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Before Joining a Gym, Exercise Your Options
Before joining a gym, think about your own motivations and interests—and consider alternatives. Set realistic fitness goals, then think about whether you really need to pay a company big bucks for activities that are probably available more cheaply elsewhere.
How to Compare Gyms and Fitness Centers
When comparing fitness clubs, consider several points, including what its members say, its location, membership fees, contract terms, facilities and equipment, classes, and amenities.
How to Avoid Getting Burned by a Gym Membership
Membership at many clubs doesn’t come cheap. Although some bare-bones gyms cost about $200 a year, many charge more than $600. Want a club that offers racquet sports or a wide range of facilities and amenities? Expect to pay a lot more.
Cyclopedia: Guide to Buying and Repairing Bikes
With so many bike choices—road, hybrid, mountain—it’s hard to know how to get rolling. Our guide to buying bikes will help you get on the road (or trail) again.
How to Keep Your Bike Safe from Thieves
Few people, no matter where they live or which deterrents they deploy, can avoid criminals all of the time. That doesn’t mean there’s no way to prevent your bike from being stolen. But there are some things you can do to help recover the bike and/or get the bike covered by insurance should the worst happen. Here are some of the best preventative measures—and what’s not worth the money.
Take Charge of Your Healthcare
Take charge by selecting the best doctors and other providers and making decisions about your medical care. Here's how.
How to Find the Best Doctors
The most important thing you can do to assure yourself high-quality medical care is to form a strong relationship with a good primary care physician and, at times, together make informed decisions on specialty care.
Does It Matter If Your Doctor Is Board Certified?
We advise consumers to select physicians who are “board certified,” and we report on board certification status in our ratings tables. Here’s what board certification means and why it is important.
Does Acupuncture Really Work?
There’s no clear answer as to whether the positive results most patients experience from acupuncture are from a placebo effect. But since it usually works and, when properly performed, involves very few risks and virtually no negative side effects, maybe you shouldn’t overthink it.
Acupuncture History and Trends
Acupuncture is a treatment that stimulates various body points by penetrating the skin with thin metal needles. The approach draws on various medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries, some dating back as far as 2,000 years.
