A Beginner’s Guide to Joining a New Gym as a Young Adult

Joining a new gym as a young adult puts you on the path to better health early in life. Whether your goal is to build stronger muscles or enjoy cardio classes, picking the right gym to fit your needs is essential. This guide can help you find a gym that will put you on the right path for a successful fitness journey.

Look for Gyms With Multiple Locations

As a young adult, you might find yourself traveling for work. Or, you might prefer a gym that allows you to work out when you go home from college. Finding a gym with multiple locations in different states helps you know that you can visit a gym anywhere.

Request a Guest Pass or Tour

It is hard to tell if you’ll like a gym until you visit the facility. During your guest tour, look for signs that the gym cares about the members. On top of maintaining safety and hygiene standards, you should get a generally positive vibe from the people who are working out. When you enjoy the gym you’ve joined, you’ll be more likely to stick to your workouts.

Learn Basic Gym Etiquette

One of the best things about gyms is accessing multiple types of equipment that the average person doesn’t have at home. Working out with others is also inspiring, but respecting the shared space is essential. You’ll want to follow basic gym etiquette, such as putting weights back when you are finished and wiping down equipment when you are through. If you aren’t sure of the basic rules in your new gym, then ask for an orientation that clues you in.

Work With a Personal Trainer to Prevent Injuries

New gym members are at higher risk of sustaining an injury. As a young adult, a major injury can hold you back from your fitness goals and potentially cause challenges for years. Hiring a personal trainer who works with gym members helps you build safe and effective workouts that maximize the time you spend exercising. You can create a schedule for personal training that coincides with your time at your new fitness center to make your sessions more convenient.

Experiment With Exercise Classes

Many young people use their new gym as an opportunity to socialize with other like-minded adults. Choose a gym that offers many workout classes, and be open to new experiences. Trying a kickboxing class may help you overcome a setback in your training routine. You may also discover that yoga provides a new way to unwind after a stressful work or school day.

The most important thing about joining a new gym is remembering that it doesn’t take long for the space to feel like a second home in your community. But you’ll need to go regularly. Make sure to carve out time in your weekly schedule to attend workout classes, personal training sessions, and self-planned workouts. You’ll soon feel like a gym member who has been there for years.