When it comes to fitness, you want to have the best experience possible. Picking a gym that fits your needs can be challenging, but Murray has a lot of options to choose from.
Many of the gyms around Murray are more specialty gyms for workouts like yoga and CrossFit, but when it comes to your regular weightlifting and machine gyms, Murray State students have three main options to choose from.
The cheapest and most accessible gym for students is the Wellness Center on campus. Jordan Williams, director of Campus Recreation and Wellness, said getting into the Wellness Center is free and easy to do.
“All the costs for the Wellness Center are included in tuition, and all you need to do to come in is show your Murray State ID and scan in,” said Williams.
The Wellness Center also has plenty of amenities, including pools, a basketball court, free weights, cardio machines and a volleyball court, and activities like spin classes, yoga and zumba.
The Wellness Center is open from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.
The next option for students is the newly built Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness is a cheap membership-based gym, with two plans available at monthly rates of $10 for the basic membership or $25 for the Black Card. The difference between these two is that Black Card members get special bonuses such as being able to bring a guest, having access to tanning rooms and saunas and having access to all the other Planet Fitness locations across the country.
The main part of Planet Fitness is the weightlifting and exercise machines. Planet Fitness consists of a lot of cardio machines, ranging from treadmills to stair steppers and many others. Planet Fitness differs from other gyms because their weights are not considered “free weights.” All Planet Fitness lifting racks are based on a Smith machine where the bar is set onto a fixed system, which is supposedly safer than free weights but limits your movement on the machine.
Planet Fitness is open 24/7, so you can work out there at 3 a.m. if you so choose.
The final and most expensive of the main gyms is Mega Gym. Mega Gym costs start at $36 a month. It has a sauna and is open 24/7. Some of what makes Mega Gym unique is that it offers daycare for kids during the week, special classes with instructors and, most importantly, a much greater amount of weightlifting options to choose from.
When it comes to gym equipment, Mega Gym has some of the best equipment and exclusive equipment that can only be found there.
Rachel Schreader, an employee at Mega Gym, said several new pieces of equipment were added recently. These pieces include a pendulum squat machine, a flat chest fly machine and many others which can’t be found anywhere else in the area.
Each one of these gyms has its own benefits. Mega Gym offers the most to its members but is also the most expensive, the Wellness Center is free and offers a lot more activities than just weightlifting and Planet Fitness. With all these options to choose from, I can guarantee you will find the perfect gym for you.
