A Fit Decision

I had emailed my Mom a few times the last several days and gotten no reply, so was beginning to wonder what was going on. So I phoned her this evening. For some strange reason, she hadn't gotten my emails. So all is well there, other than a minor illness again. Mom is 83, so I tend to get a wee bit concerned when I don't hear from her for awhile. Of course that's silly as if anything happened to her, my sister that lives in the same town would let the rest of us know.

Anyway, while we were talking I told Mom that I have been looking into joining a gym. She was so happy to hear that. She's been worried about my health and wanting me to loose weight and be more active, for some time now. A few years ago she offered me $500 if I would loose weight, I forget now how much I was to loose, but I was not able to do it. Not that I didn't try, but I was not successful.

I have gone to 2 different women only gyms in our city and compared them. Each one gave me a free 1 week pass so I could try the place out. This is basically what I came up with:

Goodlife Fitness: New, very nice gym. Upstairs in Great Canadian Super Store, so if I want to shop I can do so there. The Super Store was only built just over 1 year ago, so it's all a new facility. Entire gym on one level.
Ladies World: An older facility that has many good things about it, but is kind of shabby, in my opinion. Gym is on 2 levels, you have to go upstairs to use the treadmills.

Goodlife Fitness: Lots of equipment, all new stuff. Friendly, knowledgeable people working there.
Ladies World: Lots of equipment, not all that new but all in good shape, some the same as at Goodlife. Friendly, knowledgeable people working there.

Goodlife Fitness: Large locker room, lots of lockers, 2 small change cubicals for those who are shy, 6 showers (I think that's how many there were), I'm not sure how many toilets as I haven't used them there. Sauna.
Ladies World: Small locker room, 2 nice large change cubicals, 3 showers, 3 toilets. No sauna.

Goodlife Fitness: Park in Super Store lot, walk a fair distance to the building, a ways through the building and go upstairs by stairs or elevator.
Ladies World: Park in semi private lot, walk short distance to building, through the door you're in the club.

Goodlife Fitness: Missing one machine that LW has, maybe they'll get one soon?
Ladies World: Has a machine that's somewhat like cross country skiing, from what they tell me. I haven't tried it out yet, and am not sure how it would be for me with my low back problems.

Goodlife Fitness: Referral incentive: for every 5 names/numbers you give them to call, whether these people sign up or not, you get a t-shirt... cute and comes in black or red, your choice.
Ladies World: Referral incentive: for every 1 person that actually signs up and gives your name as referral person, you get 1 free month membership.

Goodlife Fitness: Incentive gift: when you sign up, you are given a Goodlife Fitness gym bag (nice bags), and a booklet of info on working out. Inside the booklet is a chart for you to fill out with what you do on each workout, then you get a gal that works there to initial it. After 12 workouts you get a gift. One example of that gift is a free tan, and she said there are other things too. She also said if I don't show up for a week she will phone me and ask if everything is okay and when can they expect me back. They really seem to care if you actually use the membership and succeed or not.
Ladies World: No incentive gifts.

Goodlife Fitness: 2 tanning booths, 1 where you stand and 1 where you lay down. When you sign up you are given 3 free tans. Not sure what it costs to buy more tans as I wasn't really interested in them unless they are free, haha.
Ladies World: 1 tanning booth, stand up. $19 + 6% tax per month for unlimited tanning.

Goodlife Fitness: No sign up fees.
Ladies World: Current sign up fee is $29 + 6% tax = $30.74

Goodlife Fitness: If I sign up by Feb. 28th, I pay $2 + 6% tax = $2.12 per month for the first 2 months (well, 8 weeks anyway), then they automatically take from my checking account $25 + 6% tax = $26.50 every 2 weeks, so that's a total of $53.00 per month.
($2.12 x 2) + ($53 x 10) = $534.14 per year.
Ladies World: I talked her into 1 free month to start if I sign up here, then it's $39.99 + 6% = $42.39 per month x 11 months = $466.28 per year + $30.74 sign up fee = $497.02

The difference is: $534.14 - $497.02 = $37.12

I told Mom a few, but not all, of the comparisons (prices, incentive gift, referral gift, that kind of thing) and she said it was obvious that Goodlife is the better one to join. This is exactly what I had been thinking. I am old enough to not need Mom's permission to do anything I want, but it is really nice to have her support in this. I feel this is a huge commitment as with both of these gyms I have to sign up for a full year.

I have, in the past, tried doing exercises at home. This doesn't work for me. I spend a lot of time at home and really need the social aspect of getting out and being with other people. When I'm out with others I feel happier and feel more like doing things. When home alone I have more problems with depression, I often sleep too much or just sit and watch TV. When among others I find it easier to fight the Chronic Fatigue than I do sitting her with my animals that are more than happy to have me sleeping with them. I need to have incentive and to be held accountable.

This will be a really good thing for my health; physically and emotionally.