Growing nation wide, Life Time Fitness has been rated one of America's best gyms by Men's Health Magazine. Life Time Fitness has 85 locations in 19 states. They pride themselves in having something for everyone. Each location is well crafted and filled with activities for everyone.

The inclusion of children into the health club environment has been superbly done. Life Time Fitness Centers offer a large child care environment. There are computers, indoor and out door play areas as well as a climbing structure. Pools have family time so that children and parents can enjoy the splashing. Beware that the pool is only open to families as special times of the day. Like wise the childcare may close down the climber or computer area during times when fewer children and staff are present. Be sure to check on the times for your child's favorite activities and plan your gym time accordingly.

There are programs for all ages. Children, as young as three, can take classes on yoga, dance or martial arts. Adults have a wider variety of options. Adult classes range from fun dance instruction to work outs with exercise balls and other equipment.

Each center has hundreds of the latest cardiovascular and weight machines. Indoor/outdoor water parks with water slides. There are sport courts and rock climbing caverns.

One of the nice features is the 24-hour access. You can go any time that fits in to your schedule. There are free lockers and towels. Instead of the traditional lock your membership card serves as your pass to check out a locker. You just slide it into the door and the key releases.

The Website claims “Affordable memberships for any budget”. The lowest option is bronze. For around $50 a month you have full access to your club and hopefully a few clubs in the area. As your membership increase you can visit more clubs, enjoy benefits outside the club and other features. With the Onyx level you can visit all clubs nationwide. Currently this is listed as 575. If you travel a lot this feature may be worth while.

According to complaints board .com there are numerous postings about the cancellation policy. Most establishments that automatically deduct money form your account are able to continue to do so until you submit a timely request to stop your membership. It is wise to read the policy and to be sure that you comply in order to not be charged again but if you are concerned than please check out http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/lifetime-fitness-c9845.html

Members receive a monthly fitness magazine and will enjoy the additional club amenities. A spa area with massage tables, a café and a cozy television lounge are all possible features. Visit your club and find out more. http://www.lifetimefitness.com/ will give you an over view. And at the time of this writing a free pass to try out the club.

Research health club costs before signing up

By Ronette King

January 17, 2010, 5:59AM

If the irresistible dessert tray and the upheaval of routine forced you off a steady exercise routine during the holidays, you might be among those considering joining a gym or health club. At one point during the holidays I realized the only green food I had consumed in days was the squiggle of icing on a piece of carrot cake.

That's what makes this the time of year when people resolve to improve eating habits, lose weight and in general, whip themselves into shape. The path to physical perfection — or at least improvement — often leads to the doors of a health club.

Don't let the search for ways to trim your waistline do more to fatten your personal living costs than it does to whittle away pounds.

The enthusiasm should be tempered by a consideration of the costs involved. A gym membership contract should be considered as carefully as any other, accounting for how you'll pay the monthly expense. You might also consider alternatives such as setting up exercise equipment at home since you can purchase equipment once and be done spending. You also risk having a clothes hanger that costs hundreds of dollars and eats up valuable space in your home.

Joining a gym gives you access to a range of equipment, exercise classes and other amenities, none of which you're required to maintain. But consider what you will actually use. A weight room could help you train for a triathlon, but that's not as much of a benefit if you stick with the treadmill, elliptical machine and stationary bike. Swimming laps might not appeal to you during these chilly days, but it's an amenity you could enjoy when the weather heats up.

Before you sign up at a gym, there are several basic questions to ask. Don't feel pressured to sign a contract on your initial visit. Take the paperwork home and read over it to be sure what you're told during the tour is the same as what's in the contract, advises the Louisiana CPA Society. Check the cancellation policy if you move to another area or can't use the facility for some reason.

If the gym is part of a national chain, find out if your membership can transfer to another city or related facility operated by the same company.

The gym's cancellation policy and rules on the amount of notice required is important, especially if you set up an automatic account draft or credit card billing to pay monthly membership fees. You'll need to know if the facility will automatically renew your annual membership and how much advance notice you're required to give in order to cancel your membership.

This time of year health clubs offer perks to encourage new members to sign up. It could be a free month of membership that makes a yearlong contract run for 13 months.

Visit during the facility during hours you would normally go. If you like to work out after work, stop in then and see if lots of people are using the areas you intend to frequent.

Find out what is included in the membership fee. Is there a cost to use towels or would you rather just bring your own. Is there an additional fee to rent a locker or are lockers available if you bring a padlock?

Is there an initiation fee for new members and can that be waived?

Find out if there's a discount for family membership. If so, you and your spouse should decide together where to join. Some health clubs offer a baby-sitting service to watch little ones while parents work out, so find out the cost of that service.

If new members get personal training sessions at a free or reduced rate, take advantage of that to get started.

Ask your friends, family and colleagues if they have any experience with the health clubs you're considering. Find out if they were satisfied or had any major complaints. You can check the Better Business Bureau and state attorney general's office for complaints.

The most expensive gym membership is one you don't use. Find out if shorter contracts are available so you're not locked in for a full year.

New Year's resolutions produce a flurry of activity at health clubs, but things often slow down in the spring and summer. So another round of incentives from the gyms often follows just in time for swimsuit season.

If you need more time to make a decision but need to get your body moving, set up a home gym instead. Look for used equipment that no longer inspires the owners, but could suit you just swell. The list of must-have items is short: Tennis shoes, some hand weights, workout mat and personal resolve.

Ronette King can be reached at rking@timespicayune.com.

Tea Party Darling Marco Rubio And 35 Other Candidates Sign Pledge To Repeal Health Care Reform

As part of the GOP’s all-out-effort to repeal health care reform, the Club For Growth is asking lawmakers and candidates in the 2010 elections to “pledge to the people of my district/state to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government.” At least 17 lawmakers and 36 candidates have signed onto the repeal, including Florida “Tea Party” candidate Marco Rubio. “The proposed government takeover of health care being rammed through Congress runs contrary to the principles of limited government that have made Americans the freest and most prosperous people ever,” Rubio said:

As a U.S. senator, I will sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government. This is not just about simply opposing and repealing the Obama-Reid-Pelosi agenda. This is about putting America back on a limited government track. This will require opposing new spending binges, but also turning back some of the mistakes made by President Obama and this Congress, including the pending health care bill.”

Unfortunately, Rubio’s arguments against reform are as specious as his “constitutionality” claims. The Congressional Budget Office has concluded that reform would result in “no significant change” in the federal government’s commitment to health care, and constitutional scholars from across the country argue that the Commerce Clause “permits Congress to regulate commerce, or actions that directly affect economic activity,” such as requiring Americans to purchase health insurance coverage.

The GOP’s health care industry-funded constitutional push is designed to attract campaign cash and get-out-the vote, but should their efforts succeed, the “pledging lawmakers” would be undermining the interests of their constituents. After all, the CBO has estimated that reform would insure as many as 31 million Americans and lower premiums for subsidized Americans in the exchange. A back-of-the envelope analysis conducted by ThinkProgress reveals that on average, the constituencies of the lawmakers and candidates who have signed the Club For Growth’s repeal pledge, have experienced higher than average premium increases, rates of uninsurance and annual percent growth in health care expenditures and insurance market concentration:

House lawmakers/candidates petition signers

 

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