It seems a bit unfair to compare Curves with 24 Hour Fitness. They are both big giants in the gym categories. However, Curves is only for women, while 24 Hour Fitness is for anyone. Despite the sex difference, there are many other differences between them as well. Being a woman, I assumed I would have like Curves better. However, my experiment showed me that I was wrong.
Curves: Curves is a gym for all women. There are several around the States. Most of the gyms I have attended are set in a room about a little larger than my living room. There are anywhere from 10-20 different workout stations all set in a circle. The goal is to go around the circle 2-3 times to get a full workout.
Some pros I noticed about Curves is that they really care for their members. It is easy to build relationships there. Since it is all women, and typically older or heavier women, it makes working out there more comfortable for those who are embarrassed of themselves. They also offer fun, cute things like book exchanges and daily games and contests. Most days there are chances for working out members to earn Curves’ bucks. With these, a member can purchase items. It makes working out a little more fun. A lot of women have shed pounds by only going 30 minutes a day.
However, there are also some cons with Curves. There are only about ten different machines with running pads between them; it can get boring really quick. I also did not feel like I was getting a real workout and ended up not loosing that much weight.
24 Hour Fitness: After my Curves adventure, I received a 30 day free pass to 24 Hour Fitness Gym. The 24 Hour Fitness close to my house was bigger than the size of my house. It offered many classes, over 100 machines, not including the weight machines, a sauna, a steam room, a pool, and a Jacuzzi. It was definitely impressive compared to Curves little gym.
The pros of going to this gym is that it offered so much to do. I had a blast taking Pilate, yoga, kickboxing, water aerobics, and salsa classes. I also found myself motivated by the other people working out vigorously. The sauna and steam room were fantastic as well. My favorite pro was that I lost eight pounds after a month.
Now for the cons. While 24 Hour Fitness is more attractive than Curves, it is also a lot more impersonal. Getting plugged into a class could help a little with this. I also felt like they were just after my money. When I was signing up, I told the man exactly what I wanted. Instead of just accepting that, he kept pushing a personal trainer on me. When I politely told him no, he retreated with, “What, you don’t think you need one?” That is some real customer service there. He then asked me a couple of minutes later the same exact thing. I feel immature and unprofessional for putting the next one on the con list. I just cannot take it though. There are naked women all the time just hanging out in the locker room. Not just naked ones, but naked women who weigh over 200 lbs. Thos are the ones I always see. I know they are beautiful creatures too, but I just think that there should be a rule to dress in a stall. Save your embarrassment, save our eyes! Another thing is that it is always crowded. The parking lot is also always crowded. I always find it strange that these people fight over the parking spots in front to save themselves from walking, even though they are just about to go workout.
Overall, it is hard to compare these two gyms. If you are an elderly or self conscious woman, you might enjoy the small, supportive community of Curves. However, if you like variety and are a self motivator, you can join me at 24 Hour Fitness.
