The YMCA in Birmingham has several locations and when you join one you have access to all the others. For persons living on the Southern edge of Birmingham, or in "just over the mountain" Vestavia and Homewood, the Shades Creek YMCA is the most convenient place to go, located just off 31-South (the main North-South Highway that goes through Birmingham and extends through the Southern Burbs). This is a medium sized facility with a full set of free and machine-weights (probably 30 apparati for machine weights), generous freeweight space, and perhaps 25 or 30 aerobic machines (including 10 elliptical trainers, 6 of which are the more desirable arm+leg combined motion ones). There is both an indoor 40 yard pools and an outdoor one, indoor basketball courst, Yoga, Spinning. Customers record workouts on FitLinxx-equipped machinery and point totals allow you to earn kudos and some low-cost prices (i.e. t-shirts) from the staff. Daycare is free for the tots so you can bring the little brat in with you and still get a chance to exercise. Bathroom/shower facilities are plain Jane but workable. Family membership is about $200 a quarter.
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