More exercisers were satisfied with a community center or office gym than a big chain, according to a survey by Consumer Reports.

Health clubs touting state-of-the-art equipment, fun classes and special amenities that keep workouts challenging can charge up to $95 a month. Yet a survey of more than 10,000 ConsumerReports.org subscribers indicates that the health-conscious might be happier spending a lot less. Respondents gave higher marks to the YMCA, community centers and office gyms than to most of the big chains that Consumer Reports rated.

Survey results

Among CR’s findings:

¢ Independents rule. Outscoring most of the big chains were studios for yoga, dance or Pilates; workplace gyms; community centers; school gyms; and nonprofit Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) and YMCAs or YWCAs. Usually, the main draw was value.

¢ Life Time is hot, Bally is not. Life Time Fitness was the only big chain toward the top of CR’s ratings, earning high marks for equipment, locker rooms, classes and hours. (Most locations are open 24 hours a day.) The low-rated Bally Total Fitness was criticized for wait times for machines, problems with contracts or fees, poorer cleanliness and less adequate locker rooms than others.

¢ Bills can be a pain. Among respondents with paid memberships, 16 percent had a problem with their contract or fees, such as an unexpected dues increase or inability to suspend membership temporarily during an expected absence. Members of Bally and Town Sports International were most likely to have had those problems (34 percent and 28 percent, respectively).

¢ Canceling can be difficult. Thirty-eight percent of respondents who had canceled their membership in one of the big chains had at least one problem, such as receiving bills after cancellation and excessive time and effort to cancel.

Thinking about joining?

CR recommends the following tips for people considering joining a gym:

¢ Know the options. The big chains can be pricey but often offer extras, including personal training, child care and spa services. Along with Y’s, they might have electronic tracking systems such as FitLinxx, which let members log in with a PIN and get customized coaching toward goals they’ve set.

JCCs and Y’s often offer classes and are most likely to tailor them to specific groups, including kids, women and seniors. YMCAs have more locations than YWCAs and are more likely to have fitness facilities. JCCs and YMCAs also sponsor cultural events, such as lectures and concerts. JCCs and local community centers tend to have a higher proportion of members older than 55 than other gyms.

College and university gyms provide greater access to large-scale athletic facilities: basketball courts, racquet courts, running tracks, even climbing walls (32 percent of school gyms in CR’s survey had them, versus 10 percent of the big chains). Using them may require affiliation with the school.

Gyms provided by apartment buildings are convenient but tend to have limited equipment. Work gyms offer similar convenience but might have more varied equipment, plus access to a personal trainer or exercise classes. Yoga/dance/Pilates studios by definition have less varied equipment or none at all, but CR found they pleased people interested in specific disciplines.

¢ Make the most of a visit. Get a free trial, which every chain CR visited offered for one day to one week. Ask about membership choices, since most clubs have several, with varying levels of access or amenities. Also ask about payment options. A contract of a year or more might save money in the long run, but consumers who can’t commit might want to consider a month-to-month plan.

¢ Don’t get pressured by a “special.” Clubs run promotions all the time, especially right after New Year’s, when clubs rush to recruit regretful revelers. Try bargaining, since haggling could earn a lower rate.

¢ Be smart after joining. Work out at off hours, avoiding peak times. Take advantage of the one or more sessions with a personal trainer many clubs give new members.

Take precautions, remembering that infections can spread through shared gym equipment, mats and towels. And don’t bring valuables, since clubs might bear no liability for items that are stolen even from locked lockers.