I visited Women’s Workout World in Berwyn, Illinois on the evening of 1/25/10. Prior to my horrible experience on 1/25/10, I was contemplating membership. The Women’s Workout World facility I visited has a sign-in policy in which you are provided exercise equipment of your choice for a duration of up to thirty minutes. Examples of the equipment are elliptical, treadmills etc. As required for certain pieces of workout equipment and prior to beginning of my workout, I went over to the sign-in desk to find out which treadmill was available so that I could begin my workout. The employee at the front desk looked on the sign-in form that I had completed as required and assign me Treadmill machine #12, which at that time was available. After 20 minutes into my workout, I was told that I had to get off the machine because someone else had been assigned to this machine. Furthermore, I was advised to start/complete my workout on one of the other treadmills that were available. Therefore, my workout was stopped abruptly, and I was told to go back over to the front desk so that I could be instructed on how to sign up for the machines properly. I explained to the employee that I had already been over to the desk, signed-in, and was assigned the treadmill that I had been utilizes for the past 20 minutes. I did not appreciate being so rudely interrupted to accommodate someone else for that specific machine when there were other unoccupied treadmills available. I also did not understand why I would be assigned to a treadmill by another employee knowing that I would not get the full 30 minute workout. The whole scenario was very upsetting and puzzling. I have always taken my exercise routine very serious and I make every attempt to follow the rules set aside by the different facilities/organizations that I have exercised in. I felt that this was a very dangerous practice for any establishment to abruptly interrupt someone’s exercise session because when you are in the middle of a workout, your heart is beating at a much faster rate. I was always instructed that you should gradually slow down your routine in order to bring the heart back into its normal rhythm. You should always be allowed a cooling down period, as stated by most facilities, and most healthcare professionals. The machine itself also will register your cooling down time toward the end of each session. I was very disappointed and felt a bit of racial tension from the employees, the woman on the machine next to me who was also insistent that I get off the machine in order to accommodate her workout companion. I felt that there was some preferential treatment that took place because of all the other treadmills were similar in addition, there were several not in use. Not allowing a person to complete a workout and have the proper cooling down period could cause some very serious health consequences especially for someone using this equipment unaware of possible existing and non - existent health concerns. Furthermore coming and as a guest and being treated this way raise some very serious concerns regarding the treatment of other visitors as well as members of this particular facility.
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