by Aisling Ashbery

Created on: November 01, 2010

Just as you would expect a grocery store to provide sufficient carts, or a car wash to provide soap and water, there are certain things you expect out of your fitness club’s shower facilities. Checking out a health club’s shower facilities is one way to decide how much they care about their patrons, and can help when you’re making your decision about joining a gym or club. When you’re inspecting health club showers, look for these features.

1. Adequate Space between lockers.

Remember that you do not only change in the space between lockers. You may also be applying makeup and arranging your hair, not to mention organizing your bag and shower supplies to make sure that everything fits and nothing gets wet inside your bag. You definitely want a health club that has an adequate amount of space in relation to its members.

2. Adequate Showers

Nothing can put a kink in your day like waiting 20 minutes for a shower to open up. Check the number of showers available and compare to the number of lockers available. By no means should there be as many showers as lockers, but two showers for fifty lockers may be the sign of a potential problem.

3. Private Showers

Obviously in a locker room you will have to give up some amount of privacy, but that doesn’t mean you should feel as though you are on display to other gym members as you take your shower. Check to see what the health club uses to give patrons privacy as they shower. If they are curtains, do the curtains seem heavy and likely to stay shut? Are the curtains long enough to cover the entire shower?

4. Proper Drainage Systems

Look at the floor of the showers in your health club. Is there a slight slant toward the drains, and does it look like there are enough drains for all the showers? A floor that doesn’t drain quickly may harbor bacteria – not something you want to stand in for ten minutes in a place where you’re supposed to be focusing on your well-being.

5. Adequate Mirrors

As state before, you are likely to be doing more than changing in your locker rooms. Make sure that your potential health club has enough light and mirrors available that you will be able to perform whatever routine you need to without feeling crowded.

When a health club truly cares about its patrons, that reflects in their facilities. Make sure that your health club’s locker room facilities are up to par before you hand over your membership fee.

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