Smart money tips for joining a gym

I joined a gym this past fall after not being motivated to workout at home. I feel that putting in the effort into my health is well worth the $35 a month that I am spending. I was familiar with the gym that I joined since I was a member many years ago before I had children I liked it location and hours however since it had been many years since I used it last I wanted to double check that it was still a good business.
Here are some smart money tips:
Do a free trial Most gyms offer at least a one day free trial if you go to their websites, but it's possible to get them for much longer, especially at the start of the year, by cannily using special vouchers offered on the web or local papers. If you can't find a trial offer for your gym, just call it up and ask, most will say yes. Negotiate to see if you get the registration fee waived
Take a Tour See how many people are there! Tour the gym at the time you want to work out so you can see how crowded it is. Take a look at the equipment, make sure that's clean that there are things to wipe down the machines as well as the number of machines. Are the locker rooms clean?
Check to see what is included Sometimes a club will throw in a few free personal training sessions. Are group classes included-if they are extra and you want group classes, this gym may not be for you. My gym includes aerobics and weight training classes in the monthly membership fee however you can buy special boot camp classes extra or personal training sessions. My father goes to a more expensive gym where they have a pool and there is an extra cost for access to the pool.
Read the contract thoroughly before you sign the dotted line: Make sure you know if you are signing for a 1, 2 or lifetime (I have several friends that signed up for Lifetime memberships to Bally's years ago for $19.99 a month-not one of them uses them right now) If you need to do an automatic monthly charge, use your credit card so they do not have access to your bank account. Also sure the terms of cancellation are clear as well.
The bottom line-a gym membership is worth it if you are going to go!