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Portland On The Cheap

Fitness & Healthcare:  Fitness


Gym Memberships!  Always read the fine print.  Know your options.  And do take advantage of the free guest passes to try the facility and classes out before signing a contract.  Here's our guide to fitness gyms in Portland.

24 Hour Fitness
This all-hours fitness gym has multiple locations around the Portland area and if you can get through the all the membership options, you can actually walk away with a pretty good deal if you pay up front.  Offered a couple times during the year, the catch is that you must pay all at once and your membership is valid for 2 to 3 years.  What makes this a super sweet deal is this:  when your membership expires, you can renew on a year-to-year basis for an annual cost of $20-$50.  Be sure your contract spells this renewal fee out!  If you can't afford to pay all at once, then the club offers the typical monthly membership that you'll have to talk to a member representative about.
Bally Total Fitness
Has twelve locations around the Portland metro area.  Promotions run all the time, and in order to get in on their latest deals you'll have to meet face-to-face with a member representive.  Good luck finding out specific prices online or even over the telephone.  To get a feel for your local club, here are some options:

1.  Go to the web site and download a free 2-week guest pass.
2.  Go to the web site and get a 30-day trial pass for $19.
3.  Wait til January of each year for the Discovery Health National Body Challenge.  When you register, you get a free 30-day guest pass to Bally Total Fitness.  Click here for details.

Once you are in their system, if you wait around long enough they'll send you a pretty good offer where you can get a one-year membership for $99.  Many of our friends have been mailed this deal and have taken advantage; however, it's hard to say when the company will actually send this to you so don't wait around expecting it.

There are a myriad of options when choosing a Bally Total Fitness membership, so carefully read through the contract and know about the finance charges, enrollment/initiation fee and if there are restrictions to days, times and clubs.   Also ask about the cost for 3 year pre-paid memberships (similiar to the deal offered by 24-Hour Fitness).
LA Fitness
The new guy on the block.  Currently has five locations around the Portland area.  Go online and print out their free guest pass, which is valid for three days.  The club usually sends out fliers in the mail, generally good for a one-week guest pass.

The club offers monthly memberships that require Electronic Funds Transfer, in addition to the initiation fee.  We don't have much experience with this club so your best bet is to visit them and get the sales pitch from one of their member representatives.

Portland Parks & Recreation Owns and operates 13 community centers around Portland, including St Johns, Sellwood, Southwest, Mt Scoot and more.  Offers sports, fitness, dance, music, swimming pool and more.  Call or visit your local community center to see if you are in-district and to find out more about drop-in fees and frequent visit cards.
Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District
If you live on the Portland west side then you may be in-district to take advantage of the facilities, sports leagues and classes offered by the THRP.  To find out if you are eligible, click here and on the bottom left hand corner select "Am I In-District?" and then plug in your address.  See web site for drop-in fees, search for programs, classes and more.
Other Gyms
We have highlighted the 'well-known presence' clubs here in Portland, but your best deal might very well be the smaller and one-chain operations that are closer to your neighborhood or place of employment.  Try these:

Cascade Athletic Clubs:  2 Gresham locations and one at Mall 205.

Curves:  multiple locations, a 30-minute fitness center for women

Lloyd  Athletic Club:  a couple blocks from Lloyd Center

Nelson's Nautilus:  locations in Oregon City, Milwaukie and North Portland.

YMCA of Columbia-Willamette:  locations in Sherwood, Beaverton, Vancouver and Portland on Barbur Blvd.

YWCA 10th Avenue Athletic Club
:  across the street from the Portland Art Museum




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