Curves For Women

Pros: Good structure. Nice women.
Cons: I injured my knee.

I enjoyed Curves quite a bit until I injured my knee there. After physical therapy and several months away I decided to cancel and find something less demanding on my knees.

Pros: Fun, supportive environment.
Cons: Limited hours at some locations.

I started at Curves for Women over 3 years ago. I started off well at first, and lost about 10 pounds, but then stopped going and gained it all back plus more. I went to 186 pounds. I got the courage to go back and it took a while, but I am now under 140 pounds. I participated in the Curves 6 Week Challenge to adjust my diet and lifestyle also. In addition to going to Curves, I also started drinking lots of water and watching what I eat, somewhat. The machines are easy to learn and the music is upbeat. I had tried other places, but always had to adjust the machines and sometimes forgot even how to operate them. I was intimidated and uncomfortable being so overweight and around a bunch of athletic young people at other places, but at our Curves, everyone is nice and supportive. At our Curves, there are incentives for exercising and losing weight, trivia contests, and games to keep it fun.

Pros: No Pros
Cons: Cons - won't stop deducting monthly fees when membership is canceled in writting.

Be very careful when canceling your membership. Each Curves employee will advise differently. When membership is cancelled, They will still deduct monthly membership fees and finding someone in a main office to help is impossible.
Maybe the other Curves are better than the Edmonds Washington Branch. Just be alert.

Pros: Good for people with physical limitations.
Cons: Compared to the knowledge level of professional trainers , Curves staff not very professional.

I have arthritis in my knees, ankles and neck, and I just turned 50! I'm in pain most of the time, and the thought of working out at a traditional gym was not an option I was willing to try again. Why? Because of the intimidation and pushiness of the trainers for me to do more than I'm able or comfortable doing. I don't need to risk further injury to my already damaged knee joints.

My right knee is so bad that I'm in need of a knee replacement which I and my doctor agree that I'm too young for right now.Her recommendation was physical therapy or light exercise. At any time as I'm simply walking I will experience a dislocation of my knee.

So, I wear a brace for walking and standing long periods. The Curves workout is perfect for me. It's allowing me to slowly strengthen my entire body, especially the muscles in my knees. My posture has improved, and I feeling better than ever.

Pros: I don't know since I never was able to exercise there.
Cons: Very bad business ethics. Don't trust them.

I signed up with Curves, paid a big sign up fee, plus one month's exercise fee and gave them access to my bank account. Shortly thereafter, I became chronically ill, disabled, and handicapped (I now walk with a cane). I have fibromyalgia and severe arthritis. I cannot do anything but special medical exercises now. I never, ever exercised at a Curves for Women! I called them and told them what happened to me and that I'd never be exercising again. I kept in touch with them faithfully for about a month to see if I could get better. Then I never heard anything from them, not a bill, nothing. And yet one year later, they turned me over to a nasty collection agency. I went into their place, using my cane and in obvious pain and asked them why. They said it was their business practice to declare the whole contract due despite my disability and handicap. BEWARE OF CURVES.

Pros: great place to be invisible and start up a regimen
Cons: staff not careful enough w/ possibility of injuries to generally out-of-shape,older,unstretched, non-athletic women (me)

I started enthusiastically and went two times before I threw my lower back out (with waist side twist machine), and the pounding on the boards tore my meniscus (knee cartilage). This is permanent damage that can never repair b/c there is no blood supply to heal meniscus.

Pros: Can build strength if you are really out of shape
Cons: Not good for anything beyond MINIMAL improvement

I joined Curves in Jefferson, GA almost two years ago. I started going 3 times a week and was losing weight AND inches. But, then I got stronger. Good, right? Not exactly. I started going around more than the 3 times you're told to because I was stronger and it felt good. Almost no one there, certainly no one waiting on the machines so there should be no problem. The lady running it came up to me and told me in no uncertain terms to go home, I had exceeded my rounds. It really hurt my feelings and I never went back. I still had to pay the monthly fee for an entire year and then found out they had automatically signed me up for another year even though I had not gone there in 10 months(it's in the very, very small print in the contract.) I called and they would not accept a phone call request to cancel it. I had to appear in person or write a letter... ugh!!

Pros: Fast workout, many locations
Cons: Hours not geared to working women

Curves is not for the working woman. The franchise hours are set up to cater to stay-at-home or retired women. Eighty percent of their open hours are during the time period that many woman are at work. On weekends they are only open on Saturday morning and they close at 7pm on weeknights (you have to be there at 6:30). Ironically, since Curves is a women-only gym, you may find yourself being an involuntary contributor to political causes which seek to limit rights for women. So check that out if it matters to you.

Pros: In and out in 30 minutes
Cons: 1-year contract. Not much on cardio, at least for me.

I'm a 44-year old runner who runs an average 20~25 miles per week, and I needed a way to cross-train every other day on my non-running days to build muscle and strengthen my upper body and core. I've been going to Curves for 8 months now and I have gone from 25% body fat when I started to 19.4% body fat last week. I've lost 6 pounds total weight but lost almost 8 pounds of body fat. Toned muscles keep burning fat even when idle. The program works beautifully. My Curves is located only a mile away from home, so it's very convenient to go there after work or on the way to the store, etc.

Pros: Great for the extremely overweight, infirm and out of shape
Cons: Not challenging enough and just too BORING

My daughter gave me a gift membership for 2 months to Curves and I couldn't wait for it to end. By my third time there I was totally bored with the "workout" and the "change stations now" recording every 30 seconds was driving me nuts. I was actually injured at this place, smashing my knee into one of the machines as I raced for the next one. I never broke a sweat at Curves, some of the women there look like they came straight from work without having to change clothes, which doesn't say much about the quality of the workout. I think Curves is OK for the extremely overweight and out of shape woman who is just starting to exercise, but even though I'm in my mid 50's I guess I was in better shape than I thought

Pros: Friendly, competent staff. Inexpensive. FUN!
Cons: Wish it were open 24 hours

In 8 months at Curves, I have lost 50 inches and 60 pounds!!!! I love the circuit training, the music, the friendly staff, and the 30 minute work-out. Curves has changed my life for the better. I went from a size 22 to a 12/14, I sleep better, look great and feel amazing. Curves is a fun way to exercise and easy to commit to.

Pros: FAST FUN EFFECTIVE WORKOUT
Cons: N/A

Curves is great
The workout is wonderful I have lost 82 lbs in a year doing Curves.
Some people think the workout is to easy but that is because they are not working hard enough. The faster you go on the machines the harder the workout. At my location the girls always tell me that if I feel I can keep going or something is to easy then I need to work harder, and when I do the machines get harder to more and the workout becomes more intense. I love Curves.

Pros: The caring and support attitude of the staff
Cons: Probably not as effective as weight lifting

I joined Curves approximately one year ago. Up until then I had been sedentary for 15 years. Curves is not going to give me a rock hard body but it does wonders for my self-esteem and sense of well-being.

Whenever I walk in the door, the staff not only remember my name but they remember details of my life that I choose to share with them while going around the circuit. When I slack off and don't go for awhile, they are always happy to see me come back.

Pros: Works for anyone committed to the program, plenty of support on and offline.
Cons: In my mind there aren't any cons.

Realizing Curves isn't for everyone, I have to say it seems to be helping a huge demographic of women who really didn't have many gym/workout choices before Curves came along.

Speaking from my own perspective, as a 40-ish woman who cringed at the thought of going to a typical co-ed gym - with all the young, affluent hard-bodied men and women who likely never struggled with weight issues in their life-time, Curves is exactly the place for someone like me!

If you want to learn more from others who have joined Curves and are experiencing terrific success, visit http://www.curvesforwomenfitness.com and click on the Curves Community Forum link to find the message boards and more.

Pros: May be suitable for inactive elderly, but high risk of injury without proper guidance.
Cons: Deceptive contracts, horrible hours, inexperienced, rude staff, risk of injury, long lines.

I joined Curves over a year ago, signed a year contract with automatic withdrawal from my checking account. I decided after a month that it wasn't for me. Horrible hours, too social, long lines, inexperienced "trainers" and bad music.

My banking software had been set to accept the electronic withdrawal, and I have just now realized that, 8 months AFTER the end of my contract, they are still deducting their payment from my account. Apparently, they have this sneaky little clause in small print included in the contract which basically says they can continue to withdraw funds until you request IN WRITING that your membership be canceled. This was never pointed out to me, and I received a poor xerox copy of the contract.