By JASON CARSON
Autumn is in the air and the leaves are turning bright shades of red, yellow and orange. This could only mean one thing -- the holidays are just around the corner, along with the hearty Thanksgiving feast, the scrumptious Christmas treats and the inevitable two feet of snow on the ground.
Many of us go into virtual hibernation over the winter, emerging from our 'caves' in the spring, squinting at the unfamiliar sun and having a few extra pounds to shed before donning the swimsuit for the first sunbath of the summer.
Other brave and wise souls, however, prepare for the holiday season by stepping up their activity levels and getting in shape, so the pounds never add up. And fitness clubs are where many of them go.
The task of finding the right fitness club to go to, however, may be a challenging task for some, and a little helpful counsel may be in order.
Morgan Mathews, a sophomore in communications at UVSC, said, 'The most important thing is to find something that will motivate you to go.'
And that is different for everyone ...
Tiffany Hunt, a junior in horticulture, said that she chose the club she patronizes because it was close to home.
'It's harder to motivate yourself if it's farther away,' Hunt said.
Julie Brightenburg, 26, of Orem, said that convenience played a large role in her choice of fitness clubs as well. She also noted that, since she started working out, she has made friends that keep her going back to the same club.
Velvet Howard, office manager for Gold's Gym in Provo, said that the type of clientele that frequents the gym often influences people's decision about whether they join a particular club.
She said that people want to surround themselves with others they admire and feel comfortable with.
Todd Chelius, a BYU graduate in human biology and psychology, and a former BYU football linebacker, has frequented most of the local clubs in the past and will soon be opening his own World's Gym in American Fork.
He said that the social aspect of fitness clubs are the reason many people work out at a fitness club, as opposed to their own home.
'Misery loves company,' Chelius said. 'People want to be with other people who are going through the same things.'
Howard said that some women prefer to work out separate from men, and one factor to look for may be whether the club has an optional women-only gym.
Damion Smith, manager for Lifestyles 2000 in Orem, agreed that a women-only gym is an important feature for some. He said that, more often, people are looking for a variety of top-of-the-line equipment.
'People don't want to wait for equipment,' Smith said.
Mathews agreed that finding a club with enough equipment to go around was important to him. He said, for the most part, the quality of the equipment is the same at the various clubs.
Brett Macdonald, a BYU graduate living in Provo, said, 'I don't want to wait. I want to go in, work out and leave.'
Muzquiz, while rounding up her two children in the parking lot, said that people with children should look at whether the club has a day-care facility. If so, find out how much they charge, she said.
While some charge a flat monthly rate for day-care, others charge by the hour, and that can add up over the course of a month, she said.
Muzquiz encouraged people who are shopping around for a fitness club to be careful about what is written in the membership contract.
Chelius said that many people get taken in by the fine print in a membership contract. They want to cancel their membership, he said, but end up having to pay extra to get out of the contract.
Other factors that may influence a person's decision to join a fitness club may be the availability of aerobics instruction and equipment, as well as television sets to watch during a workout.
Chelius said, 'When people watch TV, they're not so aware of the anguish of working out.'