UncleEJ Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I have never been to a YMCA before. There weren't any where I grew up. I was thinking about going to check out the one near me, mostly for the swimming pool. Those of you with experience, what is it like? Pros and cons? Like it or hate it? Hit me with your honest opinions please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 My kids did a homeschool PE class at the Y for a while. My little one could go in the nursery while I worked out. It was nice. I think they vary widely depending on specific location though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 They vary from city to city so I think it would be hard to compare. I have belonged to ones that were great and ones that were yuck. Check out the pool schedule to make sure it works for you. I would also go when you like to swim and see how busy it gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 It does very from place to place, but overall our experiences have been wonderful. Our Y days are some of the best memories I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 It depends on the locations. Ours is very pricey for what they offer. The pool is only open for free swim during certain hours( not great hours). DF in another state is great. Hers is not that pricey and they do not have to pay extra for classes like ours. The pool is open for free swim with nice hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kertie Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 We joined the Y in January. I suspect things will vary some depending on location, but we LOVE it. I'm going to try not to wax dramatic here, but it's been really, really wonderful. Family-oriented and friendly are the first two things that come to my mind. My kids do the homeschool PE class, and I get to work out without interruption--that alone is worth it! So far the only thing I've been even slightly annoyed by is that sometimes they have moved a class/event to another room than what is written down and not bothered to tell the front desk staff;). Small potatoes. The kids love it--I think they'd move in if they could! I fully anticipate years of membership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 We had a couple of good years with the Y here. They had some good classes (though the ones specifically for homeschoolers weren't so great - more of an active free-for-all than "PE.") They had a little gym annex very close to our home with a great class for middle school aged kids. That location closed down, though, and the new facility was farther away and as my kids got older, it got too expensive. We have too much income to receive their discount but not enough to make it fit our budget. I really wanted to keep it up so we could use the new outdoor pool the next summer, till we found that it required a completely separate membership so even "full-privilege" members could not use it without spending an additional fee. That's when I cut it. No, I'm not bitter. ;) As always, YMMV! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 We like the swimming pool but not the swimming lessons. It was not that the lessons were bad, just not the way my kids learn. We have many YMCAs near us and some are better run than others. My boys go regularly to the parents night out and they love it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 It depends on where you live. When I lived in the city I had a membership and I felt it was overpriced and lacking equipment for what paid. Locally they claim to be competitive but even the discounted rate was $25 a month more than the city community center. The pool hours stunk and it was near a high school. All the teens descended on the YMCA after school to preen and flirt. Then I was out of town on a business trip with DS and decided to check out the local YMCA. Wow! They had several options for kids to pick from and there was so much equipment that I had to ask for help finding the machine I was looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeteranMom Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 The Y is affordable compared to all the health clubs in my area. We pay around $80/month for the family. Other health clubs would be $150+. The lower cost is the only reason we stay- it's a place to work out and it's affordable. I don't think the facility we're at is very well maintained- it looks shabby and is dirty. I've had a lot of frustrations through the years, too. They are not at all customer friendly. Also, they aren't consistent with their policies- you ask 10 people the same question and you are going to get 10 different answers. I'm sure other people have different experiences. You could always take a tour of your Y. I'd wonder about them giving you a pass for a week in order to try it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Where I live, the Y is the 'in' gym. 'Everybody' goes for one reason or another. It's pretty aggravating trying to find a place to lock your bike. The racks are almost always packed. There is an enormous amount of child/teen activities; art, dance, baby gym, kinder gym, and yoga for moms with new babies. You would have to check it out to see if it would be a good fit for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thank you all. I rechecked the website and I can get a free 7 day pass, so I will definitely give that a go. It looks like I am going to have to go take a look and see what my location is like. Thanks again for taking the time to reply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 My kids both does camp and swimming lesson at Y. It varies not only location but also the people you deal with. I had the best and worst swimming instructor. I also had the best front desk just so eager to help and also the front desk care less. In general, I like the Y. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 My kids belong to the closest Y to our house. They do swimming lessons each week, a free Zumba class for kids twice a week, and can go to the Kid's Cardio Arcade as well. This Y doesn't have a ton of classes for kids older than preschool age. Basically swim lessons (and free swim), open gym, the arcade, free Zumba, free Yoga, and a couple of sports leagues. There's another Y about 15 minutes from that one (which is only 5 minutes from my house) that has WAY more activities for all ages. Dance classes, acting classes, all kinds of sports and exercise stuff. But there sessions are really long (20 weeks) so we were in the middle of one of their sessions when we decided to join and there were no openings (you can join mid-session). Then I realized that their dance classes (which ds wanted to do) were not recreational. They evidently were taken very seriously. He's doing much better with the free Zumba at "our" Y. We may let them take martial arts there as non-members after summer is over. So, they can vary a lot even in the same general area. With activities, with cleanliness, with cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 You can get yourself clean. You can have a good meal. It's fun to stay at the YMCA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I think our YMCA is like my second home. :lol: Well it feels like it anyways since I am there like 4-5 days a week. All of my kids have or are learning to swim there and my oldest is on team. I love that they offer scholarships and tons of kids programs. I will confess that I do not know anything about their exercise equipment or fitness classes because I do not work out. :leaving: My dh uses their exercise bikes sometimes and is happy that they recently bought new ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 You can get yourself clean. You can have a good meal. It's fun to stay at the YMCA. We had to completely redo our only bathroom a couple years ago and ended up at the Y for open swim several times so we could take a shower. :lol: Luckily it was summer so the pool was open more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.