How to Find an Outdoor Gym Near Me

While working out at home can be helpful, nothing can replace the professional amenities, equipment, and guidance you get in a gym. However, every gym is unique and caters to the different requirements of trainees. That’s why finding the best outdoor gym near me is crucial.

If you want to find the best outdoor gym in your area, follow this step-by-step guide.

Identify Your Goals

Many beginner gym enthusiasts make the mistake of not identifying their goals and requirements. All the gyms might look the same on the surface, but they’re different in the ways they operate and areas they specialize in. Some gyms excel at providing weight training, whereas others are great at helping you build muscle and strength.

Thus, the first thing you should do before starting to search for gyms near me is to set clear goals. Do you want to lose weight, increase stamina, build muscle, increase strength, or increase flexibility?

Set Your Budget

A major reason why people avoid getting a gym membership is that it can be costly. The average gym membership cost in the US is $58 per month or $696 per year, which could be a big figure for some people.

However, affordable alternatives are always available. If you’re a healthy individual who wants to join the gym to just be fit, you don’t necessarily need advanced amenities and cutting-edge equipment. A basic gym with fundamental machines and equipment can get the job done, and such gyms aren’t too expensive.

So, it’s important to set a budget and adhere to it. Once you’ve decided on a budget, you can start looking for gyms accordingly.

Search for an Outdoor Gym Near Me

Now that you have your goals and budget decided, you can start looking for gyms near me. To do that, you can take an online approach, offline approach, or a blend of the two.

Let’s talk about the online approach first. Nowadays, maintaining an online presence has become a necessity for every local business. Hence, almost all gyms such as Planet Fitness have an online presence, which makes your job as a researcher easier. All you need to do is head to Google and search for “outdoor gym near me.” A list of outdoor gyms in your area will come up. You can look at the gyms’ photos and visit their websites to get a better idea of the services and facilities they offer.

The second way to find an outdoor gym near me is to ask your friends, colleagues, and family members. The internet is chaotic. You’ll come across so many options that things can seem chaotic. You can simplify things by asking people in your circle if they know about any outdoor gyms.

You can also blend the two approaches to narrow down your list. If a gym appears online and also gets recommended by your friends or family members, you can think of it as a good option.

Book an Appointment with an Outdoor Gym Near Me

Once you have finalized a list of a few outdoor gyms in your area, you can start visiting them one by one. Some gyms may require you to get an appointment before visiting. Do some research and if some of the gyms require an appointment, book an appointment at a comfortable time.

Now, visit those gyms to check out the place, equipment, facilities, and other factors that are important to you in a gym. For example, if weight loss is your priority, a treadmill could be important for you, but not all outdoor gyms may have a treadmill. Be sure to keep such considerations in mind.

Communicate Your Goals to the Instructor

You can’t finalize an outdoor gym near me unless you talk to the instructor. Every gym is unique and caters to different types of consumers. Some gyms are renowned for cardio and weight loss, whereas others are famous for weightlifting and strength training.

Make sure that your goals align with what the gym has to offer. Tell your instructor about why you want to join the gym and what you want to achieve. If the instructor ensures you that they can help you achieve your goals, you can go ahead and finalize the gym.

Book a Demo

Gym memberships can be expensive, and buying one without getting a taste of the gym’s offerings is naive. Before you buy a gym membership, ask the manager for a demo session. In general, most gyms offer a one-day free demo session.

During the demo session, focus on examining various aspects of the gym. Does every equipment work? Are the trainers knowledgeable and helpful? Is there too much rush in the gym? Based on your observations, you can determine if the gym is right for you or not.

Subscribe to a Short-Term Membership

This isn’t necessarily a mandatory step, but you can stick to it if you want to be completely sure about the gym. Most gyms offer memberships of six and twelve months. They often give attractive discounts on long-term memberships to encourage people to subscribe to these plans.

But it goes without saying that when you take a long-term subscription, you get bound. Most gyms don’t refund the membership money, so if you face any issues during your membership, you won’t be able to cancel it and get a refund.

To overcome this hurdle, you can go for a short-term membership of three months. If the experience is good, you can renew the membership for a longer period.

Bonus: Try Different Gyms

Let’s say you visit the first gym you find, you take the demo session, and you pay for the membership. That’s not the right approach. Even if the gym is good, don’t finalize the first gym you see. At least visit three gyms so that you have something to compare.

Wrapping Up: Find an Outdoor Gym Near Me

Fitness is an essential aspect of life that everyone should utilize. By choosing the right outdoor gym, you can kick start your fitness journey and, at the same time, have a lot of fun. Therefore, be sure to invest a good amount of time in searching for the best gyms.