I've been an on again off again member of the YMCA my entire life. There isn't a comparable gym membership that comes with the number of family oriented activities such as : youth sports, camps, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, swimming lessons, steam room, whirlpool, sauna, basketball courts, organized classes such as spin/ Zumba and the like plus a fully equipped gym with free weights, machines and cardio. The Bessemer YMCA is where I went as a child and it offers an indoor and out door running/ walking track, tennis and racketball.
The Pelham location is most convenient for me presently for day to day use. The Birmingham area YMCA membership allows you to venture out to other branches and when I travel I frequently take advantage of this perk. This particular location is not the largest, nor the most extravagant but it gets the job done. The pools in the summer are great for kids.
My son is going to play middle school football next year. For a nominal fee a certified trainer took him around the gym and gave an in depth how to for all of the work out areas. This to me was invaluable as they will begin some weigh training and I wanted him to understand basic safety and fundamentals. The staff is friendly and accommodating. For the price you pay you save tremendously vs a gym membership for you and your spouse plus fees associated with pool and tennis clubs. Not to mention there are several trained and certified life guards on staff watching your children vs unsupervised neighborhood pools. For us this is a good place to spend a spring or summer day. It's fully equipped for my wife to take classes and I can workout as my schedule permits. The hours are a bit limiting vs a 24 hr fitness type gym, but the added benefits of the pools and activities far outweigh the limited hrs. I want to say they're still running a promo that waives the enrollment fee thru the end of April. 1,2 or 10 kids doesn't matter, it's the same price. read more