{{tncms-inline content=”<p><span>"Finding the right gym can be a daunting task, especially for those who aren’t active."</span></p>” id=”fde872a2-f6f6-49ed-89fd-fe21c06148b5″ style-type=”quote” title=”Colaw Pull Quote” type=”relcontent”}}

I myself rarely ever work out, but recently after a determined plea from my fiancè we both decided to work on our health. Topeka has a multitude of gyms to choose from, but its newest addition is Colaw Fitness.

Colaw Fitness is a fairly new business with only three locations across the United States. The fitness centers specifically have been designed as an answer to the gym experience that many people have grown to be really tired of and annoyed by. Colaw Fitness has policies that they enforce pretty well that deter people from turning the gym into a hostile place of showboating and aggressive personalities. One of these policies is the “No Gym Jerks” rule which specifically suspends people “who drop weights, make loud noises, disturb others or has a show off attitude.”

They haven’t exactly followed this policy because I personally have experienced many issues with people being overly-enthusiastic and obnoxious when using the weight machines. While the atmosphere of the gym is more welcoming than others I’m familiar with, the occasional jerk does sneak through.

Something worth saying is that while Colaw is a Christian company and its values and mission statement are about Christianity, I encourage students who don’t follow Christianity to come. The staff and environment of Colaw isn’t preachy at all and will not bother you or require you to be Christian to attend.

These extra rules really help to make a positive environment for anyone planning on finding a new place to work out, but when looking for a new gym what you should really look out for is what is available at the location.

Colaw Fitness comes fully stocked with anything you could ever need. There is a large area for yoga and medicine ball training, almost every type of exercise machine you could want from stair climbers, ellipticals, bikes and treadmills. There are also rowing, weights machines specified to exercise different muscles, as well as free weights for you to do with as you choose.

The gym also comes with a fairly large locker room, four changing rooms, several bathrooms with showers in them, as well as both standing and laying down tanning beds and massage chairs that utilize rollers and hydropumps to relax you after a particularly tough workout.

What does all of this cost? A whopping $5 a month. If anything, Colaw Fitness should be praised for its incredible deal. Customers who have signed up for the deal will simply have put down a down payment of $1 and then towards the end of the first month pay will have to pay a $39 annual fee. As long as someone uses this membership at least 12 days every month than your rate will never go up. If you go less than 12, then the monthly fee will go up to pay $18.

With this deal you get free unlimited use of the massage chairs and the tanning beds, 24 hour access, trainer instruction, diet assistance, and if you convince three friends to sign up, you get a free year of membership.

For those who don’t want to feel the pressure of having to attend at least 12 days, which is three days every weak at the least by the way, then you can instead use their alternative plan which is only $10 a month and gets you the exact same benefits as the other plan, but without the mandatory minimum attendances.

Colaw fitness is a great new business for Topeka, and one that will certainly interest those looking for cheap but alternative exercising locations other than the Student Rec, Center at Washburn. While Colaw Fitness doesn’t fully enforce its “gym jerk” policy, it is such a good deal that you would be missing out if you didn’t take a chance on this new fitness center.

Rating: 4.5/5