Gyms and Health Clubs

[ATeam]

The exercise rooms and equipment that is showing up in certain truck stops are great but too few in number to be regularly used by expediters who drive all over the country all the time.

Have any of you tried gym or health club memberships? What experiences have you or truckers you know had with them?

 

[xiggi]

I joined anytime fitness a month ago. 24 hour access, showers and over 1900 locations and growing. Seems like most times i am within 15 miles of one but there has been exceptions. Right now i am at the pilot in youngstown oh. The nearest one is 30 minutes away.

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[ATeam]

I joined anytime fitness a month ago. 24 hour access, showers and over 1900 locations and growing. Seems like most times i am within 15 miles of one but there has been exceptions. Right now i am at the pilot in youngstown oh. The nearest one is 30 minutes away.

I know you're in a van. What's your sense of what parking at these places might be for a straight truck?

 

[xiggi]

All i have been to have been in strip malls. I have seen none you could not park at. As a driver i would compare Anytime, snap and planet. For me anytime is in my hometown so i did not look at the others as close as i maybe should have but so far no complaint.

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[ChanceMaster]

A "bit" off topic, but I discovered this a few days ago and have yet to utilize it. A swimming pool database ! Could be useful as one of the information criteria it shows is if the pool is open to the public. Looking forward to using this for a refreshing dip while on the road.


Swimmers Guide - Find a Pool

 

[beachbum]

If you have a COSTCO membership they have a 24 hour fitness 2 year membership for 350 bucks the only ones you cannot go to are the super sports and Ultra sport. Most I've seen you can get a straight truck into.

This is a good buy since most gyms charge 39 and up per month for memberships.

 

[bruce47]

I joined Planet Fitness 9 mos. ago and have been very satisfied. Many of them are 24 hours and very clean. I have the Black Card membership which allows me to use any of the clubs. $21.00 a month.

 

[ATeam]

Years ago, I joined one of the big-box, all-ammenities health clubs and that worked well then. Now I am learning about the smaller clubs that are less expensive, have more locations and tend to be located in strip malls. Those seem better because Chinese take-out food is never far away and if not, Twinkies are easy to find at nearby convenience stores.

 

[ChanceMaster]

Years ago, I joined one of the big-box, all-ammenities health clubs and that worked well then. Now I am learning about the smaller clubs that are less expensive, have more locations and tend to be located in strip malls. Those seem better because Chinese take-out food is never far away and if not, Twinkies are easy to find at nearby convenience stores.

Funny observation ! I used to be so smug as to carrying a bicycle in my truck for excersize. Reality is that I usually pedal to food or drink. Rarely do I take a long ride for the "health of it " .

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[Ragman]

. . . Chinese take-out food is never far away and if not, Twinkies are easy to find at nearby convenience stores.

Stir fried Twinkies maybe?

 

[rotcaal]

The exercise rooms and equipment that is showing up in certain truck stops are great but too few in number to be regularly used by expediters who drive all over the country all the time.

Have any of you tried gym or health club memberships? What experiences have you or truckers you know had with them?

Wow nice, this is new to me. Where are some of the place they have them?

 

[rotcaal]

I joined anytime fitness a month ago. 24 hour access, showers and over 1900 locations and growing. Seems like most times i am within 15 miles of one but there has been exceptions. Right now i am at the pilot in youngstown oh. The nearest one is 30 minutes away.

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This may be a best option for those wishing to shape up, is to find a gym franchise that has a lot of locations. Many gyms however too, offer a one use option for about $5 or whatever so look for those. Also if you drivers stay at hotels maybe find one that has a gym. You probably will pay more for the room but you can get 2 workouts in if you do one right away and then before checkout. Even more if you get one for 2 nights on the weekend for those of you that miss out on getting the weekend trips to Laredo.

 

[CharlesD]

A lot of chains are part of a health club alliance called IHRSA, and many of those clubs will let you in for the day if you belong to another member club. I belong to Urban Active which is only $25 a month.

 

[ATeam]

Wow nice, this is new to me. Where are some of the place they have them?

Here is a list of the TA's and Petro's that have fitness rooms. It is nice to see the list grow.

 

[CharlesD]

Health club memberships make a ton of sense for van drivers as a cheaper source for showers as well. You can often get fuel cheaper at gas stations than at truck stops anyway, so you can buy your fuel wherever you darn well please instead of having to get those half shower credits at the J and Pilot. You find a membership in the $25-30 range and you're set. You'll save more than that in a month I'd venture by being able to get the best price on your fuel without being captive to whatever Pilot is charging. Being able to get a workout and a shower in someplace other than a truck stop is a major plus for mental health on the road, or at least it was for me. I always got back to work fresher if I had some "non trucking" time during the week. Driving and then spending all your down time at a truck stop can make you feel like you're not getting any time off, which can burn you out if you're not careful.

 

[ATeam]

Diane and I joined a club last week and used one of the locations for the first time yesterday. As it happened, the freight took us home and we used the gym closest to home. Under load, we have driven past a few locations and see that parking for straight trucks would be easy.

When we left our home club and walked back to the car, I said to Diane that this turns the road into an entirely different kind of place. Our sleeper is very comfortable and in some ways too comfortable. Now having the ability to go to a gym AND get a shower, we will be getting out of the truck more and working out more.

The shower thing is huge. There have been many times when we might have worked out in the truck or done something out of the truck but did not do so because we did not want to blow a shower. Now, we can do things out of the truck and then go to the gym for a workout and shower.

(Yes, we have a shower in the truck which serves us well in a pinch, but we seldom use it because when you do, you spend more time cleaning it than you do in the shower. A limited water supply forces short showers, and you then have to find more water, creating an additional task.)

We often avoid truck stops and park in retail areas instead. I can see it now happening often that we will make a delivery and head for a gym instead of a truck stop. With 1,700 locations in the U.S. and Canada, a gym will seldom be far away. We'll have to layover somewhere, might as well make it close to a gym.

Also, our quality of life on layover will improve. We've all been there. You deliver Friday morning and get a three-day weekend because your next pick up is on Monday. With these clubs, we'll be able to workout and shower three times in three days instead of passing time in the truck and/or doing other things that do not include a good workout.

Finally, you just feel better when you have a good diet and exercise routine going. Expediting is a great job but the irregular hours make it tough to maintain a routine of any kind. With 24 hour access and multiple locations, these gyms open a whole new world to us. That's exciting!

 

[scottm4211]

Great post Phil.

 

[BigCat]

Which gym did you join, Phil?


Jake

 

[wvcourier]

I became a member of Anytime Fitness as soon as I started expediting, was one of the best investments ive made. I have never had to drive more then ten miles after a drop off or on a layover somewher..from Fargo to El Paso, they are everywhere.

Dont steal, the government hates competition. ~Ron Paul~

 

[wvcourier]

I became a member of Anytime Fitness as soon as I started expediting, was one of the best investments ive made. I have never had to drive more then ten miles after a drop off or on a layover somewher..from Fargo to El Paso, they are everywhere.

Dont steal, the government hates competition. ~Ron Paul~

The first 30days is kind of stressful(your key fob dosent activate nationwide for 30 day) but you can still workout during staffed hours with your reciept. But after 30 days its alot more convienant.

Dont steal, the government hates competition. ~Ron Paul~