三十代に入って、健康診断で「運動不足気味ですね」と医師に言われたのを契機に、私はスポーツジムに通うことを真剣に検討し始めました。デスクワーク中心の生活がもう五年以上続いた結果、駅の階段を上るだけで息切れするようになり、このままでは生活習慣病になりかねないと感じたからです。とはいえ、ジムの月会費は決して安くないので、入会に先立って近所の三軒を実際に見学し、料金プランや設備をきちんと比較検討するに越したことはありません。
When I hit my thirties and my doctor told me at my checkup that I was "a bit short on exercise," I took it as a cue to seriously consider joining a gym. After more than five years of mostly desk work, I'd started getting winded just climbing the stairs at the station, and I was worried that if I kept this up I might end up with a lifestyle disease. That said, monthly gym fees are far from cheap, so before signing up there's no substitute for actually touring a few places nearby and carefully comparing prices and equipment.
最初に見学に行ったのは、駅前にある大手チェーンの二十四時間ジムでした。月額七千九百円のスタンダード会員と、全国どの店舗でも使える月額九千九百円のプレミアム会員があり、出張の多いビジネスパーソンにはプレミアムが便利だそうです。スタッフの説明によると、入会金は二千二百円、事務手数料は五千五百円とのことでした。マシンの数は多いものの、夜七時から九時の時間帯は混雑がひどく、人気のランニングマシンやレッグプレスは順番待ちになることもあるそうです。
The first place I visited was a major chain's 24-hour gym right in front of the station. They had a standard plan at 7,900 yen a month and a premium plan at 9,900 yen that let you use any branch nationwide, which the staff said is handy for people who travel a lot for work. According to their explanation, the joining fee was 2,200 yen and the administrative fee 5,500 yen. They had plenty of machines, but between 7 and 9 p.m. it gets badly crowded, and apparently you sometimes have to wait your turn for popular machines like the treadmills and leg press.
二軒目に見たのは、家から自転車で十分ほどの市営スポーツセンターでした。二十五メートルの温水プールとトレーニングルームの両方が使えて、月額五千円と料金はかなり手頃です。設備はやや古く、ダンベルの種類も限られているものの、利用者の年齢層が幅広く、シニアの方々が和やかにストレッチをしている雰囲気に好感を持ちました。ただ、営業時間が夜九時までなので、残業の多い私には少し使いにくいかもしれません。
The second place I checked was a city-run sports center about ten minutes from home by bike. It included a 25-meter heated pool and a training room, and the monthly fee of 5,000 yen was very reasonable. The equipment was a bit dated and the selection of dumbbells limited, but the user base spanned a wide range of ages, and I liked the relaxed atmosphere of seniors doing stretches together. The only catch was that it closed at 9 p.m., which might be awkward for me given how often I work late.
最後に訪れたのは、女性専用のパーソナルジムです。月額三万三千円と決して安くはありませんが、専属トレーナーが食事指導から栄養アドバイスまでしてくれるそうで、本気で体型を変えたい人には向いているようでした。料金からして本格的で、最低でも半年契約が基本とのことでした。私の予算では厳しい上に、そこまで追い込まれる覚悟もないので、今回は見送らざるを得ませんでした。
The last place I visited was a women-only personal training gym. At 33,000 yen a month it was anything but cheap, but they said a dedicated trainer would even handle dietary guidance and nutrition advice, so it seemed well suited to people seriously committed to changing their physique. Even the pricing felt serious, and a six-month minimum contract was standard. Given my budget, and frankly my lack of appetite for being pushed that hard, I had no choice but to pass this time.