, so be assertive in your negotiations and proceed with caution.
A Neuroscientist’s Brain Tips for a Healthier, Happier Life

A Neuroscientist’s Brain Tips for a Healthier, Happier Life

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In our stressful world, where we seem to be surrounded by chaos and conflict, we can take comfort in the wisdom of Richard Sima, an accomplished neuroscientist turned science journalist, who provides seven brain tips for a healthier, happier life covid (“7 recommendations for a healthier and happier mind,” the Washington Post, 2 January 2024).. 

  1. Stop and listen to the birds.  The evidence behind brain science shows that interaction with nature directly correlates with improved health.  One of the reasons Sima highlights the benefits of bird bonding in particular, is because they are ubiquitous and provide a direct connection to nature.  Even listening to a short audio clip of birdsong has been proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and paranoia in study participants.
  2. Take care of your teeth and gyms.  According to Sima, studies suggest that oral health has a direct correlation to our mental health.  In particular, while continued research is needed, good oral health practices suggest a reduction to the risk of dementia. 
  3. Channel your inner Betty White.  Our exemplary “SuperAgers,” including Betty White, have shown us that exercising, a fiber-rich diet, being socially connected, and doing “hard things” can help keep us healthy and happy.  “SuperAgers” are the “Betty Whites of the world,” according to Emily Rogalski, a cognitive neuroscientist at Northwestern University’s Feinbert School of Medicine.  Rogalski’s research team determined that people older than 80 had memory as good as those who were more than 20 to 30 years younger, thanks to their lifestyle choices, which includes food, exercise, social connections, and taking on new challenges, which can positively impact our mental health span and our overall happiness levels.
  4. Do a five-minute breathing exercise.  Research shows that breathwork allows us to slow down our breathing, creating positive conditions for our mood as well as for our physical state.  To incorporate this tip, take five minutes a day to first slowly inhale through the nose to expand the lungs and then inhale a second time to fill the lungs more completely.  Then, slowly and fully exhale the breath from your mouth.  According to recent studies, these types of breathing exercises can be even more impactful to mental health than mindful meditation. 
  5. Take steps to reduce inflammation.  Inflammatory agents in the blood can cause inflammation in the brain, negatively impacting neural circuits.  In addition, those of us who are at risk of depression may experience triggers from inflammation.  To remediate this risk, eat plenty of vegetables, reduce carb intake, get regular exercise, and talk to your doctor if you’re having trouble sleeping, since disturbed sleep increases the risk of inflammation and depression.
  6. Hugh or hold hands.  Sima reminds us that social touch is so important for our well-being, that we have specific cells in our skin to help our bodies detect it.  Social touch is essential to our well-being, reducing pain, remediating stress, and helping us bond with each other.
  7. Let your mind wander.  Recent studies, including one from psychologists from the University of California San Digo, indicate that we are the most creative when we are dreaming in REM sleep, in the shower, on a walk, or lying bed.  Wherever you are, let your mind wander and embrace your creative spirit. 
Keep Yourself Healthy With New Evidence on Long COVID

Keep Yourself Healthy With New Evidence on Long COVID

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While many of us tend to view COVID from the rearview mirror, new evidence suggests that we should protect ourselves from the very real complications of long COVID. A recent article by Frances Stead Sellers shares scientific results that sheds new light on the respiratory illness and provides sound advice to help prevent us from getting long covid (“Even 4 years on, long covid continues to confound us. Here’s what we now know,” the Washington Post, 2 January 2024).
Four years ago, we knew very little about the coronavirus, and nothing about “long COVID.” And more recently, those of us who were fortunate enough not to get long COVID were somewhat skeptical of those who did. But thanks to the work of researchers, the diligence of healthcare providers, and the transparency from patients, we now have evidence about long COVID. In September, the journal Nature published a study proving that people with long COVID developed distinct blood biomarkers, providing objective evidence that legitimizes long COVID and proves that it is not a facet of the patient’s imagination. Most importantly, as highlighted by the study’s lead author, David Putrino, the study sent a strong message to doctor’s – “Believe your patient!”
Frances Stead Sellers provides several other interesting facts surrounding the risks of long COVID:
• Long COVID, also referred to as post-acute sequelae of covid (PASC) and post-covid conditions (PCC), creates as many as 200 different symptoms
• Symptoms associated with long COVID can last weeks, months, and even years
• Long COVID appears to reactivate some viruses, such as mononucleosis and Epstein-Barr
• The most common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, heart palpitations and issues with sexual desire
• Approximately 7 percent of Americans report having long COVID with 3.4 percent, or 8.8 million people in the United States, reporting that they are currently experiencing long COVID
• While 2.3 percent of men report having experienced long COVID, nearly twice as many women (4.4 percent) have had long COVID
• Repeat infections of COVID increase the risk of developing long COVID
• People who contracted earlier forms of COVID were more likely to develop long COVID than those who were infected with the more recent omicron version
• While there are no approved treatments for long COVID, doctors work to manage patients’ symptoms, such as treating respiratory problems with pulmonary rehabilitation and brain fog with strategies typically used for concussion patients.
While it feels easy to be complacent, COVID hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting COVID being the third largest cause of death in the U.S. To reduce your risk of developing long COVID, keep your vaccination updated, wear a mask, and avoid crowded, poorly ventilated areas. Also ensure that you have rapid antigen COVID-19 tests at home in case you get sick. You can get them free from the USPS. If you do get COVID, discuss the option of an antiviral medication, such as Paxlovid, with your doctor to help lower your risk of developing long COVID.
The good news, as Frances Stead Sellers points out, is that the risk of developing long COVID appears to be decreasing, as the virus continues to provoke a less aggressive immune response.

The Facts Behind Weight Management

The Facts Behind Weight Management

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Obesity is quickly becoming a national health crisis in the United States.  According to the CDC, the rate of severe obesity in the U.S. has doubled in the past twenty years, with over 42% of Americans classified as obese.  Obesity leads to higher death rates from COVID-19, heart disease, stroke, Type-2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.  In addition to the loss of life, obesity results in huge financial costs with the estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States  well over $150 billion a year.

What causes obesity?

The primary causes of obesity are poor nutrition and insufficient sleep.  Of course, there are numerous contributors, such as income inequality, unemployment, lack of education, and insufficient access to healthy food options.  However, getting 80% of caloric intake from healthy options and getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, will pave the road to a healthier lifestyle.

Obesity Defined

Obesity is defined as one with a body mass index (BMI) over 30%.  BMI is calculated by dividing the body weight in kilograms divided by the square of one’s height in meters.  Numerous calculators are available online, such as this one from the CDC:  Adult BMI Calculator | Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity | CDC.

How to Overcome Obesity

If you or a loved one has decided to lose weight, CONGRATULATIONS!  You CAN do this.  The basic truth is that, in order to lose weight, one must consume fewer calories than they burn.  Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  We all know that it is much more complicated than it sounds.  The overwhelming majority of the calories we burn (70%) are consumed in the process of keeping us live.  This is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and consists the energy your body needs to breath, create cells, and circulate blood through the body.  The next greatest consumer of calories (15%) is called “NEAT”, non-exercise thermogenesis, the daily activities we participate in that are not sleeping, planned exercises, or eating.  Common NEAT activities include walking while running errands, working behind the computer, and picking up the mail.  The third greatest consumer of calories (10%) are the calories we expend eating, “the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)”.  Adding up these categories of calorie burners, we are left with Formal Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (“FEAT”).  These are the calories we burn in our intentional fitness activities like running and lifting weights.  Lifting weights is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  Not only does strength training help us prevent injuries, combat arthritis, and avoid osteoporosis, but it also boosts metabolism.  When you build muscle, the muscle requires additional energy to build and move.  Therefore, when you lift weights, you get more in return for your investment.  At the same time, while fitness activities are essential to our physical and emotional well-being, we tend to over-emphasize their importance in our weight loss schemes.  For example, how many times have we worked out in the morning and then given ourselves a lot of freedom throughout the rest of the day to eat or drink whatever we pleased as a reward for our strenuous workout?  Or, how often to we tell ourselves that we need to work out before we can proceed with other aspects of the day?  The truth is, we should confront many common myths to develop an effective plan for weight management.

Facts

  1. Consuming fewer calories than you burn is the only way to lose weight
  2. Exercise is very important, but it doesn’t burn as many calories as we think
  3. Lifting weights is a critical component to weight loss and overall health
  4. The body burns calories breaking down the food we eat, and it takes more energy to break down complex proteins (salmon) than it does simple carbohydrates (processed breakfast cereal)
  5. Using a fitness tracker can facilitate weight management by recording nutrition, calories, and exercise
  6. Weight is just a number. Rather than striving to “lose ten pounds,” set process goals like increasing steps to a weekly goal, reducing alcohol consumption to a specified amount, or conducting weekly meal planning activities

Whatever path you’re on, be kind to yourself.  We all have good days as well as bad days in all aspects of our lives.  Don’t give up on your objectives because of one perceived imperfection.  Giving up on your goal due to a minor setback is like slashing your other three tires because one of them had a flat.  Fix the flat, give yourself a hug, and get back on the road!

Three Proven Ways to Thrive in the Age of Social Distancing

Three Proven Ways to Thrive in the Age of Social Distancing

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While we can probably all agree that social distancing is necessary to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, a recent article by Arthur Brooks (“How social distancing could ultimately teach us how to be less lonely,” the Washington Post, 20 March), shares scientific results that can help us fight back against the loneliness that social distancing creates.

As recently as late February, most of us had never heard of “social distancing.” Since the concept was first introduced to us by public health officials in late February, the definition of “social distancing” has gone from no hugs, to no handshakes, to no large gatherings, and now, for many of us, no human contact for an indefinite period of time.

Social contact is essential for our physical and mental health.  In fact, vast amounts of data indicate that social connectedness is central to our well-being and mental health. In addition, Martin Seligman, a leader in the field of positive psychology, places social closeness at the core of his happiness model.  Research indicates that this critical connectivity includes regular contact, not only with friends and family, but also with casual acquaintances as well as strangers.

Why is physical closeness so important? And more to the point, why is social distancing so detrimental to our health and happiness? One explanation is provided by Paul Zak, professor of economic sciences, psychology and management at Claremont Graduate University in California. Zak reported on the effects of oxytocin, a powerful neurotransmitter that is critical for gratification.  (Zak warns that this naturally produced chemical is not to be confused with the pharmaceutical opioid OxyContin.)

Often referred to as the “love molecule,” Oxytocin is produced in response to physical touch. Although levels of Oxytocin spike after a 20-second hug, even short spans of contact can be very beneficial, leading to blood pressure and heart rates, especially among women.

By rewarding social connection with contentment, oxytocin binds us together. It improves our health and happiness and increases our rate of kindness and charity towards others.  On the other hand, when we are isolated from others and deprived of healthy levels of oxytocin, we feel isolated and empty. For many, loneliness and depression follow. In fact, if the negative effects of social distancing continue to plague us for too long, it will deprive us of the oxytocin we need to emotionally endure and thrive.

The effects of eye contact are similar to those of social connectivity.  One of the most famous studies on this topic was published in 1997 in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, when strangers were asked to stare into each other’s eyes and answer a succession of personal questions. Participants described an intense bond despite never having met with at least two of the previously unacquainted couples getting married. The data shows that the benefits of connectivity are not confined to romance.  Even eye contact between strangers has proven to result in a gratifying release of oxytocin.

So, what can we do to leverage the benefits of oxytocin in the age of social distancing?  First, limit your social media.  Social media is not a substitute for human contact.  Providing neither eye contact nor human touch, social media usually makes us feel even lonelier.  While taking the necessary steps to avoid coronavirus, leverage technology to provide a measure of connectivity in your daily life.  Make a list of family and friends to reach out to on a regular basis and use tools like Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype to connect with them.

Second, if you’re sheltering in place with others, take time out on a regular basis for hugs, remembering that the ultimate duration is 20 seconds.

Finally, make a point of establishing eye contact with others in your daily activities, and maintain this healthy practice even when the days of social distancing are behind us.  You may feel hesitant to do so at first, but rest assured, strangers will not start feeling uncomfortable until your gaze exceeds 3.2 seconds.  While you are home, do not look at your phone, TV or reading material when talking to a family member or pet.  Yes, there is evidence that eye contract with your dog will stimulate oxytocin in both of you!

Becoming more socially distanced from social media, mindfully hugging family and friends, and making eye contact with others will help us overcome the necessary evils of social distancing and may even help us come out of this more engaged than we were before.

 

Taking Care of Ourselves During This International Crisis

Taking Care of Ourselves During This International Crisis

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As we all struggle to take care of ourselves and our fellow global citizens, here are a few tips:

  1. Try to relax your mind.  Jay Shetty is offering a powerful and effective daily meditation session every day at 12:30PM eastern time.  You can follow him live on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube every day for the next 17 days.  Previous sessions are also available on these three platforms.
  2. Get outdoors and move. If you can, go for a hike, a run, or a walk.  Just be sure to practice social distancing and stay six feet away from others.
  3. Check out online workout sessions. Here are a few of my favorites:
    1. Amazon prime offers free workout videos. I especially like 14 Days to HIIT Your Goal, which Amazon prime members can access
    2. Men’s Journal offers several free at-home routines including these sessions to build muscle and these sessions with a bit more of a burn.
  4. Reach out to friends and loved ones. We are all suffering from the lack of touch, personal visits and other risks of social distancing.  Leverage your creativity to hold video chats, call grandparents and elderly friends, and send cards, letters and postcards!
  5. Try to stick to a schedule and strive for a good night’s rest and healthy meals.
  6. Be kind to yourself. All of the things I mentioned above are challenging to accomplish on a normal day.  These are not normal days.  These are the most challenging days in decades.  Most of us have no experience in navigating such difficulties.  From a personal perspective, I have experienced numerous traumas, as I am sure most of you have as well.  But this crisis is much more severe than many of the others we have experienced.  Be good to yourself.  I love you and many more people love you too.  We will get through this together.
The Cost of the Shutdown or “If I Had Five Billion Dollars”

The Cost of the Shutdown or “If I Had Five Billion Dollars”

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In a report about the economic effects of the government shutdown, Andrew Taylor makes several misleading statements, underestimating the losses at “just $3 billion” and dismissing them as “slight.”

In case you missed my letter to the editor letter to the editor in The Capital Gazette, here it is:

In his deceiving article, “Shutdown projected to cause $3B permanent hit to economy,” Associated Press reporter Andrew Taylor cherry-picks data from Monday’s Congressional Budget Office report in an apparent attempt to downplay the damage from the longest government shutdown in history (The Capital, Jan. 29).

The CBO estimates that the shutdown cost the U.S. economy $11 billion. While $8 billion may eventually be recovered through faster economic growth, the CBO states that the negative effects are “much more significant on individual businesses and workers” and that some “will never recoup that lost income.”

Adding these losses to the additional $2 billion in decreased tax revenues in fiscal year 2019 amounts to a total loss of $5 billion. $5 billion could probably pay for most of a border wall.

Or, according to the National Priorities Project, it could provide Medicaid for 1.4 million people, increase federal spending on energy efficiency and renewable energy by more than twofold, expand federal aid to public schools by 30 percent, double funding for substance use and mental health, fund the National Endowment for the Arts through 2051, double heating assistance for low-income households, resettle 11 times more refugees than we did in 2018, or increase funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by 60 percent.

Considering these lost opportunities, the economic losses caused by the government shutdown are not nearly as insignificant as Mr. Taylor would like us to believe.

SHELBY BELL

Millersville

Stop the Resolutions and Join the Revolution

Stop the Resolutions and Join the Revolution

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Are all these advertisements for fad diets, commercials for gym memberships, and social media postings about New Year’s “Resolutions” stressing you out? Check out this great article by Andrew Walen (LCSW-C, LICSW, CEDS) and join the revolution!

I saw an old friend post on Instagram that he is working to lose a significant amount of weight despite being a healthy and typical-sized male in his 40s. A distant family member posted she is going on a New Year’s cleanse to rid herself of all the toxins from the holidays with hopes of “#cleaneating from now on.” It’s the resolution time of the year. It’s also the most shame- and guilt-filled time of the year. Want to know why?

Resolutions are typically unrealistic and unsustainable. They involve the diet- and exercise-mentality that drives so many to purchase new gym memberships and try recipes typically preferred by rabbits and cows more than humans. The gym routines may last a few weeks, but motivation and time dwindle. Recipes for vegan or ketogenic diets may be the fad among friends and family today but give way to cravings for pizza and beer binges soon enough. The result invariably is guilt and shame, followed by regret, repentance, and repetition of the cycle again.

Instead of resolutions, I ask you to consider joining a revolution focused on your actual wellbeing. There is nothing wrong with your weight. There is nothing wrong with your shape. If you want to work on increasing your energy – cool! You want to work on your emotional health – great! There are all kinds of goals related to physical and mental health that have real, meaningful, validated, and provable benefits. Want to know one that has no provable benefit? Weight loss.

Weight loss won’t make you happier. It won’t make you healthier. It won’t make you more lovable, intelligent, beneficial, or superior. Weight loss as a goal in and of itself has no provable benefits! It may be a modest by-product of lifestyle changes, true. But pushing your body to a weight you pre-determine as “ideal” or “healthy” usually means fighting your body’s own natural set point. The result is physical and emotional harm to yourself. It’s also the pre-cursor to most all eating disorders.

So instead of choosing to lose weight or push yourself to eat perfectly and exercise religiously, consider living in the body you have and not the one you wished you had. That’s a revolutionary idea whose time has come.

Getting the Best Deal Possible on your Gym Membership

Getting the Best Deal Possible on your Gym Membership

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Whether you’re a new member, a seasoned veteran, or a staff member at a gym, January is always a busy month for everyone at the gym. The largest percentage of gym memberships is purchased in January, acc

Along with the New Year come throngs of new gym memberships.  Unfortunately, many of us will waste resources on well-intentioned mistakes.  Check out these six tips to get the best deal possible:

  1. Try before you buy. Contact gyms near your home or office and request a no-commitment trial.  Most fitness facilities will give you a one-week pass to try out the facility.  Be sure to visit during the times you are most likely to work out, so you can gauge the crowds and check out other qualifiers.  Try the classes that interest you, examine the cleanliness and condition of the facilities, including the weight machines, the locker room, and the swimming pool. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the club, and get a copy of the fee schedule so that you can plan your strategy for negotiating your membership dues.
  2. Join at the end of a month and time your purchase. “You can often get the biggest discount on a gym membership later in the month,” says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. That holds true in January or during any month of the year. Metcalf says that toward the end of a month, gyms trying to meet their monthly sales quotas will offer you lower rates to entice you to join.  If you are not in a rush, consider waiting until the summer to lock in an annual membership rate.  The summer is the slowest period for new gym memberships and maybe your best time to get the best deal.
  3. Do your homework. Get references, look for a report with the Better Business Bureau, and research your options on line, reviewing complaints and feedback.  Be aware that gym membership sales can be very aggressive and misleading.  The Better Businesses Bureau of the U.S. and Canada handles thousands of complaints annually from dissatisfied gym members.   This makes health clubs the 28th highest complaint category among hundreds of businesses.   Most of these complaints stem from discrepancies between what consumers say they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract said.
  4. Consider pay as you go before you commit. If you have any reservations about the contract or the cancellation policies, pay as you go until you are completely comfortable.  It will cost you extra in the short-term, but will save you far more in the long-run.
  5. Know what you’re buying. If you decide to sign a contract, don’t rely on what the salesperson says. Read the contract carefully. Can you terminate it, and, if so, how? What happens if you move or become disabled? Is there a separate enrollment fee? What are the monthly charges? Is there a penalty if you pay late? Does the contract renew automatically? Beware of or low-cost lifetime memberships or “free” memberships, which may be a sign that the club is in financial trouble. Make sure any discrepancies are addressed and that the contract is adjusted accordingly before you sign.  Entering into a gym membership contract is a big commitment, so be assertive in your negotiations and proceed with caution.
How to Get the Best Deal on a Gym Membership

How to Get the Best Deal on a Gym Membership

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Along with the New Year come throngs of new gym memberships. Unfortunately, many of us will waste resources on well-intentioned mistakes. Check out these six tips to get the best deal possible:

  1. Try before you buy. Contact gyms near your home or office and request a no-commitment trial. Most fitness facilities will give you a one-week pass to try out the facility. Be sure to visit during the times you are most likely to work out, so you can gauge the crowds, suggests Pam Kufahl, director of content at Club Industry, a website for fitness pros. Try the classes that interest you, examine the cleanliness and condition of the facilities, including the weight machines, the locker room, and the swimming pool. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the club, and get a copy of the fee schedule so that you can plan your strategy for negotiating your membership dues.
  2. Search for the best deals. Scour the web, including Groupon, Living Social, and Gilt City, to find the best deals and use these findings to negotiate the best rates as you narrow your search.
  3. Join at the end of a month and time your purchase. “You can often get the biggest discount on a gym membership later in the month,” says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. That holds true in January or during any month of the year. Metcalf says that toward the end of a month, gyms trying to meet their monthly sales quotas will offer you lower rates to entice you to join. If you are not in a rush, consider waiting until the summer to lock in an annual membership rate. The summer is the slowest period for new gym memberships and maybe your best time to get the best deal.
  4. Do your homework. Get references, look for a report at the BBB, and research your options on line, reviewing complaints and feedback. Be aware that gym membership sales can be very aggressive and misleading. The Better Businesses Bureau of the U.S. and Canada, handled 5,108 complaints about health clubs in 2013, the latest statistics available. This makes health clubs the 28th highest complaint category among hundreds of businesses. Most of these complaints stem from discrepancies between what consumers say they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract said.
  5. Consider pay as you go before you commit. If you have any reservations about the contract or the cancellation policies, pay as you go until you are completely comfortable. It will cost you extra in the short-term, but will save you far more in the long-run.
  6. Know what you’re buying. If you decide to sign a contract, don’t rely on what the salesperson says. Read the contract carefully. Can you terminate it, and, if so, how? What happens if you move or become disabled? Is there a separate enrollment fee? What are the monthly charges? Is there a penalty if you pay late? Does the contract renew automatically? Beware of or low-cost lifetime memberships or “free” memberships, which could be a sign that the club is financial trouble. Make sure any discrepancies are addressed and that the contract is adjusted accordingly before you sign. Entering into a gym membership contract is a big commitment, so be assertive in your negotiations and proceed with caution.