Job Discussion Forums

[SaratheSlytherin]

This doesn't have anything to do with teaching, but it's about something important. I'm serious about teaching but it's very important to take care of your health and I'm very concerned about mine.

I would like to know about the options there are regarding exercise and fitness... really important to me!!

I'm planning on teaching EFL in Mexico and I've researched and prepared (please don't try to talk me out of that... that's another thread), and I haven't found any posts on this topic. I'm in the States right now and go to the gym almost every day, and I'm in a bind.

When I studied abroad in Mexico, I just went to the gym at the school. I know that they have some nice gyms in Mexico (friends tell me so), at least in Cuernavaca, but I'm not sure if it's affordable for an EFL teacher.
I know that teaching means long hours but I always find time for the gym...

If you join, do they do drafts from your bank account? Or do they have something similar to Fitness First, where you just pay every time you attend?

What are some good options?

[Samantha]

Mexicans are also concerned about fitness. There are gyms everywhere (you could check the yellow pages online for listings in the place you are thinking of living). For one example, Curves has many locations in Mexico.

http://www.curves.com/locations/results.php?country=MX&searchType=country

Gyms aren't my thing, so I bought a treadmill. Many days are just too hot to walk outside, even on the beach. Combined with swimming, it solves my fitness concerns. There are plenty of health clubs around, too, with lap pools.

[Professor]

You can find gyms that look like the ones that were in the original rock movie for around 500 or 600 a month. I can't remember if there is a one time payment.
I talked with Sport City here in the DF and it's a little over 1,000 pesos a month for one person, plus you have to pay the one time initiation fee of 6,000 pesos.

[Guy Courchesne]

Gyms can be pricey in DF, especially in Condesa, Polanco, Coyoacan...the swankier neighborhoods. Spinning, taebo and a few other fit fads are still all the rage here but again, pricey.

If running is your thing, there are plenty of places to do that, from public parks to the old Olympic facilities scattered around town, but mostly in the south at the UNAM campus. Cycling is big here too.

[notamiss]

I never went to a gym in Canada, but I joined one here, well it's more than a gym, it's a family-centred club with a gym, pool, sports fields, picnic area, etc. When they started offering Body Systems� classes, I started going. The Body Systems franchise is very big here; lots of gyms and clubs offer them. I didn't think classes were my thing until I tried them, now I really like them; good for both fitness and making friends.

Also, for anybody near Tasque�a, I can recommend you the gym where my daugher sometimes works. All they have are classes, not a weight room. The classes are Zumba, Hawaiian dance, martial arts (varies; currently karate) and Body Systems. Small place but nice. The prices are: $500 per month for all the classes you want, or a 12-class card good for one year for $480, or $50 per class, after paying a one-time registration of $250.

[SaratheSlytherin]

[SaratheSlytherin]

[SaratheSlytherin]

[TeresaLopez]

Depending o where you live there might be free aerobics, zumba or other exercise classes offered for free. There is a long-running aerobics class in a park by my house that has a leader (who loves disco music in general, and the Bee Gees in particular) who will give you quite a good workout. A little further away there is a zumba class, also free. There are smaller, non-chain gyms that offer a variety of classes and they can be quite reasonable also. The main thing is to stay out of the trendy areas, where you will pay double, easily. Once you are in Mexico, go to the Delegacion and ask, they can give you information about all kinds of programs.

[Checka_tu_mail]

Not sure which part of Mexico you're planning on going to OP, but here in San Luis we have the La Loma sports centre. It has an olympic size swimming pool and athletes come here from around the world to do altitude training. Michael Phelps was here and it's not unusual to see different teams doing training boot camp.

The facilities are second to none - body systems, yoga, spinning, all sorts of classes, a well-equipped gym and weight room, steam rooms, sauna etc. Membership is approx. $1200 pesos per month, if you can get in, paid by bank transfer.

There are lots of other gyms throughout the city and you can pay by cash on a monthly basis (around $250 pesos monthly last time I checked). Plus the Issst offer dance classes, aerobics and other evening classes for around $50 pesos for a ten week course, but these are at set times.

Very best of luck with your move..

[amaranto]

I agree with Guy on the price variance. Gold's Gym in Polanco has a membership of over 1,000 pesos a month, but some gyms like Roma Gym in Roma charge around 400 (or slightly less). Prices are all over the board.

Depending on where you live, you can check out the administrative seats of your borough (if you live in Mexico City). Delegaci�n Benito Ju�rez has an olympic pool and other exercise/sports facilities. I believe it is relatively cheap to use their facilities.

I am personally interesting in finding a reasonably-priced gym with a pool. This has been tricky for me. If anyone can recommend one in the Roma area, please let me know

[mejms]

Sounds wonderful. I think that for all of us, facilities such as these (and their costs) are overkill. The most I`ve ever paid is $400 pesos a month for pretty nice installations. It was just weights and cardio (with classes if you�d like), which is all I want and need. Places with pools are always more expensive, but swimming�s excellent exercise so just make sure you take advantage of your time there.

I pay $15 pesos a visit now to a basement gym in my neighborhood which just has some old weights. I decided to get rid of all the bells and whistles and get down to basics: cardio and lifting heavy things. It�s nice to have a nice gym, but working out hard and seeing results is much nicer.

It�s just like language schools. Some of them look nice and have shiney books and multimedia labs, so at first it give students a good feeling going there, like they�re really doing something. But if they�re not really more competent in the language months down the line, it�s time to get down to basics and see some results.