Movati Fitness Prices
Karmen Mcarthun
But even with the discounts, this may not be the best time to get the lowest rates.
"You can often get the biggest discount on a gym membership later in the month," says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. That holds true in January or any month of the year, she says.
Metcalf says fitness clubs may need to boost their sales to meet quotas toward the end of a month, so they will offer even lower rates to entice you to join.
Sign up for a trial run. Call fitness clubs that interest you to ask for a no-commitment trial. Most clubs will give you a one-week pass to try out the facility, says Pam Kufahl, director of content at Club Industry, a website for fitness pros. Visit during the hours you'll be most likely to work out so that you can see how crowded it is. Try classes that you may take, such as yoga, Pilates, and spinning. Be sure to also look closely at the condition of the facilities, including the weight machines, locker room, and swimming pool.
If you can, ask members what they like and don't like about the club, and get a copy of the fee schedule, so you won't be surprised by unexpected charges. Some clubs, for instance, charge an initiation fee when you sign up. There can also be processing, enrollment, and annual maintenance fees.
Search for better prices online. While you're deciding which gym to join, scour the web. You may find membership discounts or deals on classes on a gym's website or through sites such as Groupon, Kufahl says.
While you're negotiating, try to get some bonuses thrown in without charge, such as a personal training session, she says. If the membership includes services you won't use, such as child care, classes, or the use of a pool, ask for a reduced rate that doesn't include those perks.
Be flexible. A club may offer you a discount as long as you agree to use the facilities only during off-peak hours or on certain days, Metcalf says. Consider the offer carefully. The restrictions may be worth it, especially if you can easily fit those hours into your schedule. Such special rates, though, aren't usually advertised, so you'll have to ask for them.
Join with a group. Many fitness facilities will lower their monthly rates for a large group. One of the easiest ways to take advantage of this benefit is through your employer. Ask your human resources department whether your employer has deals with local clubs.
Many fitness clubs offer family or household discounts to two or more people who live together. You can also gather a group of friends and ask a gym manager if she would be willing to cut a deal for the group. If you can't wrangle a discount, find out whether your group can get deals on additional services, such as small group personal training sessions, says Kufahl at Club Industry.
Read the contract. One of the most expensive charges you could eventually encounter is a cancellation fee. Although you might not be able to get it removed, you should be aware of the terms in advance so that you don't get stuck paying a penalty for a membership you no longer use. You might have to let the club know you want to cancel two months in advance, for example, or submit a notarized letter to end the contract.
Keep in mind that this has been an area that fitness customers have complained about. Last year, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose term ended this month, said that there had been a significant rise in consumer complaints in his state about discrepancies between what they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract guaranteed, especially when it came to cancellation procedures. The attorney general said you should carefully read any contract you sign, keep a copy of that contract, and be wary of unusually low prices.
Ask whether the membership fee has changed. Once you've joined a club, you'll still want to keep tabs on how much the club charges new members. A club may lower prices to attract new customers but not offer the reduced rate to existing members. If you find that to be the case, ask the manager if the club would also give you the lower rate, Metcalf says.
When COVID-19 forced the closure of businesses across the region, including fitness clubs and gyms, the industry quickly pivoted and began offering online classes and outdoor workouts to their members.
One such club is MOVATI Athletic, an Ontario-wide chain with its roots here in Essex County, which recently opened its 17th club at 650 Division Road in Windsor. It also has clubs at 400 Sandwich Street South in Amherstburg and 313 Main Street East in Kingsville.
All of the recently-mandated protocols are in place, including a sign-in desk, cleaning, sanitizing and scrubbing of the club and its equipment after every class, spacing of machines and reduced fitness class sizes so that members can practice physical distancing.
While MOVATI may be the newest and largest addition to the fitness club sector locally, there are many other gyms across the region that also offer premier services and personalized programs at affordable prices.
When COVID-19 forced fitness centres to close their doors, Tony Smith, owner of two Garage Gym locations with his wife Danielle, shifted their focus to online in-home instruction to keep their clients active.
And the fact that instruction and workouts remained virtually seamless during the first four months of the pandemic, meant that their clients stayed active and continued using their memberships.
With the gym using mostly free weights, Smith says he was able to lend all of his barbells and dumbbells to clients so they could work out at home.
Now that the gym has re-opened, class sizes have been reduced from 20 clients to 15 and the gym shuts down for 30 minutes between sessions for a complete cleaning. Clients are not able to share weights anymore, in order to prevent any incidental contact, and weight stations are further apart than they were before.
The gym has two locations, the first at 227 Sandwich Street South in Amherstburg, which opened six years ago, and a second at 17 Chestnut Street in Kingsville, which opened three years ago.
Membership fees range from $155 to $185 monthly, which includes unlimited group classes as well as live online instruction. Working with a personal trainer is extra.
In order to keep members and staff safe, Mendez has added a host of new protocols, including more hand sanitizing stations; a check-in table to facilitate contact tracing; key fobs so the gym can only be accessed by members; traffic flow arrows to keep people moving in the right direction; the use of masks where physical distancing is difficult; six feet between workout stations; and regular full-gym sanitizing and cleaning.
Movati Athletic's unique fitness club concept offers the most current boutique classes and a premium fitness experience at an unprecedented value for residents of Mississauga and south Brampton. This marks the 16th location for Movati Athletic and the third in the GTA for the 23-year old, Canadian-born fitness chain.
"In our research, our members have referred to us as 'an affordable luxury'," said Lo. "Our goal across the Movati network is to improve the health and wellness of our members every day, and we look forward to delivering on our promise in Mississauga and surrounding communities."
"For me, Movati is about community," said Raina, a member at the Burlington club and one of Movati Athletic's 100,000+ members across Ontario. "It is also an escape, an opportunity to empower myself. And everything is under one roof."
The new club is also a boost to the Mississauga and area economies. Movati Athletic invested nearly $20 million in development and construction, created more than 150 construction jobs, and will create almost 150 permanent team positions.
An open house, including guided tours and demonstrations, will take place throughout the day January 11 at Movati Athletic, 6685 Century Avenue, Mississauga. A formal opening ceremony featuring local political and business leaders takes place at 2 p.m.
About Movati Athletic Movati Athletic is a privately held company with 16 locations across Ontario. Established in 1997, Movati Athletic is a pioneer in fitness industry offering an experience that goes beyond just working out. It offers a full range of the latest fitness services and amenities tailored to its members' needs. With nearly 2,000 full- and part-time team members, its caring and exceptional people ensure that members feel welcome, feel comfortable and feel healthy. Driven by a vision to empower people's lives through fitness and health, making the communities it serves healthier and happier, Movati Athletic is poised for growth nationally and internationally. Visit movati.ca for more information.
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