Choosing a suitable gym involves much consideration especially when you have to sign up for a long term membership. There are a few factors that you may like to consider.

1) Location

Even in Singapore where everywhere is relatively near and convenient, still I certainly don't want to travel too much for my workouts. Imagine you are so tired after work and still wants to workout. It is best that the gym is conveniently situated nearby. Or else, the "excuse monster" will take over and bring you somewhere else.

2) Suitability

What are your workout goals? Does the gym offers you a conducive environment that suits your needs? If you are doing Crossfit or powerlifting for example, a typical commercial fitness centre may not be a good choice as the gym rules and equipment does not support your activity. You are better off going to a gym that specifically caters to your needs. The environment such as the users and staff would be more supportive and accommodating. However, if you want to workout in a comfortable environment with towels provided/nice shower facilities and exercise classes, then these fitness centres should be the ones for you.

3) Value

It is value-for-money that is more important than the actual costs itself. If you want an exclusive gym, you should be prepared to pay for it. If you just want to workout hard and doesn't care if the gym doesn't smell as nice as your bedroom, a no-frills gym would offer the best value for your money. Just workout and get out.

Conclusion: It may be difficult to find a gym that satisfy all your needs. You have to do your own analysis and decide which factor/s matters to you more. Personally, I don't like to travel around for my workouts. That is why I set up my home gym. It may not have all the things I need but I save on traveling time and hassle, and this matters a lot to me. Feel free to comment below to add on.

We are aware that post-exercise recovery is important for us to reap the benefits of exercises and to recover physically and mentally for the subsequent workout sessions. However, the next question is "how should we recover?" 

There are generally 2 categories of recovery that we can use: Active and passive recovery. Passive recovery involves taking a complete break from your workouts. You can choose to laze around at home or go about your usual routines minus the exercise. Active recovery however, means working out at a lighter load/intensity/duration. A recovery workout means having a easy/light workout compared to your usual workouts. The type of workout can be similiar or different. For example, a lifter can choose to perform fewer exercises with a much lighter load OR just go for a swim/run/play sports etc on his active recovery days. 

Given that each type has each pros and cons (read this article), how shall we decide which type to choose? It depends on several factors such as exercise frequency, intensity, duration/volume, type etc. For example, compare a training cycle of 1 week comprising of either 3 or 5 similiar workouts. You can choose to take 2 days off completely (passive recovery) for the 5 workouts/week compared to having 2 active days and 2 off days. It all depends on individual and other mitigating factors.

References

Active Versus Passive Recovery.Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/active-versus-passive-recovery.html/