Have you been thinking about joining a gym lately? You may have decided that it is time to get in shape, lose some weight and do something great for your health. Or, you may want to get ripped. Whatever the case, going to a gym and being physically active is certainly good for you, and it is bound to help you reach your specific fitness goals. Click this to learn about some of the reasons why you may want to join.
Anyway, if you live in Las Vegas, then you are now faced with another important decision to make. Put simply, you’re not sure whether you should join a local gym, or go for one of the big chains. Sure, this is something you’ll have to think about no matter where you live, so Las Vegas is not alone there. But, the point is that there are a lot of different places you can join, and before you sign up for a membership, you want to understand if going local is better than going for big chains, or vice versa.
Well, if you’re looking for the short answer, I’d say that going local is always a better idea. But, you are likely looking for an elaborative answer that explains the why of this, which is what I am going to provide you with below. In short, I am going to talk about the benefits of choosing a local gym over the big chains, after which you should be ready to make this decision all on your own. So, without any more ado, let us check those benefits out.
Avoiding Huge Crowds
If you’ve ever been to one of those big chain gyms, then you must have noticed one thing. It seems like the whole of Las Vegas is going there. The place is always overcrowded, and you can’t seem to find at least an hour slot when you can get some peace and quiet, as well as access to all the equipment you need. This, however, is not something you will have to worry about when you go to local gyms. So, if you want to avoid huge crowds, this is definitely the right solution for you.
Read more about the battle between local and national: https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/local-gyms-outpace-the-national-chains/
A Sense of Community That Motivates
When you go to one of those popular places that everyone goes to, one thing you’ll immediately notice is that people are generally looking to avoid contact with one another. Sure, some groups may be forming, but as a newbie, you are highly unlikely to be “admitted” into one of those groups. On the other hand, the locally owned places have a strong sense of community. So, you will feel welcome every time you go through the door, you will find workout buddies and build friendships, and you will, thus, get much more motivated to continue with your trainings.
Avoiding Complex Contracts and Memberships You Can’t Cancel
Here is another downside to those big chain places. Most usually, they have complex contracts in place, with outrageous rules that are even ridiculous at times. For instance, you may not be allowed to bring your own water battle into the facility. Furthermore, canceling the memberships is often too complicated, and sometimes even impossible, which is also bound to be quite frustrating. These are things that you don’t have to worry about when talking of local gyms, as the contracts are quite simple, and you are often allowed to cancel the membership any time you want.
More Devoted Trainers
If you would like a trainer to check up on you from time to time, to show you some exercises and to watch your progress, then you are, once again, better off with a local gym. For starters, this is because the big chains could wind up hiring a lot of people that aren’t even experienced and qualified enough to be anyone’s trainers. But also, it is because even the most qualified trainers cannot find the time to work with everyone in a huge gym. The local places, however, hire the best people for the job, and those best people have the time to help you, and they will generally be more devoted to your process and your success.
Personalized Customer Service
Speaking of being more devoted, the same can be said when we are talking about customer service. When you join a local Las Vegas gym, you can expect the customer service professionals to be more responsive to your needs and queries. Most likely, you will even be able to communicate directly with the gym owner or the manager, expressing any concerns, worries, needs, and pretty much anything you want to express. On top of that, if you share some suggestions with those people, they are more likely to take them into account and to possibly turn them into reality, thus meeting your needs. This is something that you simply cannot expect at a big chain.
Supporting Local Businesses
Here is another reason why you should go for the local Las Vegas gym option instead of for those big chains. In the simplest words possible, by doing this, you will be supporting local businesses, and thus the local economy itself. This will have a positive impact on your overall community, creating jobs and generally building a stronger community through charity events and similar things that the gyms tend to organize.