Sometimes I wonder if I don’t quite fit into the demographics of certain establishments – am I too fussy/critical – or is my looking to try something/somewhere new not the way for me to go.
The decision had been made – It was time to return to the gym – But which gym?
A few kms from home we have a great health and fitness facility. Â It has a well ‘stocked’ gymnasium, basketball/ netball courts, various swimming pools plus a warm water pool plus other designated ‘rooms’ (group fitness, yoga, pilates, spin). Along with another similar facility and a couple of local golf courses is managed by the local council. Â I’ve been a member there on and off for quite a few years now.
Because it offers so much it has become very busy – the car park has been extended more times than I can remember- and classes have to be booked rather than the old way of just turning up and claiming your spot. Â And even though it has what I want there are times when I get fed up with being a ‘number’
So I thought I’d check out two other nearby ‘places’ Â to see what they offered.
I’d looked at their websites (well established businesses) so had a rough idea……classes, gym, membership options/fees (no pool) Â but wanted to get the feel of them before deciding.
After trying to park in the last vacant spot in a very tiny car park  I discovered no one at the desk in the first one…then a young lad wandered by…..”sorry, the person you need to speak to isn’t here.  She’ll be back tomorrow….no I don’t do membership!”  With that he wandered off again leaving me standing there……looking at some posters of some young,  very nice looking, well toned and well muscled people and wondering ( well you don’t need to know what I was wondering 😊)
OK, I’ll just drive down the road a bit to the second one.
My god what’s that noise – i thought I was going to be deafened when I opened the door.
I had a little chat with a very young girl – well she chatted to me….not answering any of my questions, just telling me what she wanted me to hear.  “I’ll print off our classes for you- we have a special program and classes for oldies like you.  Sorry you can’t look round the premises unless you are a member- no I can’t take you round- I’lll sign you up for a week’s free trial then someone will show you round.  Then you can join.  Here’s the forms, take them home and come back when you’ve decided”  With that she went off to make some special high protein drink for some young thing in the attached ‘kitchen’ (not café) we don’t serve food!”
OK, I said to myself (again) I’ll just go back down the road to my tried and true centre, where I know what’s what, how things work and where there’s a whole range of clients/users…….including oldies like me 😊
Guess what – as I stood at the reception desk waiting to be served one of the staff walked by “Hello Cathy. Â Lovely to see you – are you signing up again?”
No need to tell you what I did, is there?
Still Waters 
None.
And if you had signed up at either of the others I would have been seriously worried.
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Hehe, the old place sounds more … made for human beings.
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Yes Charlotte- even though my chosen one has lots of young members it certainly caters for ‘normal’ humans
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I had to do something EC so returned to the Leisure Centre
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I just wonder how the two alternative places survive with attitudes like that…or do they make more effort with the less aged among us?
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Helen I think it’s because they seem to be ‘the place to be’ – younger clientele seem to accept the take it or leave it attitude. I did learn the 2nd gym (the one with the ‘older but stronger program’) had a different entrance and ‘room’ for those clients. So they weren’t subjected to the rough and tumble of the main gym plus all that noise. I’d made my decision by then and as the fees were similar I felt I was definitely getting more from my ‘usual’ place than that one.
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Just goes to show that we should never try and change anything in our lives that’s not broken. At least you had a try, though. Such a great read, Cathy. I loved your sense of humour throughout the post.
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Hello Hugh. You’re right in that observation- my Dad often said, if it’s not broke don’t fix it! In a previous post I mentioned the consequences of the 6 month break I’d had and wondered if ‘a change was as good as a rest’ and also if ‘the grass was greener elsewhere’. Yes the old saying…..when you’re on to a good thing stick to it……certainly was true
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Very satisfying post! I hope you do OK with parking and booking the classes you like.
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Happy New Year Dar. It’s still the long summer school holidays at the moment so the car park was half empty this morning 😊 Also classes are on a restricted timetable so I’ll concentrate on the gym work until February when it’s all go again. School will be back = mums free to go to the gym = more cars = well we’ll just wait and see lol
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Sadly, the majority of your experiences are the majority of our experiences. It’s a new world.
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I suppose it happens for each generation Joanne. Our parents weren’t too happy with our (war born babies) attitudes and the post ww2 changes they experienced. Doesn’t make it right though does it.
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I related so well to your experience that I just had to laugh. I’m glad you ended up with a good result, as so many of these places seem to be set up solely for young ones.
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Margaret I have to say I did have a little laugh at how ridiculous a morning it had been. Traipsing here there and everywhere when I could have driven 2km down the road and found just what I was looking for. Right where I knew it would be 😊
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