My recent search for a gym

I finally realized that even though we have a treadmill, I just wasn't going to work out enough unless I joined a gym that offered child care. I have agonized over which one to join...will I make the right choice? Will this gym make me skinny?

Ultimately it came down to tennis. There was only one solution that could offer my husband and I a built-in tennis date anytime we wanted. We joined Lifetime Fitness for that reason and we trek on over to Colleyville (about 20 minutes) when we want to play tennis, and if I'm not playing tennis I go to the Flower Mound location (also about 20 minutes). I really LOVE Lifetime...if you've never been to one just walking in the door will make you want to spend all day every day there. They have a beauty salon, cafe, everything is new, tons of classes, indoor and outdoor water slides, a beach entry pool, it is fitness heaven. The child center is loaded up with a computer center, a gym, a playland, and anything you could imagine.

All of this aside, if it weren't for the tennis I probably would have joined the Coppell YMCA. Why? Because almost everyone I know goes there and everyone swears by the classes and childcare and it's really close.

I also checked out L.A. Fitness and the Aquatic Center. The Aquatic Center has a super fun pool which I felt was its main highlight. I have a friend who goes there and loves it, but for me it was old and not enough equipment. Plus, child care was not included in the membership so you have to pay extra for that. You can go to the pool without a membership and they also have a pre-school that a few people I know go to.

With L.A. Fitness I really liked it, close (by Costco), nice and new and relatively inexpensive. The big drawback for me was that their child center is closed from 12-4.

Express Fitness is also really close and super cheap. My neighbor goes there but I don't know much about it.

There is also a yoga studio and you can try it out by getting ten visits for $10. I haven't been but I heard it's great.