So I sat down to Google up some tasty fitness class options, just like I promised myself I would last week when I was in a desperate rut (still am!). And I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. I started out mildly pessimistic and eventually came round to a cautious optimism! Read along on my journey and see for yourself:
Cost: $9/session, Private session $65
Pro: The studio is right on my route home, no excuses!
Con: I had a hard time with Pilates when I tried it last…weird fat deposits on my hips and shoulders can make mat work painful and awkward for me (as I told my friend L the other day, what I really want is Pilates for Lumpy People). A private session could help me learn some strategies to get around this, though.
Bally Total Fitness
Cost: $19 for a 30-day guest pass
Pro: I could attend a super early class before work, plus access to machines etc.
Con: No kickboxing, only weird trendy aerobics classes (Zumba!). Close-ish to home but not a convenient route. Totally sketchy pricing methods, plus I have heard horror stories about trying to cancel memberships. Mainstream gyms scare me sometimes, too many dudes grunting and staring in the mirrors (this is why I used to belong to a Posh Spa Gym For Dainty Ladies Only in Boston; before that I only used gyms at my girls-only college). Bally might be fine, or it might be just weird and far enough to prevent me from going.
(Soon-to-open near me) 24 Hour Fitness
Cost: Free 7-day pass or who knows $/month
Pro: Fairly close to my commute route (better for evening, not as much for morning), will be beautiful and clean and shiny new!
Con: Still under construction, might not open until winter at this rate. Who knows what classes they will offer? Potentially sketchy upsell methods like Bally. Am I really going to wait around for it to open before I make the choice to feel better about myself? Hmmm.
Real Fitness Women’s Boot Camp
Cost: $300 for a 4-week, five day per week class, 5:30-6:30 a.m.
Pro: Instant jump start to my day! Early enough that I could return with ample time to shower, dress, make my carpool. Also I like that they offer a choice of women-only or coed. No G.I. Jane humiliation, but plenty of challenge.
Con: Boot Camp, whoa. Am I ready for this? See also: pricey. Intriguing, but maybe not quite what I’m looking for, unless I enroll in Boot Camp forever (wouldn’t it be cheaper to get a personal trainer, at that point?).
One With Heart (Indonesian Martial Arts and Wellness)
Cost: $49 for a two-week trial; $90-$190/month membership
Pro: Kickboxing! Lots of it! Community is really key here and their holistic, functional-movement philosophy rings all the right bells for me. The Original Fitness classes sound really neat. Pictures on their website are all of beautifully real women looking badass, flexible and zenlike. Also offers Yoga.
Con: A tiny drive out of my way, but evening classes are in a doable time slot. Pricey membership but I have a feeling the personal attention would be worth it.
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I think it’s pretty obvious from this list that I started out not very enthusiastic about large gyms and then got weirdly excited by Boot Camp and the One With Heart place, two options which I didn’t even know existed!
With Boot Camp, I know I would feel GREAT after that first month, but I worry about whether this approach would be sustainable. Would it inspire me to go on long walks every morning? Do a weights routine in my living room? Cause that hasn’t worked in the past. The whole point of investigating classes is to find a schedule, not to leave my workouts up to my free will (a.k.a. hey let’s see what’s on tv). (But but but, boot camp sounds cool, doesn’t it?)
One With Heart might be a perfect solution, and if I attended two classes per week (on top of Yoga and Hula class, bringing me to four workouts per week) my membership would equal out to ~$11/class. They offer a tour of their facilities, and I think I will try to attend one and make my decision that way.
Meanwhile, this past week I have ever so slowly been reigning in my unhealthy eating, and I’m down two tiny pounds, which feels good. Yoga starts up again next week after a three-week hiatus, and Hula continues to kick my butt (or more precisely, my arms). I am trying to visualize myself gaining momentum and being drawn to healthy thoughts, emotions and actions. I just scheduled a minor surgery in October to remove a piece of my ankle hardware, something which used to scare me out of my wits, but I recently decided that if I wait until it’s not scary, I’ll never get it done. All I have to do is show up, grit my teeth through a few needles, and heal one more minor scar. This autumn is going to be all about proving to myself that I can do things even when I think they’re impossible. Needles? Sure, why not. Act healthy? It’s easier than I think. I’m going to let my momentum carry me forward even when my fears have set up imaginary roadblocks. By the time I get there, they’ll have disappeared and I’ll have accomplished something important for myself. Yes.