fitness centers
 

question?? when we finally move to TV.. can someone tell me the price of membership for the fitness centers..and what centers have them??

We made inquiries about sports clubs during our last visit in April, 2012. Go to district gov.org .
Click on "departments." They'll be a drop down and you'll see "recreation."Under Quick Links you'll find "Fitness clubs." They list the different clubs and their fees. We also visited The MVP Sports Club in Spanish Springs( MVPsports clubs.com). The latter one is a private club, but we liked it. I don't recall the price, but considered it to be relatively reasonable for where we come from.

Here is the link to the Regional Rec Center fitness centers (4) It's a nice walk there & back from our home to SeaBreeze. Like the cleanliness & equipment.:pepper2:
Village Community Development Districts

AS SOMEONE who goes to gym everyday I can tell you they are not cheap!
I was shocked moving from NY (which I thought was high) until moving here. The gyms at the rec centers run about 370.00 a yr now and are NOT large. They are in Mulberry, Laurel Manor, Colony and Seabreeze. They are crowded , especially in mornings when most people want to get workout over with. Often you have to sign up to get on equipment with a "waiting list" MVP IS even more expensive. I prefer the rec centers even though crowded. Hope that helped you somewhat.

So how much does an MVP membership run? Do they have a monthly plan?

I like MVP. MVP is going to open another site in Brownwood...don't have the date

I joined MVP yesterday for the month of March. $79 for the month. Can't beat the price. I was a member last March and loved it. Took a Pilates class every day.

Has anyone used the fitness centers outside of the Villages? On my last trip to the Villages I saw Anytime Fitness in the Baylee Shopping Center on 441 and was wondering about the prices there.

I think they are less expensive than the villages. One or two of the guys in my gym decided to go over there but I could not quote you an exact price.

Where I live now in Southern California my membership at 24 hour Fitness runs $15/month. I can go to any gym in the chain. They all have literally tons of free weights, a variety of numerous cardio machines, offer free exercise classes and much more. They also offer well educated personal trainers for a charge if one so desires.

On my visits to The Villages I found the regional center fitness centers expensive, especially for what they offered. They only had a token amount of free weights, a handful of cardio machines, lacked any place to stretch and had no adjoining showers or restrooms. They reminded me of what many hotels offer their guests just so they can advertise they have exercise facilities.

The only MVP site at the time was in SS, a good long drive from where I was staying in Mallory and it was closed the Sunday morning I drove up to try it out! I found it impossible to maintain my normal level of conditioning during my stays in The Villages. The rec center rooms were crowded and frequently only 20 minutes were allowed on a cardio machine as people were waiting to use them - and this was in October, not snowbird season. 20 minutes is what it takes to get warmed up. 20 minutes is not a meaningful amount of time for a decent cardio workout which should go at least 45 minutes.

Although I have enjoyed my visits to The Villages and I still may end up purchasing a home there the lack of a convenient, reasonably priced decent gym was a total downer for me.

I did warn you the gyms are expensive and very small compared to the gyms we are used to. as a fitness buff, it is a disappointment. you are correct in that there is NO place to stretch, weight area much too small for what we really need. It's a shame as most seniors today are interested in keeping fit. of course there are fitness classes (my friends attend some of them) but they say they are so crowded they can barely get in anymore. Fitness centers definitely need much improvement.

Don't forget to include these comments on your Residents Survey.

We have Anytime Fitness free with our health care. There's one on 441 and a new one on 466. Need to take a car to either unless you want to take cart to woodshop and then walk the last 1/4 or 1/2 mile. Belonged to MVP, it's excellent but cost just started to bother me.

The Villages fitness Centers are $388.93 per person, per year. Best times to go are later in the afternoon. Guess most are golfing, which I'm not in to.

Workout centers
 

I was able to join MVP at a discounted membership which was less than I would have paid at the Rec Centers. Spruce Creek and I believe Stone Crest both have nice facilities that are provided at no cost to the residents. MVP with the saunas and other amenities offer much more for the buck. The Villages work out centers are overpriced and fall far below the standard one expects of most health clubs. I would not be surprised to see a chain type health club in our area in the near future. Some are as low as $10 per month and offer 24 hour service.

I think the fitness centers work for most seniors in TV. I go to Colony and it is very crowded in the morning during the winter months. After 2pm, its not crowed at all. Cost is a bit on the high side when compared to a non-profit such as a "Y" facility with an indoor heated pool, lap pool, various classes, large weight room, many cardio machines and gymnasium. Given the facility space and the number of participants, the fitness centers must be making considerable profits. MVP is some distance so I dont go there. If we had a bigger and better fitness center south of 466 or 466A, I would probably join.

:agree:

There have been numerous complaints about The Villages fitness centers and there have been numerous threads on this issue. They are overcrowded, overpriced and do not offer the amenities that most people are looking for. There certainly is a good opportunity for someone to open up a health club chain nearby, and I hope it happens. I know a number of people that have set up home gyms so they can exercise at their schedule, rather than "when they can get in" at a health club.

Google Anytime Fitness. Google says there are three locations nearby and a new one coming in Wildwood.

Fitness centers
 

When one or two companies have a monopoly, the consumer pays. This only continues for so long until others see the huge profits and decide to join the game. That is when things become fair for the consumers. I asked the district offices why Villagers had to pay nearly as much for the use of club facilities that we actually OWN, as we a private company for health club use.

I was told to take my complaint to the Amenities Authority Committee since it was these offices that established the rates. Of the comittee members I talked to, no a single one used the Recreation Center work out facilities. One committee member said she would look into the matter. As we know, this meant my question had just disappeared into the wind.

MVP is building another center in the Brownwood area an dI'll bet they 'll have some good specials when they first open.

I know quite a few people who do like MVP but I am not one of them. This is the reason. I like the GYM ONLY , not classes so for my buck it is completely overpriced!!
And the gym alone is NOT worth it. I went one day to try it. I could NOT get on a bicycle as they have no TIME LIMITS as in recreation centers. In rec centers you have 20 min on treadmill, 20 on bike, etc.. which of course is NOT long enough as it takes us 20 min to warm up and get the heart rate going. AFTER 20 min is when you START to burn the fat. I have requested they extend it to 30 min at least trying to keep in mind we all have to share the equipment as they are small gyms. Also their weight area is terrible. No mirrors to stand in front of to see if you are probably alligned while doing weights and not enough weight benches (same as rec centers) For the money they charge an INDOOR POOL should absolutely be included. Especially in the villages. So many people need indoor pools because of arthritis, medical reasons , etc. Very overpriced is MVP and the rec centers themselves overpriced. Anytime Fitness may be a good alternative but I can't speak for that gym as I haven't tried it yet. Yes we need more larger better gyms here without a doubt!! It will go on my survey again this year and hopefully everyone else who enjoys working out.

Seabreeze is exactly a 1 1/2 minute drive from my garage. I'm spoiled so doubt if I'll drive any further than that for a fitness center.

I roll with the punches and just put my name on the list for the Ellyptical machine. Other than having to wait for that machine, Seabreeze is never so busy that I can't get on any of the weight machines. The free weights never to seem to be a problem either.

Is that what is being built one Round A Bout north of Brownwood? If it is...I thought that was a regional recreation center.

The answer is 'Planet Fitness', they now have 600 nationwide, one in Gainesville, Ocala and about a dozen in the Orlando area. I was spoiled back in Baltimore, I had a Planet Fitness a three minute walk from my home and it only cost $10 per month.

They are a franchise, so if somebody has some deep pockets you could be in business right here. They are also accepting suggestions for new locations;

Planet Fitness

http://www.answerfitness.com/wp-cont...tness-logo.gif


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Fitness Center on 301
 

Any one tried the commercial Fitness Center on 301 in Wildwood..I think it is a 24/7...might be a reasonable alternative to the crowds at Seabreeze and Colony.
Curious if anyone had experience there.

Do you know the name of the Fitness Center on 301? I'd like to google it.

Sounds like a great option! I'd much more likely be a member, rather than an owner.

.

I have been told by more than one trained fitness person that it is best not to workout on just one cardio machine. In other words, 20 minutes on a treadmill, 20 minutes on an Elliptical and 20 minutes on a bike should get your heart rate up. Next time switch it around and workout on different machines----this will be best for your overall fitness. I agree the TV Fitness Centers are "pricy" but they sure are convenient.

Regional Recreation Centers is where the Fitness Centers are located. However, all the Regionals do not have Fitness Centers. Given how crowded the Centers are I would guess there will be one in the Regional Center just north of Brownwood.

We belong to Anytime fitness and use the one on 466. It's great! There are over 2000 nation wide, after 30 days you can use any of them included all of the center around TV. It's $30 a month and they accept silver sneaker. Great Equipment and friendly staff. We have to travel to south Fl every month so having one a mile or so away from our condo here makes it great. You can use the facility 24 hours a day.

I belonged to Anytime Fitness before joining MVP. There is nothing wrong with MVP, except I used to get annoyed with the gym manager who was always walking in with McDonalds! I joined MVP with the benefit of a corporate rate and some of the classes are excellent. Group Power is my favorite and the instructors are great! The gym leaves a little to be desired but does what you need it to do. Would be nice to see some updated treadmills.

There are 4 regional rec centers. They all have fitness centers. The 5th regional is under construction north of Brownwood. I assume it will house the 5th fitness center.

I live a ten minute golf cart ride from Sea Breeze Rec Center. When you go in Sea Breeze and ask the information desk where the gym is, you're expecting to see a room as large as some of the meeting rooms. Instead you're directed to a door about 10' past the desk and when you open it, you feel like you're stepping into someone's family room. There was maybe ten people that day I went and if a couple more had showed up, the place would of felt crowded.

http://www.districtgov.org/images/fitness.jpg

As I stated in an earlier post, I was spoiled by Planet Fitness and their $10 a month fee. Here's the rates for the gyms at the rec centers;

ONE MONTH
Single: $44.39 / Couple: $85.98
THREE MONTH
Single: $119.16 / Couple: $200.00
SIX MONTH
Single: $210.28 / Couple: $411.22
NINE MONTH
Single: $294.39 / Couple: $574.77
TWELVE MONTH
Single: $363.49 / Couple: $710.28

+ tax

I stopped in at the Colony Recreation Center, which has a gym in the building. Prices are $45/month, a little cheaper for longer time period.

Thanks all for your responses

Fees
 

$750 Plus, thats a lot to pay for something you already own. The Amenities Committee should reconsider these high fees which are nearly as much as MVP.

The fitness centers are set up as enterprise entities, which must be revenue neutral. Considering trainer pay, insurance, equipment purchase and maintenance they are probably close. No amenity money is involved.

MVP is very expensive for the size and what they offer. I would like for one of the nationwide chains to open here, monthly fees are less, much larger, offer more services and are open better hours. MVP must be paying TV well to be here because they do not provide much for their members.