Impact: what this site gives you to use
This page is the inventory: what the site holds, which page to open for which situation, and the few published figures to check before joining a women-only gym or a pilates studio in Massachusetts. We are an independent guide, not a member of any gym or studio, and we have not joined, tried or visited the places we describe. We do not rank them, and nothing here is a list of businesses to choose from. Each part answers one question a reader brings, so you can go straight to the part that matches yours. Where a figure comes from a published rule or study, the source is named beside it so you can check it yourself. If a question is not answered here, the honest answer is that this guide does not cover it, and another page probably will.
Open the page that matches the question you have, not the one that sounds most like a sales pitch.
The editor, Locker Key
Four published figures to carry into a visit
150 minutes
- A week of moderate activity for adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
36 months
- The longest term a Massachusetts health club contract may run, renewals included (General Laws, Chapter 93, Section 80).
3 business days
- To cancel a Massachusetts health club contract after you receive it (General Laws, Chapter 93, Section 81).
7 questions
- In the PAR-Q+ opening screen, where a no to all of them means you can start and build up gradually (HealthLinkBC).
Where to start, by what brings you in
Start with the situation that matches yours, because each one sends you to a different part of the site. Nothing here is written for one kind of reader only, so read more than one line if you are unsure. Pilates readers often arrive with beliefs they have not tested, and the history page sets some of those out. The two pictures below show the kinds of room the guide compares, not any particular place.
- New to gyms: the buyers’ guide on the resources page, then the community FAQ.
- Back after a break: the screening notes in the section below, then the visit questions on the resources page.
- Curious about pilates: the history page, then the local voices page on what the public record says.
Three things to check before you sign anything
Reading the cancellation terms
Read the cancellation terms before anything else in the contract. You can still cancel after the first three days if you become significantly disabled for more than three months. The same exit applies if you move more than 25 miles from the seller’s club, or if the club’s services stop being available. To use the three-day right you must cancel in writing, either handed over in person or sent by certified or registered mail. The club’s 15 business days to refund run from when it receives that notice, so keep proof of when you sent it. Ask how cancellation works before you pay, because one short question on a visit saves an awkward call later. Sources: General Laws, Part I, Title XV, Chapter 93, Sections 81 and 82.
Screening before you start
Begin with the PAR-Q+, the standard self-screen before a new physical activity program or a new gym. A yes to any question leads to further screening, which is a reason to speak to a clinician before you join. If you are pregnant without complications, the advice is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, but a clinician should confirm the plan first. Hot Pilates and hot yoga, done in very hot rooms, are best avoided during pregnancy, so ask how hot the room of any class you consider runs. A studio that cannot say how hot its rooms run is giving you a reason to ask again. Sources: PAR-Q+ and ePARmed-X+ (HealthLinkBC); Exercise During Pregnancy (MotherToBaby).
Asking about instructor training
Ask a studio which certification its instructors hold, and what training sits behind it. The American Family Physician review of Pilates for low back pain found low-to-moderate quality evidence that exercises taught by certified instructors improve pain. The 2015 Cochrane review of the same condition, across 10 studies and 510 patients, found moderate-quality evidence of no significant difference between Pilates and other exercise. Neither review says anything about general fitness, so a result for back pain is not a verdict on the whole method. Read the two together to see what the research does and does not show. Sources: American Family Physician (2016); Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2015).