Although summer is known as the time to relax, sit by the pool, read a good book, sleep for hours, and enjoy leisure activities, it can also be the time to create or modify a workout routine.

With the extra time available, some students may be interested in working out at home or working out at a local fitness center. In Lake Zurich alone, there are several fitness centers one can choose from. These options include the Foglia YMCA, L.A. Fitness, and TITLE Boxing Club. Each of these three local fitness centers vary in the equipment provided, the classes offered, the hours, and the cost to be a member.

When joining a fitness center, there are several factors to consider before paying a membership fee. To provide students with a background of each fitnesss center, Bear Facts took the time to interview current members at the Foglia YMCA, L.A. Fitness, and TITLE Boxing Club in Lake Zurich.

Foglia YMCA

The YMCA may be older than the other fitness centers around town but provides many options and classes to stay in shape, according to Ryan Gallagher, senior.

“The Y has a weight room, plenty of cardio equipment, a bigger pool, and more treadmills and stair climbers than L.A. Fitness, basketball courts, and personal trainers,” Gallagher said. “There are also classes you can take.”

Even though the YMCA is older, the equipment provided is in good condition. Gallagher said they get new equipment and fix machines whenever they are broken.

“Recently, the Y got new dumbbells, which is awesome,” Gallagher said. “They’re adding new basketball courts, which is awesome because the current ones are usually taken up by all the summer camps.”

Other than the facilities, the YMCA has reasonable hours, according to Gallagher.

“The Y is generally open early and closes pretty late,” Gallagher said. “The only exception is Sunday. On Sundays they are open from 6am to 6pm, which can be annoying if you like to work out later in the evening.”

In addition to the hours, another possible factor to consider when choosing a fitness club is the type and amount of members.

“Whenever I go, there are a lot of teens in the weight room and usually more parents by the treadmills and cardio equipment,” Gallagher said. “Sometimes I have to wait to use equipment.”

One thing that cannot be compared is the family-oriented atmosphere, Gallagher said.

“It is definitely a place for people who want to be in a family-oriented atmosphere because it is closer knit than other fitness clubs,” Gallagher said.

L.A. Fitness

As a year and a half member, Patrick Rigby, junior, said the new L.A. fitness is worth the cost.

“My parents pay $19.99 a month, but the monthly fees depend on the joining fee. If you pay a bigger initiation fee, than you pay a smaller monthly fee,” Rigby said. “It’s a reasonable price and is cheaper than the Y. Plus L.A. fitness is new and has all new, modern equipment.”

Along with the new equipment, L.A. Fitness has a pool, sauna, and a basketball court.

“The Y has a lap pool and kid pool, but it’s nice to go to L.A. because there is just a lap pool and usually older people there, so you can focus more while you work out,” Rigby said. “The Y doesn’t have a sauna. The Y may have more basketball courts, but L.A. has more equipment and weights, which is what I use.”

In addition to all the new facilities and equipment, Rigby said the environment is comfortable and welcoming.

“The people who work there are nice and are helpful. I have a lot of friends that work there too,” Rigby said. “There are also more 20 to 30 year olds at L.A. fitness and a lot of teens go there right after school. I usually go around 7-9pm after track practice.”

With the welcoming environment, Rigby said L.A. Fitness has good hours. It is open 5am to 11pm Monday through Thursday, 5am to 10pm on Friday, and 8am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.

“I think the hours are pretty decent during the week. The hours on the weekend are also longer than those at the Y, which is nice,” Rigby said. “For the extra, new equipment and longer hours, I think L.A. Fitness is worth going to.”

TITLE Boxing Club

A new fitness center to Lake Zurich, TITLE Boxing club, combines hit-free boxing, kick-boxing, and mixed martial arts training with intense cardio workouts. 

“I usually go to the Power Hour class after school from 6 to 7,” Melissa Morrissey, senior, said. “The first 15 minutes is a warm up, which includes things such as burpees and running. After that, we box for eight rounds with a 100 pound bag, and the last 15 minutes focuses on the core, such as doing crunches. Other than that, there are boxing and kickboxing classes.”

With the classes offered and experienced trainers, Morrissey said the boxing club is worth the extra money.

“I have a six month membership which costs $400. Along with that, I paid $40 for gloves and $5 for wraps,” Morrissey said. “I think it is worth the extra money because the club provides good equipment, such as new bags, medicine balls, and a ring, and I am in the best shape I have ever been in. Also, on average, you burn 1,000 calories in one class. The trainers are young, experienced fighters and push you to achieve your personal best.”

After attending classes four to five times a week for six months, Morrissey said the members are diverse in age and gender.

“There are people ranging from 7 years old to 65 years old,” Morrissey said. “The club has kids boxing, but generally there are a lot of young guys and even a lot of moms who box. It does not matter how old you are because the trainers help you work at your own pace.”

Even though the club specializes in boxing and kickboxing, Morrissey said her workouts do not get boring.

“The trainers are all cool and all have their different routines or workouts,” Morrissey said. “The routines are never the same and are always changing. It is a great form of exercise and helps you gain confidence and relieve stress. The only downside is bruised knuckles.”