I really hadn't thought about it again until I found myself wanting to jump start things to start the new year and a friend posted that she had just joined the Y. I decided to go by and ask for a tour and figured I might as well give it a shot. After a couple of weeks there I can say that I really like it, so of course I figured it was time to blog about it.
The facility:
The entry: The YMCA and the Kingsport Aquatic Center are housed in the same place and since the Y membership includes KAC membership I will talk about them as one. The parking area is big and I have yet to find it full. The building itself is new and very nice: it is handicap friendly throughout. Upon entering there is a nice lobby with seating and a desk that is always staffed with very polite and knowledgeable people. To the right is the entrance for those who are KAC members only, the left for YMCA members. There is a turn stall area where you must swipe to pass beyond the lobby which puts you into the area I call the back lobby. That's where you find a childcare area, the basketball court, more seating, water fountains, stairs and an elevator, offices and the locker rooms.
The Locker Rooms - I have to start by saying that I can only comment on the men's locker room and suppose that the ladies is the same. The locker rooms are clean, well maintained and new. The lockers are a little on the small side but my biggest problem is the lack of room in each cubicle of lockers. At best maybe two people can access a locker in each cubicle at a time. During peak time I have had to wait in line to get to the locker my stuff is in and this seems to be the biggest complaint I have heard from members. Beyond the locker area, the bathroom and shower areas are also very clean and well maintained with the showers offering a double curtain area that provides ample privacy.
Group Activities - The activities are the biggest surprise for me. I have been to other gyms that offer classes and usually you have to sign up for a class or program and pay a little extra for each. These classes were most often in the evenings with one or two a day. At the Y there are classes starting in the early morning and lasting throughout the day until late in the evening and all are included with membership. With three rooms they actually run multiple classes at once and there is such a variety they have something for everyone. If you were to bring a couple of meals you could literally go from one class to the next and stay busy from 5:30 in the morning until 8 or 9 at night. So far I have only done one but was very impressed with how the instructor was able to adapt the course to work for different skill levels all at once. She was also very understanding when a friend and I needed extra help.
Cardio Equipment- Once you go upstairs you find a wide array of cardio equipment surrounding the work out areas. They have various cycles, steppers, treadmills and rowers to cover almost every need. I have yet to find a time when there was not a machine of some type available for use. By far the best collection of these I have seen.
Machine Weights - There is a workout area dedicated to machines, there are three rows of them to work out almost any body part with the safety of a cable weights. This area always has at least one trainer who is more than happy to explain the proper use of any machine there. They also have multiple areas with wipes so that you can clean the machine when you are through. The one problem I have found if you are like me and want to move quickly from one to the next is sometimes there is a log jam as others want to stay on the machine between sets and relax for 5 to 10 minutes. If you can skip that one and move to the next, it will usually clear up in a bit.
Free Weights- There is also a large free weight area with a variety of safety racks for most any lift and is also staffed with a trainer. I must admit that unlike in my younger days when I was all about the free weights, I have only ventured into them a couple of times so far as I want to mainly work core and cardio right now.
The Aquatic Center - The far side of the locker rooms leads to KAC. They have three different areas indoors with a smaller pool that has a handicap ramp in it that is mainly used for classes and open swim areas, a kiddie pool with a corkscrew slide and an Olympic pool that is usually divided and used for lap swimming. I have found that after a good run and workout, nothing finishes the day like floating around the pool for a while. I have noticed many families seem to take advantage of this chance to relax in the warm water as the winter blows outside and I can not wait to experience the outdoor pools and lazy river.
The other stuff - There are several other benefits to the Y. They offer day care and have rehab in house, have children's and senior programs, an indoor basketball court. During the summer they also have week long day camps for different age groups. Unlike other gyms I have already had two free meetings with a Wellness Coach and have another scheduled. This touch alone is worth gold to someone like me who is looking for an edge. They are also getting ready to expand the facility to offer even more room to get healthy.
Overall my first two weeks at the Y have been more than I could have hoped for: I have been able to work out in a clean, friendly environment 5 to 6 times a week at times that work best for me and have yet to find anyone who was unfriendly or rude in anyway. The only other knock I have on the place is that for such a running and biking friendly city, there are no connecting places to do either from the Y without using the shoulder of a major road. If anyone reads this blog with knowledge of who to talk to and the pull to get it done, I think that the construction around Eastman could easily incorporate a biking/running/walking trail just to the west of route 126. This could pass between the Toy F. Reid Center and the V. O. Dobbins Center and connect to Main Street and then at the Scott Adams Skate Park it could connect to the Greenbelt. This would be a great addition to the Greenbelt and would join it to the YMCA to allow for more people to enjoy both.
Group Activities - The activities are the biggest surprise for me. I have been to other gyms that offer classes and usually you have to sign up for a class or program and pay a little extra for each. These classes were most often in the evenings with one or two a day. At the Y there are classes starting in the early morning and lasting throughout the day until late in the evening and all are included with membership. With three rooms they actually run multiple classes at once and there is such a variety they have something for everyone. If you were to bring a couple of meals you could literally go from one class to the next and stay busy from 5:30 in the morning until 8 or 9 at night. So far I have only done one but was very impressed with how the instructor was able to adapt the course to work for different skill levels all at once. She was also very understanding when a friend and I needed extra help.
Cardio Equipment- Once you go upstairs you find a wide array of cardio equipment surrounding the work out areas. They have various cycles, steppers, treadmills and rowers to cover almost every need. I have yet to find a time when there was not a machine of some type available for use. By far the best collection of these I have seen.
Machine Weights - There is a workout area dedicated to machines, there are three rows of them to work out almost any body part with the safety of a cable weights. This area always has at least one trainer who is more than happy to explain the proper use of any machine there. They also have multiple areas with wipes so that you can clean the machine when you are through. The one problem I have found if you are like me and want to move quickly from one to the next is sometimes there is a log jam as others want to stay on the machine between sets and relax for 5 to 10 minutes. If you can skip that one and move to the next, it will usually clear up in a bit.
Free Weights- There is also a large free weight area with a variety of safety racks for most any lift and is also staffed with a trainer. I must admit that unlike in my younger days when I was all about the free weights, I have only ventured into them a couple of times so far as I want to mainly work core and cardio right now.
The Aquatic Center - The far side of the locker rooms leads to KAC. They have three different areas indoors with a smaller pool that has a handicap ramp in it that is mainly used for classes and open swim areas, a kiddie pool with a corkscrew slide and an Olympic pool that is usually divided and used for lap swimming. I have found that after a good run and workout, nothing finishes the day like floating around the pool for a while. I have noticed many families seem to take advantage of this chance to relax in the warm water as the winter blows outside and I can not wait to experience the outdoor pools and lazy river.
The other stuff - There are several other benefits to the Y. They offer day care and have rehab in house, have children's and senior programs, an indoor basketball court. During the summer they also have week long day camps for different age groups. Unlike other gyms I have already had two free meetings with a Wellness Coach and have another scheduled. This touch alone is worth gold to someone like me who is looking for an edge. They are also getting ready to expand the facility to offer even more room to get healthy.
Overall my first two weeks at the Y have been more than I could have hoped for: I have been able to work out in a clean, friendly environment 5 to 6 times a week at times that work best for me and have yet to find anyone who was unfriendly or rude in anyway. The only other knock I have on the place is that for such a running and biking friendly city, there are no connecting places to do either from the Y without using the shoulder of a major road. If anyone reads this blog with knowledge of who to talk to and the pull to get it done, I think that the construction around Eastman could easily incorporate a biking/running/walking trail just to the west of route 126. This could pass between the Toy F. Reid Center and the V. O. Dobbins Center and connect to Main Street and then at the Scott Adams Skate Park it could connect to the Greenbelt. This would be a great addition to the Greenbelt and would join it to the YMCA to allow for more people to enjoy both.
