If you are a single person looking for a good gym, I would recommend the Y in Hammond. If you have a family and are looking for a gym to join as a family, I would recommend stopping whatever you are doing right now and running to join the Y in Hammond because it is, flat out, the best bang-for-your buck- family- deal in nwi. I originally joined with an individual membership, but quickly switched over to the family membership once I realized the many benefits that the family membership allows. Here, I will specifically be reviewing the family membership and all of the perks that go along with it.
A family membership includes two adults over 18 living in one home plus all dependents living in the same home. My family membership includes me, my husband, and my two children, ages 4 and 18mos. A family membership costs $50 dollars a month and includes access to all facilities in the building: a full court gym, an Olympic sized pool, an aerobics studio, a wellness center, a game room, a child care facility,a racquetball court, and four locker rooms. The facilites are clean (more on that later) and spacious, and the staff is friendly and accomodating. The monthly fee does not include any classes in the aerobics studio, but for an extra ten dollars a month, you can buy a pass which allows you unlimited classes for the whole month. So, for $60 a month, you and your partner can use a pool, a gym, and a racquetball court. You can work out with free weights and cardio equipment. You can take as many classes as you want all month long. That in and of itself makes the family membership a really, really good deal. But the benefits that family membership offers for the kids in the family is what makes the family membership a truly GREAT deal.
First, the Y offers a multitude of programs for kids aged 3-17. Swim lessons are available for all ages and abilities all year round. Sports offerings rotate throughout the year, but include such options as soccer, t-ball, and basketball. In the summer, kids can sign up for themed camps, either for a half day or a full day. Of course, you can participate in these programs if you do not belong to the Y, but if you have a family membership, you will always pay less for programs. For example, to sign my 4 year old up for a "music" themed camp for one week in the summer from 9-12pm daily costs $42. For a non-member, the cost is $60. The Y does not just deal in sports. Past offerings have included classes in acting, guitar, and tae kwon do, among others. So far, I have signed my 4 year old up for basketball and swim, and I have been so pleased with the programs. Her instructors (Dave C., Dave, George, and Brittany) were all enthusiastic, encouraging, and kind.
Perhaps the biggest perk of the family membership for a family with young kids is the FREE child care that is part of the package. The child care center accepts children ages 6mos-7 years and will watch your kids for up to three hours per visit. At the Y, child care means child care, not just some teenager glued to her smartphone while your kids sit staring at the latest Disney movie on the tv. Yes, there is usually a movie on in the child care center, but there is so much more. Buckets of legos, Barbies, race cars, trains, and puzzles are available, and I usually find the kids playing with each other rather than mesmerized by the tv. Also, there is a new outdoor playground on the Y campus, and the workers will take the kids outside to play on a nice day. The women who work in the facility itself are caring and attentive and greet your child by name. My 4 year old loves going to the Y and playing in the child care center. Last week, I took my 18mo old along for the first time. I was a little nervous, because she is still a baby and still a bit clingy to mom. When I came to pick up the kids, I saw that while my baby was asking for 'mama', one of the helpers was soothing her in the rocking chair while singing to her quietly, calming her down.
The previous reviewer, Harini P., criticized the locker rooms as dirty. I see the locker rooms at the Y as, well, locker rooms. The Y is a gym that serves thousands of people a day. The showers are serviceable and clean enough for my kid to rinse off after swim lessons, but I say, if the showers in locker rooms bother you, then skip the locker rooms and just shower at home. (Or, take your money and join Fitness Pointe in Munster which has immaculate locker rooms, but is much more expensive, much more crowded, and offers considerably less in the way of programs and child care).
Overall, as a fitness facility and as a community resource, the Y in Hammond cannot be beat. The price, the amenities, and the programs, and the people make this place a true gem. read more