SG Gym Membership Guide – Gym Access – Part 2 of 3
Singapore Gym Membership Guide: Gym Access Part 2 of 3
We hope that you find our FitXHub Singapore Gym Membership Guide useful so far. In Part 1, we covered in detail about the Gym Membership Details & Costs. That would have given you more awareness about your membership options and the costs involved.
Gym Access Edition Part 2 of 3: Gym Membership Details & Cost
In this Part 2, we will focus on details about the Gym Operations & Services you can expect. With the wide variety of gyms available around Singapore now, it’s good to know what each one of them offers.
2.1: Location
Location, location, location! Just like choosing a home or starting a business, location is one of the most important factors that will influence our decision. In choosing a gym, its location is also important. A gym in an inconvenient location may be a possible deterrent to you going to the gym regularly. If possible, the gym’s location has to be convenient enough that there will be no excuses for you to avoid going to the gym!
Some gyms, especially the more established brands, offer multiple locations around the island. If you are looking for the convenience of location or the ability to access different branches for variety, a gym with multiple locations will suit you. Anytime Fitness and Fitness First are two brands that offers many gym locations around Singapore.
Even though having the convenience of location is good, it does not mean that gyms offering a single or lesser locations aren’t better. The other important factor is if that single gym location is convenient enough for you. If you are only going to go to the gym that is near the office or home, that gym which is near you will be convenient enough for you to workout at regularly. In this case, having multiple locations is a nice to have but not necessary.
Other location factors that can be considered can be:
i. Proximity to Public Transport
This is important for those who do not live or work near the gym and takes public transport to commute to the gym. If the gym is situated too far away from public transport and becomes inconvenient, it may a potential deterrent for you to go to the gym. Imagine having to walk more than 15 minutes or wait a long time for lifts, just to get to the gym? If you’re someone who doesn’t carry an umbrella with you all the time, you may want to ensure that the path to the gym is sheltered from where you alight to the gym. This will ensure that you don’t get stuck or arrive at the gym soaking wet in the event it rains.
ii. Availability of Parking Lots
This will be for those who drive or ride to the gym. Are parking lots readily available near the gym? You do not want to end up spending too much time looking for a parking lot as it may cause you to be late for your PT session or class.
Do also check the parking charges at the carparks near the gym. Parking charges can add up to quite a bit, especially for carparks in the CBD and Orchard area.
For those who ride, do check if the carpark has motorbike lots. For the cyclists, do check if there is secure bicycle lots at the gym or nearby.
iii. Amenities Nearby
These may not the most important things but they make it convenient for you should you need them.
F&B Outlets – This will be useful for those that need to get some food after their workouts. Whether its lunch or dinner, having a food outlet near the gym does save you some time. A bonus will be to have a healthy food outlet or salad bar near the gym!
Supermarket – For those who do your own meal preps, this is a great help! Having a supermarket nearby makes it more convenient to restock on the anything you’re running low on without the need to detour on your way back home.
Student Enrichment Centers – Parents that send their kids for enrichment lessons will find this useful. This simply means that you can go get a workout done while your child is attending their enrichment lesson. A definite killing two birds with one stone and makes very efficient use of your time!
2.2: Gym Operation Hours
The other important factor to look at is the gym operation hours and days. Take note that while most gyms operate daily, there are a handful of gyms that do not operate daily, especially public holidays. Do check with the respective gyms to confirm their actual operational days and also if they open on public holidays.
Normal gym operational hours are usually 6am or 7am to 10pm on most days. However, this may vary with each gym and weekend hours may be shorter. This is not a concern if you workout within these hours but do check if you are an early riser, who likes a 6am workout, or you’re a late night person.
For the nocturnal creatures that prefers a midnight workout, there are an increasing number of 24 hour gyms operating now. At this point of writing, none of the big commercial gyms have any 24 hours outlet. The main 3 brands with multiple locations of 24 hours outlets are Anytime Fitness, The Gym Pod and Gymmboxx. There are also some single location boutique gyms like, FiitBoxx, that operate 24 hours. Do take note that the gyms that operate 24 hours do not have any staff on duty overnight.
You may need to purchase an access card or key fob to enter the gym after normal operating hours. Some gyms use their gym mobile app instead of the access card/key for entry into their gym.
2.3: Fitness Services
While most will use the gym to workout on their own, there is still a good percentage of gym users who will utilise other fitness services offered by the gym. Some of these fitness services are include in your gym membership/entry fee and some require additional fees.
Source: Alphafit
| Here’s a list of fitness services. | |
| Fitness Service | Details |
| Gym Floor Trainer | This will be part of the gym fee if offered. These are gym trainers that you can ask for basic exercise advice/tips or equipment use. |
| Small Group Training Classes (SGT) | Some gyms offer this as part of the gym fee while some charge extra for it. SGT classes are usually for a group of 4-12 people and based on a HIIT, bootcamp or circuit training format. SGT classes are usually about 30-45mins long. |
| Group Fitness/Exercise Classes (GX) | GX classes are usually offered as part of the gym membership fee of commercial gyms. Boutique gyms that offer GX classes usually charge a separate fee for GX classes. GX classes are usually for a group of 8-30 people and based on a choreographed formats from yoga, pilates. Les Mills, Zumba, indoor cycling, etc. There are also GX classes that are signature classes created by individual gyms. GX classes are usually about 45-60mins long. |
| Gym/Fitness Induction | Offered by some gyms as part of the gym onboarding process. This is a one-off induction session to help you get started with your gym membership. The trainer will help you identify your fitness goals and introduce some exercises that are effective towards your goals. |
| Body Fat Analysis (BFA) | Offered by some gyms as part of the membership or for a small fee. The BFA is usually done using an bioelectrical impedance machine, which looks like a weighing scale. The details provided vary depending on the machine make and model. These details include weight, body fat percentage, body fat mass, basal metabolic rate, total body water, muscle mass, metabolic age, etc. |
| Personal Training | Available at an additional fee. Getting a personal trainer will help you towards your fitness goal faster. Your personal trainer will help you identify your specific fitness goals, customise your training program and motivate you out of your comfort zones. No more guess work or doing exercises that are not effective towards your fitness goals. |
| *Fitness services indicated are for reference only. Please check with the respective gyms for their specific fitness services available. |
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2.4: Other Services
Other than fitness services, here are some other services that the gyms may offer. Some gyms use this as a differentiating factor to offer more value for their gym membership. Do take note that most of this will not be available if you have opted for a no-frills gym membership.
| Service | Details |
| Welcome/Joining Gift | This is offered by some gyms when you commit to a minimum one year membership. The welcome gift can range from a workout towel or sports bottle to a goodie bag. |
| Bath Towel | Some gyms offer this, especially if they have shower facilities. The bath towels may be part of the membership fee or at an additional fee. |
| Workout Towel | Some gyms offer this as part of the membership fee or at an additional fee. Do take note that all gyms require gym users to use a towel for their workouts for hygiene reasons. Remember to bring your own if the gym does not provide this. |
| Workout Attire | The workout attire is only offered at the more premium gyms. Workout attire will include a workout t-shirt and shorts. |
| Toiletries | Offered by some gyms as part of the membership or for a small fee. The BFA is usually done using an bioelectrical impedance machine, which looks like a weighing scale. The details provided vary depending on the machine make and model. These details include weight, body fat percentage, body fat mass, basal metabolic rate, total body water, muscle mass, metabolic age, etc. |
| Water Dispenser | This is usually available at all gyms. The only point to note is that the water dispenser can be hard to locate in some gyms. Do make it a point to locate the water dispensers in the gym if it’s your first time there. |
| Drinks Bar | The complimentary drinks bar is only offered at premium gyms. Drinks on offer include infused water, hot coffee, hot tea or isotonic drinks. |
| Vending Machines | Vending machines are becoming more commonly available at more gyms. The vending machines usually offer energy drinks, energy bars, ready-to-drink protein shakes, protein bars, isotonic drinks, mineral water, etc. |
| Supplement Sale | Some gyms do sell a small range of sports supplements. These are normally on display and sale at the front desk counter of the gym. |
| Merchandise Sale | A small number of gyms also sell workout merchandise. These are usually the respective gym’s own private label workout attire. |
| Members’ Privileges | These members’ privileges are usually offered by commercial gyms. Each will have their own list of its own members’ privileges. Some boutique gyms may also have special discounts with neighbouring merchants. Do check with the gym staff if there are any available. |
| *Services indicated are for reference only. Please check with the respective gyms for their specific services available. | |
Get The MOST VALUE From Your Gym Membership!
This wraps up our second of three parts to our Singapore Gym Membership Guide – Gym Access Edition. Whatever your motivation is to join a gym, FitXHub aims to provide you with the information you need to get the best value out of your gym membership. With so many factors and considerations, we hope that our guide will make your gym research process a lot easier!
Do look out for our upcoming blog posts where we will going through the final part of this guide on:
◦ Gym Equipment & Facilities
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