by Rebecca Weinstein

Created on: January 11, 2009

In the new era of Americans doing all they can to be fit and fabulous, new gyms seem to pop up every day. What are the qualities that sets Retro Fitness in Middletown apart from the others? There are several, including price of registration, monthly membership fees, variety and amount of equipment, quality of childcare, and availability of personal trainers. Being a former aqua aerobic instructor, I am familiar with seven other gyms in the immediate area, and I am currently a member of the Middletown Retro. Here I will discuss the advantages and drawbacks of Retro Fitness of Middletown.

Registration: Registration prices can vary from location to location. Retro Fitness is a chain, but each location is individually operated by a franchise owner. Occasionally registration specials run; a recent mailer put registration fee at $19.99, but registration usually ranges between $90 and $130 and usually includes the first and last month of membership. Membership contracts are for one year and fees can be automatically deducted from your checking or credit account.

Monthly Membership: Monthly membership is the same at every location and is only $19.99 plus tax per month. This is advantageous to Retro because other gyms' memberships in the area are as low as $39 a month, and can be as high as $150 a month (for a certain high-end gym membership).

Equipment: Retro has machines, free weights, floor space for mat work, and even a movie theater. At each cardio machine there is a television with Direct T.V. The movie theater features a different movie each day, and they play both old and new movies. The equipment in the movie theater includes treadmills, steppers, elliptical machines, exercise bikes and recumbant bikes.

Childcare: Childcare is provided twice a day, in the morning and at the height of operation from 4-8pm. Child care costs $3 per child per visit, but packages can be purchased in advance for as low as $2 per visit for a package of 50 visits. Their most affordable package of childcare is called KidPass, a $15 monthly charge (for one child). Although all Retro's have childcare packages, this last package is unique to the Middletown facility. Recently, new rules about childcare have been introduced including a time limit of 2 hours for a family, and only once a day for a family. So, if you're someone who likes to work out twice a day, you can only bring your child once.

Personal Training: As a member you receive a free consultation with a personal trainer, and there

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