Clark Howard's Tips

January 17, 2008

For those who overindulged in calories during the holidays, here's a word of warning to avoid getting eaten alive by health club salespeople.

This industry basically has two business models. In the good one, you pay month-to-month or quarterly with no real contract. The sleazy business model, however, involves long-term contracts designed to give your checking account a workout.

In the latter model, the downfall begins when they offer you a free tour of the facilities. The tour is done by a commissioned salesperson with the intention of getting you to sign a multi-year contract. When you sign, the salesperson gets a commission and the club sells off the contract to a finance company that will take the paper on and sell it off for pennies on the dollar. Then the club gets what's left. Clubs sell so many memberships this way that they have to hope that you don't work out -- otherwise there wouldn't be enough space for everyone!

The Feb. 2008 issue of Consumer Reports rates health clubs, with the worst rating going to Bally's Total Fitness. Bally's got bad marks in staffing, classes and equipment, plus the worst possible score for locker rooms, cleanliness and crowds.

On the flip side, the best club is a chain that's in 15 states called Lifetime Fitness. In the second-best slot are on-site gyms at work and coming in third best were gyms at your local Jewish Community Center/YMCA/YWCA.

Though Consumer Reports doesn't mention them, Clark also recommends checking out hospital-affiliated fitness centers. They're usually rehab-based or geared toward hospital staff. They're clean, well run and don't force stinking contracts on you. Most sell memberships to the public.

One final word: Signing a contract will not get you to work out. You may have the best of intentions, but most people quit working out within weeks. So don't obligate yourself to a multi-year contract.

Consumer advice courtesy of