East Bay Baby

You, too, can be be pumped up like our Governator

The new year is quickly approaching, and it’s time to start thinking about what resolutions to make and also to make bets on how quickly those resolutions will die off.

I suppose that traditionally, many people resolve to live healthier lifestyles and start working out.  Gym memberships surge in January.  So in case you’re looking for  a good gym out there, I’ll tell you about mine.

The gym I go to (and I admit that I use the term “go” loosely here, there was a period of time after I gave birth that I didn’t go for months) is Planet Fitness in Fremont.  I first joined Planet Fitness up in Daly City when we were living there, and when we moved to the East Bay, I learned that I could transfer my membership to a Planet Fitness out here, so I kept my gym membership.

The reason I chose Planet Fitness in the first place is because their membership fees were so low.  The monthly membership fee is only $10 (with no contract!).  The start-up fee is $30, and there is a yearly fee of $29.  This is just for their basic membership that gets you into your home gym as many times as you want per month.

You can also upgrade your membership, for $19.99 per month, you get free reciprocal use of all Planet Fitness locations, unlimited use of massage chairs, unlimited guest privileges (you get to bring a guest with you to the gym as many times as you want), unlimited tanning, and 1/2 price on all cooler drinks.  They have a pdf detailing the benefits of this package here.  This package might be nice if you travel a lot to cities with a Planet Fitness, or if you have different Planet Fitness locations near your work and home so that you could go to either location, depending on your schedule.

And hey, maybe you can negotiate a better price, especially if there’s stiff competition between gyms in town.  According to this article from the New York Times, tis the season to get a deal on gym memberships.

Planet Fitness gyms, according to my experience with their Daly City and Fremont locations, are fairly no-frills.  They have exercise machines, weights, rows of TV’s, shower rooms, lockers, etc.  They don’t have group fitness classes or swimming pools, which is a definite bummer if you’re looking for yoga or spinning classes or for a place to swim some laps.  But if you’re just interested in lifting weights or using the elliptical or treadmill, perhaps Planet Fitness is for you.

The thing that I love about the Fremont location is that it’s never busy.  Whenever I go (and admittedly I go at odd hours, like in the late afternoon, or mid-morning), there are hardly any other people there.  But I’ve gone at different times, and it never seems to get too crowded.

Other fun facts – they host a Pizza Night every first Monday of the month (seems kinda counter-productive to going to the gym, doesn’t it?) and there’s a Gelato Classico next to the Fremont location (also a bit counter-productive).  From what I recall, they also had Pizza Nights and Bagel Mornings at the Daly City location.

So far, I’ve been satisfied with Planet Fitness.  It’s clean, simple, and regular everyday people go there.  They have multiple locations in the bay area and around the country.  And besides, if you join with New Year’s resolution zeal, but then stop going to the gym by March but still have not cancelled your membership by October, at least the membership fee is only $10 a month!