Health Club Help

To begin your search for the perfect health club, CBS This Morning Money Editors Ken and Daria Dolan suggest you first bypass "expensive cutesy ads in the paper" and instead talk directly to friends and family who may be using health clubs already.

Daria Dolan reminds you to ask your employer about any deals they may have with health clubs. "Check your local Y. Check into your local park service. There are lots of opportunities for gyms and workout programs that you may not be aware of."

How do you know if a health club will suit your lifestyle? Several issues are at stake: "You've got to be worried about location," says Ken Dolan. "It has to be convenient to work or close to your home."

Once you've found a convenient place to work out, then what? Ken Dolan recommends: "Number two, walk in. Look and see if it's new. How are the people enjoying themselves? Are there plenty of instructors around? Are the locker rooms clean? Check it out yourself and see if it's not too busy at the hour you want to go work out."

The Dolans suggest you check with the Better Business Bureau for a reliability report on any clubs you are seriously considering. Before signing up, take a close look at the contract for the total cost and payment schedule, including any initiation fees and finance charges.

As for the length of the membership term, shorter is better, preferably no more than a year until you see if you are really going to use it. Find out if you can be released from the contract if you get sick, or need to relocate. What if the club closes unexpectedly? Are you guaranteed a refund?

Ken Dolan says that a health club contract has two elements common to all contracts: it is both negotiable and binding. Health clubs are competitive businesses, and there is usually some sort of introductory program available. If you bring in friends or co-workers, you may be able to bargain as a group for a better rate.

This may seem like a lot to go through just for a place to sweat, but health club memberships are a sizeable investment of both money and, hopefully, the time you will spend exercising there. Some forethought and careful shopping will make it work for your workout.

For more about your money by "America's First Family of Finance," go to the Dolans Web site.