With a sizeable portion of the population in danger of being clinically diagnosed as overweight, health clubs are all the rage nowadays. But why is it that so many people fail to achieve the promise of enduring fitness when they do join a health club or gym? Why is it that many people complain about the level of service these clubs provide?
The fitness industry is one that is filled with a lot of false promises. It is essentially an industry that provides people with plenty of hope but little useful advice. What happens after you sign the contract and pay the membership fee can sometimes be... surprising.
How the Trickery Works
It's funny how the successes of many fitness centers rely on the failure of its very members. This is not always the case, especially when it comes to the more expensive health clubs. Let's face it - because they are already making a lot of money from the membership fees, there really is no incentive to play dirty games. However, for lower-end gyms and health clubs - it's quite a different story. Because of the low membership fees, these clubs need a lot of members in order to be profitable. And many clubs, as you would have guessed, will stoop low enough to fool people out of their money.
From false advertising to hidden charges, many health clubs will employ every conceivable technique to simply get your money. These types of clubs, unfortunately, have set up a trap from which there is little chance to escape. Customers in these establishments rarely become content with the service and end up leaving them soon. Moreover, because these health clubs advertise in the budget category - the clients they attract have historically been the most hard to maintain. The result is an endless cycle where new members come in as fast as existing ones leave.
The most tired strategy in signing up new members is with ambiguous advertisement. Promises of discounts, freebies and privileges that don't exist also come in handy. The trick is to corner you at the first meeting and force you to sign the contract at that very moment. Other dubious sales strategies also come into play. Be very careful about what you sign. Most of the time, these are cunningly crafted documents designed to confuse the hell out of you. Hidden inside these documents could be expensive cancellation charges, hidden fees or two year-long terms that cannot be canceled.
Further, do not think that you will get peace once you have signed up for a health club membership. Oh no, a week or so after your membership you will get a FREE sampling of this or that service, and this or that product... ALL guaranteed to help you lose weight of course. And after the free sampling, rest assured you will receive endless encouragement to sign up and buy those additional products and services, which just so happen to be on discount... this week only.
So how do you find a good and reliable health club? Does that mean you have to sign up for those expensive clubs? Not necessarily and not all expensive clubs are free from the same shady operations, anyway. All one has to do is inspect, check and verify an establishment for its authenticity. Advertisements, especially those that focus on savings, should be a red flag for anyone. This is because successful gyms don't really need to advertise much. By doing a little research, you can save yourself a lot of headaches.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I clear my arteries?
By: dcha12 | 22-07-2008
how can I clear my arteries?
I want larger, thicker, fuller and longer ejaculations
By: Wise Ali | 22-07-2008
How would I be able to produce a larg(er) amounts of semen during an orgasm. Is there a food or drink or exercise that I can intake or perform that increases the amount of cum I have to give?
Lice
By: nagalie | 22-07-2008
I am so grossed out, tired, and aggrivated. I need help. I need some feedback. To begin with, I'm an ultra clean person but I think I have lice. I am not sure. for a week now I have been itching like crazy but didn't find anything until today. I can never find anything at will. Nothing in the seems of my clothes. I only feel them. anyway, today I found on my arm ( think it fell from my head) what I now know looks like lice according to pictures i've seen. It had 6 legs was a transparent brown exept for the dark insides of its body. It was about the size of the period at the end of this sentence but a bit larger including it's legs...(Sooo sorry that you are getting this gross info but it's quite necessary for the process of identifying my problem.) Anyway, I am pretty sure it is lice but the question i want to ask now is what kind? If it is body lice it should be treated different from head lice I think. I know you can get rid of head lice with olive oil but body lice? Here are my symptoms... I am 90% sure I got this from my dog who was in some tall grass the other day. I saw her itching intensely but shes never had any bites before so I didnt think about it. I thought it was allergies and gave her a benedryl. THEN I started itching along with her. I know its not fleas. I don't think its scabies because my bites dont run in lines or around the webbing of my fingers. Not only that but scabies dont look like lice from what I know. Now, I can't tell if it is head or body lice because of this, they are both on my head and on my body. I even feel them in my eyelashes. I have them in my nether regions...and I've never had sex.lol I have bites that look like pimples all spread out on my legs...nether region...round my belly button, on my behind, back and neck. None on my chest or face thank God for that. But head lice are supposed to remain on the head for all I know and body lice on the body. I even feel itchy in my ears. I can barely sleep. Someone help me so I can search for a remedy pleeease. If you have a remedy for either please share it with me . Thanks
Covering walls in gym
By: cbrocato | 22-07-2008
I am in charge of getting our school gym walls covered. It is a metal building. The installation is exposed and the balls are making holes in it. We would like to cover them. Can anyone help? Of course I have a budget to work with, so it cant be too expensive.
Losing weight, not friends
By: Coast-to-Coast | 21-07-2008
If I have gained weight and want to lose it what is the best way for me to find support for that? If I can't just do what I want to do because I have others to think about and have to work with them too, then how do I motivate them to get active and stop eating so much? Do you find that your weight and motivation to watch your weight varies by what you are doing? Thanks for all the good answers, I really am not sure how this works, guess I will be finding out.
Gold's Gym 450 Treadmill, is it any good?
By: dasuberstinker | 20-07-2008
is this model a good bargain? my wife is looking for a decent one tostarta workout routine.
Q&A Powered by:
More from Brad Howard
5 Unorthodox Fat Burning Tips
By: Brad Howard | 04/07/2007 | Health
If you are looking for a few unorthodox methods for losing weight, you've come to the right place. Not only do these methods work, but you won't find them anywhere else. So what are they:
1. Staple your good arm to your side.
Believe it or not, but if you force yourself...
Are You Addicted To Your Lifestyle?
By: Brad Howard | 04/07/2007 | Health
With the percentage of overweight people increasing throughout the world, one has to think that their have to be more variables in play than just "fast food". The world is hustling and with the advent of computers and the internet, the hustling is more informational and mental than physical. So,...
Health Club Problems -- Three Ways To Tell If Your Club Is Closing
By: Brad Howard | 04/07/2007 | Health
Nowadays, there is getting ready to be a huge rollup of clubs with many of the clubs either being bought out or closing their doors completely. Many times, the owners of the clubs want to shut the doors as fast as possible to avoid legal troubles, press involvement, theft, and...
29 Off-the-wall Reasons To Get In Better Shape
By: Brad Howard | 03/07/2007 | Health
Establishing clear expectations while working out often can be the difference between success and failure. Too many people try to do too much and get frustrated. Instead of "lasering" in on a few great strategies, they try to do as many things as possible. As they say, "Jack of all...
Dieting 101 - Choosing The Right Diet Foods
By: Brad Howard | 02/07/2007 | Health
Diet fads come and go but the Food Guide Pyramid seems to continue to stand the test of time (even though they have reissued a new, up to date one. We know that we gain weight because we move less or burn off less energy than we consume. Therefore, if...
Diet And Weight Loss - Is It Really Necessary To Lose Weight?
By: Brad Howard | 02/07/2007 | Health
Excess is definitely not just a cosmetic problem. People who are obese are at greater risk of developing health problems like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and more. What is alarming is that the rate of people becoming obese today is reaching epidemic proportions. While we can attribute this trend to...
Protecting Yourself From Health Club Scams
By: Brad Howard | 02/07/2007 | Health
With our fast-paced lifestyles and our less-than-ideal dietary habits, it's no wonder that health clubs and gyms are appearing everywhere. These centers are very important for many people, because it forces them to have the discipline to workout on a regular basis. But do remember that gyms exist to make...
Fit For Life - A No Nonsense Look At Fitness
By: Brad Howard | 02/07/2007 | Health
Now, more than ever, becoming fit for life should be your mantra. Obesity is becoming more and more a problem. According to the F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America (2005) report, about 119 million Americans, or 64.5% of adult Americans are either overweight or obese....