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Ottawa

Mar 10, 2005, 6:14 PM

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Gym in SMA?

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Is there a US style gym (Golds, Bally's, Y etc) in SMA? If so, costs?

Carol Schmidt

Mar 10, 2005, 7:59 PM

Post #2 of 7 (631 views)

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Re: [ottawa] Gym in SMA?

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There are at least three gyms in SMA, not any of the US chains but similar in equipment and layout. Costs differ depending on services and access purchased, but seniors can get a basic membership for something like $25 a month and maybe $40 a month would be a more complete general membership, with deals depending on the number of months purchased, whether you were able to go to night hours, any special classes you wanted, etc. There are also many classes in pilates, yoga and other kinds of exercise.

Carol Schmidt

Ottawa

Mar 11, 2005, 8:05 AM

Post #3 of 7 (604 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Gym in SMA?

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Many thanks for that.

What about swimming pools in SMA and area as I'm a keen swimmer and wouldn't want to give up on that?

Public, municipal, private, outdoors?

Carol Schmidt

Mar 11, 2005, 8:43 AM

Post #4 of 7 (600 views)

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Re: [ottawa] Gym in SMA?

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I think there's at least one public swimming pool within SMA but everyone I know goes to the thermal pools outside SMA maybe 5 miles. You can take a couple buses to get to at least one of them, or many people carpool, or have set aerobics exercise times together there. One includes an Olympic-sized pool, a spa and a kid's pool, all a loverly temperature. I think it's around $5 to use the facilities for the day (no hourly rates, drat) and you can have a picnic there or eat lunch at a small restaurant or just enjoy the landscaped grounds. Another is a luxury full-service resort--have a massage or facial afterward, another is a series of caves where you go through narrow tunnels to go between the caves and the deepest-in one is the hottest and has only a skylight overhead for lighting. They are quite excellent adventures. People who have bought property in that area often find they have thermal springs on their grounds for their own spas.

Carol Schmidt

abq

Mar 12, 2005, 6:52 AM

Post #5 of 7 (567 views)

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Re: [ottawa] Gym in SMA?

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The local gyms don't compare to the chains you're referring too. The equipment is limited, old and not in great condition. Most do offer the usual classes- yoga, pilates, spinning, ect.

The hotel in La Aldea has a really nice pool and allows non- guests to use it for a fee. If you're a regular swimmer you'll want something close by. Shlepping all the way to the hot springs could get tedious 3 or 4 days a week. There is also a "curves" in the complex with nice new equipment.

Chumley

Mar 13, 2005, 5:04 AM

Post #6 of 7 (539 views)

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Re: [abq] Gym in SMA?

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The San Miguel Sports and Fitness Center past the Glorieta on the Salida de Celeya has quite a few machines and free weights, all in good condition, plus spinning, treadmills, bicycles, etc and a workout room for those into Oriental marshall arts. It also has steam rooms and showers. It goes for $30.00 a month, senior rate. The Santo Domingo Sports Club on Calle Santo Domingo in the condo complex has a small workout room with a universal machine, but their choice attraction is their lap pool, three lanes wide, and heated and enclosed for those windy days.
In all, my guess is that there are more than six gyms in the city, but about half of those cater primarily to the local population, and the expats frequent the others. For a small fee, you can use the swimming pools at many of the hotels in addition to the hot spring pools. The one problem I have encountered is that many Mexicans are not familiar with "gym etiquette" that implies you only use one machine at a time, and allow others to work in if you are concentrating on one piece of workout equipment for a long time. But that is a minor problem, and usually I'm in and out of the gym within 30 minutes everytime I workout.

Cynthia7

Mar 13, 2005, 10:57 AM

Post #7 of 7 (523 views)

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Re: [Chumley] Gym in SMA?

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Speaking of swimming pools - the gym on Santa Domingo has a solar heated pool. There are also pools at Hotel Aldea, Aristos and Real de Minas. I think you can use them for a small fee. There are small gyms all over town - serving the local barrios (neighborhoods). Taboada pool is a public hot water pool right next to Taboada Hotel which has a pool and serves lunch...for a fee. There are many spas in the Atotnilco area- Veronica -across from Cruz carnita restaurant; Escondita, La Gruta, AguasOOO- on the main road to Atotnilco- great for kids; Xote -5 pools and water slides. The water in the pools has been said to have the same properties as Baden-Baden,Germany. Temperature is about 111*F. There is another one at Cienegita-Virgin of Lourdes or Guadalupe. There is a large hole in the river in Atotonilco where the locals bath.....Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink!!!