Need more gyms!!!!
 

the gyms are getting very crowded. The Wellness Center is out because its so far away. We need another one on Sumter side. The Rec centers gyms are getting so crowded you stand around waiting for machines. The cost is high for these gyms. Just as expensive as NY so why do we have to stand around and wait for machines. Come on residents. We need to complain!! Let the Villages know what we want!!! more gyms are at the top of my list!!

:agree: completely!!!

That was the one thing that took me by surprise about TV. After having looked at numerous other 55+ communities where a rec center was synonymous with having a fitness center that was available at no extra cost, I just assumed that every rec center in TV would have some fitness equipment. I was amazed when our sales rep said that only three of them were so equipped - and you had to pay extra for them. When we visited in mid-April it didn't seem too bad from a wait perspective, but I can imagine that during the snow-bird season things can be a problem. Given that the cost a fitness center must be a very small fraction of the cost of a golf course, it would seem that the proportionality of fitness centers to golf courses is a bit out of whack.

Wholeheartedly agree.
:agree:

I was a member of the Wellness Center for over a year. In the winter, it was so crowded that it was a real problem. When it came time for me to renew my membership, I commented to the sales rep that it was pretty crowded most of the time. Her answer was a curt "....get use to it." I didn't renew. I have been a member of "to your health" in Belleview for over two years now. Not a new gym, but lots of equipment, and I have some very good friends there now. I do weight training for an hour, then play raquette ball with my friends for an hour. Great workout.

JLK

only real advantages to the wellness center are golf cart accessibility and the indoor pool. periodically expansion plans service but then mysteriously get squashed.

Can anyone speak to the recreation center work out areas? I have heard there are two...at Lake Miona and Mulberry? Are there additional costs/fees etc? Are guests or visitors allowed to use them?

I am not trying to highjack....just wouldn't want to go or send anyone else to the Wellness Center if there are that kind of crowds.

Yes we need more gyms!
 

Cassie,
Yes, there are fees. I think walk in for a day is a ten dollars.:shrug:
I really don't know much about it. I know there are no locker rooms.:sad: I know the equipment is full most the time in this season.

novelchick- I so agree! Look at the thread about what people don't like in the Villages. People have been complaining for years.:cus:
At my exercise this AM they had to cut off the number of people at 72. People get there 45 minutes early because the room is so full. The instructor took down the names of those turned away...about 26. She is trying for a larger room.
However, my year around neighbors just exercise at home rather than try to get in.

Up North I exercise a ton and it is through Senior Citizens centers which are free and I pay 100 bucks for 3 months for use of a gym and large pool, hot tub and locker room with sauna and showers. Oh do I miss that. Guess where I lose weight !!!

fitness centers are located at regional recreational centers there are currentlythree fitness rooms: mulberry , laurel manor and colony cottage.

Hahahaha! I'm sorry folks, I know you're all serious about this, but I have the most incredible fitness access at my house... we call it "the door." Outside that door I have a street, and since I'm in a villa, my street is a loop. I can walk or run just like I'm on a treadmill, but the beautiful scenery changes every few feet and I can wave at people.

Seriously, coming from the land of deep snow and from living on the side of a mountain, the fact that the weather here is nice enough to be outside in JANUARY and I can walk on a FLAT street is amazing to me. Why would you want to pay big bucks to do this inside when you can do it outside for free? :shrug:

I think Judy makes a great point. How many of us up north belong to gyms that we go to a lot at first but then let it slide? The TV lifestyle brings all sorts of other options for fitness into play: walking, running, Pickleball, tennis, golf (especially if walking), biking etc. And let's not forget one of the best exercises SWIMMING which is abundant in TV.

I do know that there are also numerous other indoor activities such as yoga, Pilate's, line dance etc that are held inside but not at the 'gym' facilities.

In your own home you can buy simple items that allow you to do a full range of weight resistance exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, dumbbell lifts, sit-ups, resistance bands etc. etc. A whole set up like this takes up no space and costs less than $100 to get started.

Organized gyms are great if you get into the group motivational aspect but the lack of them is certainly no barrier to being in decent shape in TV.

gyms
 

gyms for some of us are a neccessity and here is why. i don't do outside because since i've been here i've had four skin cancers on face. So getting outside swimming, and golfing is enough outdoor activity. i also must have a gym for the weights and machines. have to build muscle at our age and with osteoporosis its #1 priority. One member posted there is a gym in Lk Miona. There is no gym there. There are only three. Mulberry, Laurel Manor and Colony All are crowded and not cheap!! why should we pay that kind of money and have to stand around and wait for machines!! We are desperately in need of more gyms.With more and more people moving in, they better start building more gyms!!! And the cost is just as high as i paid in NY. only difference is that in NY the gyms were huge. More gyms are on my no 1 list of what we need here!! and most people don't have an extra room in their homes (they do make bedrooms small as is) to add on a gym room.

real weights
 

my significant other is visiting for the winter and has been going to colony cottage but he agrees machines are always crowded and there are very few free weights. he says machines never give an accurate reading of what you are really lifting. anyone want to invest in a franchise for a gold's gym on
466A?

That is why I mentioned the 'home' resistance items (dumbbells, resistance bands, push ups etc.). Yes, you can build (maintain) muscle tone at home without machines. I'm just saying that going to a center isn't the only way. I think some people are using it as an excuse why they don't go and that shouldn't be an issue.

You don't need a whole room dedicated to a gym. My equipment fits in the very corner of my den/office:

I have a pull up bar that attaches to the door (10 seconds to install when needed) which also serves as my push up device and roman chair sit-ups. $30

I have 5 levels of resistance bands that fold up into inches when not used. Less than $30. You know the type that they use at physical therapy.

Variable adjustment dumbbells that range from 5 to 40lbs. Somewhat expensive at $50-$75.

An exercise ball for balance exercises and stretches (you know the type) that is my largest item at 36-40 inches around. $25

I'm not insinuating that I'm in great shape but that is only due to my own laziness and lack of dedication to the pursuit. But I don't use not getting to a 'gym' as an excuse.

I do understand the skin cancer issue but are early morning/ late afternoon walks out of the question?

If those of us that could use something other than the gyms did this then there would be more room at the gyms for those that must use them due to age or other restictions.

With respect - Russ

Amenity Fees
 

Why am I paying 1,920 dollars a year???. About 160 dollars a month...There are NO good walking trails!! I have lived in other developments... and this is a sin. Not what I was told while buying.

All of this is very TRUE........
 

However, I have all of those pieces of equipment also, the hand weights, the exercise bands, the ball........ but do I use them ????? Of course not; IMHO it takes so much more effort to work-out at home, alone, than getting in one's car/golf cart and going to the group facility. Maybe it's the social aspect of working-out in a group atmosphere :pepper2: Bad back & bad knees keep me away from golf, pickelball, etc.

When I ever get to be a TV resident, my main hangouts will be (1) Fitness Center (2) Rec Center Pool (3) restaurants (4) stores (5) clubs

So...... as a humble WANNABEE..... count me in as a TV-prospective buyer who would be greatly encouraged to know there is adequate Fitness Centers available without having to wait (that's really unacceptable) :pepper2:

CIB - I hear ya. There are many group sport activities in TV that don't require the gym. But many people do need the social aspect for motivation.


Matthew - Not sure who you are or where in TV you live but there are literally miles of sidewalks and miles of cart paths (although that could be dangerous) and miles of limited traffic neighborhoods to walk in. One glance around TV any morning and you'll see that hundreds (thousands maybe) of people already know this. Pure walking/run/bike trails would be a bonus but that should never stop you from a good walk workout in TV. When I was there last year I walked 2 miles up to LSL and then 2 miles back to Largo almost everyday. There is a sidewalk that goes up Canal St. for almost the whole length.

There is a brand new Omni Fitness Center on 466A about a mile outside TV going toward 441/27. It looks awesome. The poor fella who owned it before (then called pulse fitness) died of an MI. As an avocation I'm a certified fitness trainer and I'm drawn to gyms like flys are to.... uh, watermelon. Anyway, I am used to weight lifting gyms rather than "fitness centers"....eg, here's a link to the gym I was a part owner of in Danville: www.muscle-fitnessfactory.com .... So far, the gyms in TV are not what I was used to so I a) convinced the Mrs to give me the den in our Camillia which I converted to a gym and b) walk, walk, walk and ride my bike OUTSIDE. Never made a lick of sense to me to take a golfcart 2 miles to a fitness center to walk 2 miles on a treadmill in this beautiful weather. On that note, I'm taking Bumpkus for a 5 mile walk.

PS... I'm the guy doing the bicep curm machine in the one picture.:pepper2:

This is the fitness center I belong to ..........
 

It is a full-featured, family-oriented athletic club and wellness center. Many services and programs are included with your membership; 75+ group exercise and aquatics classes, a 25-yard salt-water swimming pool, a warm pool, hot tub, saunas and steam rooms, a women's only workout center, three weight floors, racquetball, basketball, outdoor sand volleyball, tennis courts and so much more. Clubnw.com :pepper2:

My membership includes my friend, and we both pay $32 each, per month.

To TV-Management....... perhaps a similar facility located at a central area, would be a profitable asset to The Villages ?

Impressive!

Even when I ran a lot I could never seem to run on treadmills. Others seem to love running on them. Who knows!

It's not really a debate about indoor activities or outdoor activities.
Considering the amount of money spent on bonds, amenities fees etc, many people expect at least some equipment in the recreation facilities which do not entail a fee.
As stated before, most 55+ communities have work out facilities available as part of the total package.
I have visited communities with as few as 500 homes which had gyms as big as the regional centers here.:shrug:

I will be spending March in TV (first visit). The purpose of the trip is to determine whether I would like to live there. Hearing that there are no reasonably priced workout facilities is a BIG minus to me.

I've been working out three days a week (resistance training, walking, streching, balancing) as well as basketball for about 13 years. To not have that available would really make me think twice about moving there no matter what else I like about the area. I simply cannot get in to working out at home alone even if I had the eqpt.

The town I live in has a tax supported facility which costs resident seniors
(55+) $25 annually for unlimited usage. It is like a well equipped tax supported Y. VERY surprised that an active adult retirement community does not have anything like that. Seems like a big oversight to me.

and probably had a pool, a golf course, and a couple of card clubs. Its no different than the golfers paying to pay and not everyone supporting(paying) for golf. If you want the gym you pay.....not out of ammenities.

But aren't executive courses free?

This was the point that I was making above. The amenity fees are overwhelmingly skewed toward golf. TV could divert a very small percent of its amenity fees away from golf (such that it would likely not even be missed) yet the result could be a doubling of the fitness facilities. Yes, I understand that TV is built around golf, but not all people here are golfers yet their amenity fees are being used to subsidize the golfers.

NJ BLue, I agree. I think it's a small investment to expand fitness facilities. The demographics of the population that will be moving into the newer areas should point to the need for more fitness centers. It's been a part of their lifestyle. From my first visit to TV to being a resident I have always thought this was a weak area. We should however acknowledge the classes offered at the recreation centers. These help.

There is a nationwide facility called Anytime Fitness. They have over 2000 locations nationwide. This is a 24 hour, 7 days a week facility. They are located at 16770 S Hwy 441 in Summerfield. They also have a place in Leesburg. Membership is about $30/mo.(less than the price of one round of golf) They have one 3 miles from my house here. I plan to check out the Summerfield location when I'm down. Heck, I can even use a facility when I stay overnight on my drive down. Check it out.

I for one do not want anything added to my amenity fees because, the laundry list would just keep growing. If I did have to add anything my desire would be a wider, smoother, safer golf cart path along Buena Vista Blvd.

My point is the gyms are over crowded. I love this place and it beautiful but it needs more gyms for the size of the population. At this stage of our lives we all need to exercise. Many have arthritis and need to keep moving.

Let me compare The Villages to a beautiful house. The house needs more lights. With the lights the owners can live better. It is the same with The Villages, they need more gyms. With more gyms people can exercise easier and stay healthier. As the house is beautiful so is The Villages.

I guess this could be debated all day.

I think the bottom line, as Coach Belichick says, "it is what it is".

TV doesn't hide the fact that they put an emphasis on golf. Yes there are many who don't use the 'free' execs but they were told before they moved in about the amenities fee and what it covers. My sales agent, Carol, was very upfront about this and she showed us where the 'gyms' were and how many (few) there are.

It seems like there are full service fitness centers near TV as mentioned in this thread. I find it funny how most people want EVERYTHING on the campus.

The other point of emphasis by my agent was the swimming pools. Granted they are not indoor but it is surprising how almost no one mentions them in terms of exercise on this thread. Obviously TV has put money into these as well and I think there are almost 40 of them?

My point is that TV isn't making false promises in my opinion. I know pretty well what I'm getting and what I'm not when I decide to move.

I agree. Back when my mother was in her 60's, people didn't exercise and go to health clubs the way they do now. Its been an evolving change of lifestyle, and most retirement communities do now offer exercise facilities as part of their package because that's one thing retirees are looking for. I can't imagine why The Villages didn't pick up on that. Yes you can bike and walk, and have your own home exercise equipment to try to get around it, but as far as I'm concerned, the lack of decent health clubs here is a deficiency. To remedy this, I suggest that people that are here on sales trips looking at property, mention it to the sales people. For residents, when we have our annual survey, write it down as a suggestion. If they hear about it from enough people, maybe they'll do something.

HI
We are new to TV and just read your post. We would like to know what the name is of this place and where it is located. From what we are reading in some of the posts, we are not interested in the gyms here or The Wellness Center. But are interested in joining something while we are down here. My fiancee' is interested in weights and raquette ball, while I am interested in weights, and fitness machines. If you could answer me here, or pm me, we would really appreciate it.

Thanks
Reezie

I heartily agree with you on this, Russ. From our first visit to TV until we came back to buy, the map of TV was a permanent fixture on our kitchen counter in Utah. We checked the new listings every night, and we narrowed our housing search based on the amenities we wanted. I wanted to be close to the pools, so our new house is within walking distance to 3 pools -- the family pool, the neighborhood pool, and the Regional Rec Center pool. (And after I show Mr. Judy your excellent break-even costs for the priority membership, we'll have a country club pool. Thank you!) We checked out all of the pools in the neighborhood before we bought our house.

Everybody on this forum says to spend the time to do your homework before you buy. If a gym is important to you, go check out the gym. If a walking trail is important to you, go walk on it. If a dog park is important, go check it out. TV doesn't advertise on the animal channel or the exercise channel -- they advertise on the Golf Channel. IMHO everything else you get here is a bonus.
Just my 2 cents,
Judy
PS: A family visited our pool over the holidays, and everyone (from grandpa to the baby) wore long-sleeved UV protection swim shirts and goggles while they were at the pool. They spent hours there every day, and they had a wonderful time. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Well stated Judy,

I wonder if people in these other communities that have a full service gym but only 1 golf course have a thread that's titled "We need more golf courses!!"?

Give me the golf (and softball, and pools and pickleball....)

What annual survey?

There is no racquette ball in TV. The Omni fitness gym on 466A (headed out of TV toward 441/27) is great. The Wellness Center is at the hospital but is usually jammed with people. If you live below 466, Omni fitness is as close as The Wellness center.

This is not an issue of being "deceived" by TV. Nor is it an issue of golf versus fitness - we can clearly have both. Right now there is a huge imbalance in favor of golf and a paucity of fitness centers. By looking at just the spare change in the amenity budget it would be easy to significantly improve the number of fitness facilities. Don't forget that TV doesn't just advertise on the golf channel and there are a lot of TV residents who chose to live here despite the golf and not because of it.

I think the point of this discussion is that it just makes good business sense to add more fitness facilities. As was pointed out, there are some people who will choose not to buy here because of its deficiency in this manner. This will likely become more of an issue as more baby boomers come into the market. This means fewer dollars in the developer's pockets and also fewer dollars in home owner's pockets if they decide to sell. If I were the developer, I would add fitness facilities to every future rec center (or at least every two) to improve the attractiveness of my product. Speaking for myself, the proximity to the Colony Cottage fitness center was a very large part in our decision as to where to buy.

Besides, do the dedicated golfers really want to play behind a group of duffers who are only playing because they are trying to get their money's worth from their amenity fees? Wouldn't you rather see them sweating their butts off on a treadmill or pretending to be Arnold Schwarzenegger on the weight machines?

You got me there!

I'm all for both if it's feasible. TV is first and foremost a golf community. But times do change and money does drive everything so perhaps we'll see a shift.

Well put, NJBlue

Is the fitness center at Colony Cottage busy at all times of the day? How far would the Omni fitness facility be from the Village of Duval? Thank you for your post.