How to Find the Right Gym For You: A Beginner’s Guide
Choosing the right gym can make starting exercise feel much easier. Having a gym that’s safe, convenient and suited to your needs helps reduce any anxiety you may have about exercising.
This guide explains how to find a The Gym Group location near you, while helping you understand what to look for as a beginner, and how to pick a gym you’ll feel comfortable returning to.
Three key takeaways
- The best gym is one that’s convenient and easy to get to regularly.
- Beginner-friendly gyms help build confidence with easy-to-use equipment and a comfortable environment.
- Off-peak times are when the gym is quietest, though busier gyms are still manageable, and for some, preferred.
How to find your nearest Gym Group location
When picking a gym, one of the most important things to keep in mind is how easy it is for you to get to.
Finding a Gym Group location near you is easy. Simply search by postcode or town on their website, or by downloading their app. With over 250 locations across the UK, you’ll be bound to find somewhere that works for you.
Tips for choosing a convenient location
If you’ve got a few options to choose from and can’t decide which is the most convenient for you, here’s a few things to help you make your mind up:
- Proximity: The gym you choose should be close, whether that be to your home or your place of work. Deciding when you’ll want to go the gym plays a part in this too.
- Ease-of-access: Making sure you can consistently get to the gym is vital. Always look for a gym you can get to without hassle, whether it’s one within walking distance, one with good public transport, or just one with a big enough car park.
- Opening hours: Having a gym with flexible hours makes getting to the gym much more convenient. Many Gym Group gyms are 24/7, meaning that no matter when you find the time, the gym is there for you.
What to look for in a gym as a beginner
If you’ve never been to the gym before, or if you have and are looking for something new, there’s a few things that you should look for when making the decision of which one to go to.
Firstly, you’ll want to avoid the ‘body builder’ gyms, or gyms that have more of a focus on free-weights compared to machines. Having equipment that is easy for to use, without having to worry too much about your form, removes an element of confusion or uncertainty about the gym that puts some people off.
Having a gym that’s welcoming is important, somewhere low-pressure where you don’t feel as though there are any expectations on you. Going to a gym that has onsite trainers, or classes can massively help build your confidence and even help build relationships with other people in your gym!
The Gym Group has you sorted. They’ve got mix of free weights and machines, letting people of any experience get the best start. Not only that, there are multiple different classes to choose from. Just check the app to see the calendar of your gym and what classes you can join in with!
Quiet vs busy times
Like anywhere else, gyms are busier at peak hours, and quieter at off-peak times. A gym being busy doesn’t mean it’ll be a bad experience; in fact, some people even prefer it, seeing others like them, or even those further ahead on their journey, as motivation.
However, it can mean the gym feels a bit more crowded, and can mean you have to wait to use a machine.
When to visit for a quieter experience
If a busy gym is something you’d prefer to avoid, then the best times to visit the gym are:
- Mid-morning: Getting to the gym while people are doing school runs and work commutes means that they’re quieter than usual.
- Early afternoon: If you work close to the gym, being able to go while most people are in the office is a good way to avoid crowds.
- Late evening: Gyms usually start to quieten down after 8pm. This is when everyone who went straight after work has gone home.
By downloading The Gym Group app, you’ll be able to see exactly how busy your chosen gym is by checking the live capacity. There’s even a feature that shows a graph of popular times specific to that gym!
Choosing a gym you will stick to
There are two core principles that increase the likelihood of someone sticking to a gym: behaviour and consistency. You’d be surprised how much picking the right gym can impact both.
- Convenience: You’ve got to pick a gym that works for you, depending on how you get there and what time you want to be going. If the gym is convenient, going feels less like a chore.
- Comfortable: The more comfortable, and safe, that you feel when you’re at the gym increases the chances of you coming back.
How to choose a gym that fits your routine
So how can you focus on getting the most of your gym selection? Well, picking a gym that you pass regularly is the easiest way to make it part of your day-to-day life.
Even better, most The Gym Group gyms are 24/7 (check your address to see if yours is), meaning that they can fit around any routine. Whether you work 9-5 in an office, or work 12-hour nightshifts, you’ve got the flexibility to find a time that fits your schedule.
How to get your free five-day pass with Chemist4U
You can get your free five-day pass by requesting your weight loss treatment with Chemist4U (as long as you haven’t previously ordered with us in the last 12 months).
Once your order is approved, you’ll receive a unique activation code. Then all you need to do is visit The Gym Group, select a five-day pass and use your code.
There are no hidden fees, you don’t need to put in your payment details, and there’s no need to cancel your pass at the end of the five days.
Frequently asked questions about finding the right gym
How do I find a gym near me?
You can find a gym near you by searching online for a gym in your local area. To make it easier to find a Gym Group gym, you can use their website or download the app and see what’s near you by postcode or town.
What makes a gym beginner-friendly?
Beginner-friendly gyms are low-pressure environments that make you feel comfortable when being there. That atmosphere, alongside easy-to-use equipment, removes a barrier to entry that more technical gyms have.
Is it better to go to the gym at quiet times?
It can be, but only if that’s what you want. There’s nothing inherently better or worse about going to the gym when it’s quiet. For instance, you might have a shorter wait to get to use the machine you wanted. For others, however, a busy gym can be motivating.
What is the least busy time to go to the gym?
The least busy times to go to the gym are off-peak times, like when most people are in work or of a late evening when people are at home. You can always use the live capacity feature in The Gym Group app to see exactly how busy your gym is as well as look at graphs showing when is busiest.
How do I choose a gym I’ll actually use?
Focus on finding a gym that is convenient to you, and one that you feel comfortable in. A gym you can easily get to and from, with flexible access times means you’re more likely to go. Being relaxed in a gym means you’re more likely to go back, as it’s an environment, you’re happy being in.
Can I change gyms if I don’t like the first one?
Absolutely. Getting a five-day pass from The Gym Group through Chemist4U is a taster. Though it should be said, just because one Gym Group gym isn’t right for you, doesn’t mean another won’t be. With over 250 gyms across the UK, there may be another nearby gym close that works perfectly for you.
Do I need to visit a gym before signing up?
You don’t have to visit first, but going and speaking to staff never hurt anybody. They can give you a tour of the gym, a rundown of what classes are offered, and sometimes sign you up for one-on-one personal training.
What if I feel nervous about going to the gym?
Being nervous about going to the gym is perfectly normal. Nobody went to the gym for the first time confident, or knowing what perfect form was.
Everybody starts somewhere, and there’s never a better time to start than right now. Finding the right gym is a great first step in easing your nerves, and the more you go, the less nervous you will feel.
