YMCA of Valparaiso

I wish this YMCA would prayerfully consider opening at 5 am on Saturdays, as it does Monday-​Friday, instead of not opening till 7 am on Saturdays.
If the message being sent to us regarding this Y’s Sunday hours (when it doesn’t open till much later in the day), is that people should be in church on Sunday morning, then what is the message being sent to us about this Y’s SATURDAY hours? …that on Saturday mornings people should still be home in bed sleeping off their Friday night hangovers?
Not all of us are party people. Some of us get up at the same time every day of the week (including Saturdays and Sundays) and have very tight schedules every day of the week due to taking care of our families and/​or other responsibilities.
This morning (a Saturday) there were around 30 people waiting for this YMCA to open up (which BTW didn’t happen until 7:02 am, according to both my cell phone clock and the YMCA clock opposite the front counter).
I currently pay $ 53 a month for my YMCA membership because there’s no special discount for someone 59 years old, who is not a student and who is without any other discounts. Its a lot of $ for a place with such limited weekend hours. (This is my only complaint about the Y. It’s a beautiful facility and, in my opinion, the people who work there are friendly, helpful, and efficient.)

This is the best YMCA I’ve ever seen. It’s large, has a great selection of activities and machines available, plus a large well-​maintained pool. I love the Expresso exercise bikes they provide. Altogether, getting a membership here was one of the best choices I’ve made.

Very nice facility, but soooooo expensive! I love the pool with the waterslide and kiddie splash area. Great for kids! Great big Cardio area, but The free weight room is tiny. They have many classes to choose from which is nice.

My husband and I really enjoy coming to the Y. It would be nice if they offered more programs during the evening considering most are in the morning and early afternoon. By the time my husband gets off work is later in the evenings. Its also nice because they have lots for the kids to do while the parents workout.

Few facilities can come close to matching what this one does. To be so close. I’m 65 overweight, bald and self conscious. At the YMCA I feel like one of the group. Good people with common goals. I gave 5 stars because I couldn’t give more.

I’ll be honest, it’s taking all of my willpower not to kick this review off with a Village People breakout. But, I’ll refrain.
Seriously, you gotta love the Y. It’s hard to say anything bad about an organization that does so much good for communities all across the country, even the world. And, as far as YMCA’s go, the Valpo Y is one of the best I have ever been to. As I understand it, this YMCA boasts a membership of over 15k individuals! The population of Valparaiso is only just over 30k, so you figure these guys are doing something right.
The Valpo Y has something for every type of active individual. The cardio area offers dozens of high end machines, an expansive free weight section, and an elevated ¼ mile walking/​running track. The pool is modest-​sized but has Olympic length laps and a wonderful splash pad and water slide for kids. All of the facilities are modern and well-​maintained.
The YMCA is more than just facilities though. Their programming adds a ton of value to what they have to offer. The Y has a huge catalog of classes — fitness, yoga/​Pilates, swimming, etc — at discounted cost or free to members. And, as far as membership goes, for what you get the price cannot be beat. My wife and I especially appreciate the daycare and childcare, the latter of which is covered in the cost of membership!
Our interactions with the trainers and staff of the Valpo Y have to this point been limited. I’ve had to engage with the admin and front desk staff on a number of occasions and they have always been extremely friendly and helpful. We have yet to take any classes or work with any of the trainers so I can’t speak to that. But, from what we have experience so far, all of the staff enjoy serving and helping their Y members.
If you’re one of the few Valpo residents that has not yet utilized the YMCA, I suggest you make your way over there soon. You are bound to find something that will enhance your health and well-​being.

I have been a member of the Y for about 6 months now. I love the gym and cardio equipment. Decent hours, though I would prefer a 24 hour gym. They offer child care while you workout for up to 2 hours. That child care is great with the kids, however, I have witnessed the preschool and/​or daycare staff yell at the kids on more than one occasion. I will not send my kids there for daycare. They appear bored with the kids, just not happy nor do they seem approachable. It is a policy driven facility, so you’ll need to tolerate lots of rules that seem rather inappropriate or contradicting. Overall, I wish there was a similar facility in my town that offers childcare, but I will continue to tolerate this place.

I love the YMCA. I spend most of my time at home, work, and the YMCA is in 3^rd place. I have belonged to about 6 or 7 Y’s in my life since i was a child. The first thing we did when we moved to Valpo in 1985 was join the Y where Ruth helped us teach both of our daughters how to swim. I have lots of friends there, and it is a pleasant place to exercise.

Nice, big free weight area. Plenty of cardio machines, lots of classes, and clean locker rooms.