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Gyms are great facilities for supporting you to be physically active. Of course there are other ways you can exercise, but for many people including me, working out at a gym is a convenient and effective option.

Gyms can offer a range of ways to exercise including cardio machines, weight machines, free weights, swimming pools, classes and often added extras such as saunas and steam rooms.

It can get a little bit daunting when trying to decide if joining a gym is right for you and if you will use it enough to make that monthly membership fee worth it. Here are just a few of my tips to make sure you find a gym you love:

Look at your schedule

Any gym membership that is going to work for you must be open and available when you have the time to work out. There’s no point in signing up for a membership when your most convenient workout time is 6.30am before work but the gym doesn’t open until 9am. You might tell yourself that you’ll go after work but if that does not fit as effortlessly as possible into your routine it is more likely that you will end up giving it a miss. Make sure your chosen gym is open when it is going to be best for you.

Consider equipment

If you are already an exerciser you may have a good idea of the kind of equipment you are looking for in a gym. Love to lift weights? Then make sure your gym has a comprehensive weights area that is big enough for more than a few members to use it at once. Love running? Make sure the gym has plenty of treadmills so you can take your workout indoors if the weather is bad. If you are taking up exercising for the first time just make sure the gym has a wide range of equipment that interests you – and remember that your workout routine will change in time!

What about classes?

Take a look at the gyms classes schedule – just as with the gym opening times it is worth making sure that classes are scheduled at a time that is going to work for your schedule. What kind of classes are on offer? Do they interest you? Do you have to book into them? Do they often have waiting or reserve lists?

Location, Location, Location

Is the gym in a place that is going to be easy for you to access? How far away from home is it? Is it on a route that you use regularly or close to other places you visit such as the supermarket or a family or friends house? If it is going to be a 20 minute drive in the opposite direction from where you work it may not be ideal! If you drive does it have free parking and plenty of spaces? If you use public transport will getting there be practical? Is the route included within your travel passes?

Assess the facilities

What other facilities are on offer? If you like to catch up with the news every morning does the gym have TV’s with news bulletins? What are the changing facilities like? Are the showers pleasant and work properly? Do you have to pay for a locker? If the gym has bigger extras like swimming pools and saunas are these really facilities you will use? If that gym has a higher membership fee to reflect those facilities is it really worth paying for them?

The People

Are the staff helpful and friendly? If you are looking for some support to develop a workout plan do they offer this service as part of the membership induction? Can you access personal trainers?

The cost

Of course cost is a huge factor in deciding upon the right gym, but after considering the above points and weighing up the pros and cons, you should be better able to decide what kind of membership fee is going to be worth it. It is also worth finding out if the gym offers flexible contracts or a discount if you pay for a year up front etc.

Thinking through each of these areas should help you decide if a particular gym is going to work for you.

If you are already a gym goer, what factors affected your decision to join that gym? What would be your most important considerations in deciding to join a gym?

*this post is in partnership with LA Fitness, however all content and opinions are my own