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Gym Wise
Are Memberships Worth Your Family's Money?
By Jenn Director Knudsen
"It makes for pleasant evenings at home when the whole family is feeling good after a workout."
So says Jason Spark, 25, whose family has been working out together since he and his younger brother, now 20, were little kids. Members of the USKO (United States Karate Organization) Family Super Center in Riverside, Calif., the Spark family got physically and mentally fit – together.
Obesity-related statistics by now are familiar: roughly one third of American children are obese; nearly 300,000 deaths in this country are associated with being fat; and obesity-related medical problems, such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease, now cost $117 billion in annual medical expenses.
Also familiar by now is a key antidote to this epidemic: Get moving!
Experts recommend doing so as a family, and health and fitness facilities have responded to this need. In fact, many of them are popping up with the word "family" in their name, and membership to one could make a great holiday gift.
Yet, just how family-oriented are these facilities?
Like with so many things in life, they vary. They may not have everything for everyone, but, like the Spark family's gym, many have lots of offerings for every member of the family. Read on for a sampling.
It's tough to quantify just how much each family member benefits from consistent group workouts. But clearly, each person reaps physical and mental rewards, says Jason Thunstrom, 34, a spokesperson for Life Time Fitness (www.lifetimefitness.com), health and fitness centers with 33 facilities nationwide and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn.