Recently I’ve been thinking about joining a gym again. The fitbit is keeping me moving, but now that bikini season is starting I’d like to add some variety to my workout. I also feel my stress levels are lower when I excercise regularly, and having my youngest in a program while I exercise guarantees an uninterrupted workout – something I rarely get at home. It’s important to me that the kids also enjoy going to the gym, whether they’re exercising or just playing in the kids club.
My employer will reimburse up to $50/month for a membership if I go at least 8 times per calendar month. Last year I had a membership at Lifestyle Family Fitness, but I couldn’t muster up the motivation to meet my 8-visit minimum so I eventually gave up. I started out paying in the high $60’s for the monthly fee, but after a couple retention offers I ended up at $54.99 per month for the all-inclusive membership, which includes the tanning bed, massage table, and childcare. When I went 8 times a month, it was only costing me $5/mo. out of pocket. Not a bad deal, not bad at all. So Lifestyle is still a consideration for me.
** Blogpause: I realized there were only 20 minutes left in the day and I was a couple hundred steps short of my 10k step goal, so I stopped blogging to do figure-eights around the kitchen and livingroom. 11:56pm, 10k steps complete. Phew! Blogresume. **
2. There was no music! No music in the gym area, and I didn’t hear any in the yoga classroom either. Isn’t that bizarro?!
3. The gym is a lot smaller than Lifestyle (and smaller than the Y in Oviedo). I thought it was 2-story but it turned out to be only one. Most of the elliptical machines were taken, and all but one treadmill was being used. They also have fewer classes than Lifestyle.
The things I liked about YMCA were:
1. Logan can use any and all of the equipment without supervision, including the pool and the basketball court. His BFF, who happens to live in our neighborhood, also has a membership to the Y so I could see the boys playing there while I workout or attend a class.
2. The kids can sign up for sports (for an added fee) – this would give them something to look forward to, and it would give me an excuse to be at the gym, and therefore workout.
3. My BFF’s membership is in the same association, so we could do classes or workouts together on weekends at any Central Florida Y and the kids would have each other to play with in the kids club.
4. All their machines are new as of January. I haven’t been to Lifestyle in a while but I suspect they still have the same old machines. The treadmill I used as the Y was very cushy on my feet and super quiet. I don’t know why that matters when I have earbuds in anyway… but not hearing the clomp-clomp-clomp of my feet pounding the treadmill made it somehow seem easier to use.
5. They have a swimming pool and I’d like to try one of the water classes. Water Zumba sounds particularly interesting!
So now where does this leave me? Well I got a complimentary one-week family membership to the Y so I’m hoping to spend more time there in the next 7 days before making my final decision. If I decide to go with Y, I can probably justify the $15/paycheck. The hard part will be getting myself to workout there 8 times a month. 🙂 If I go for a week and decide it’s just not as nice as Lifestyle, then I’ll approach Lifestyle about renewing my membership at the same rate I had last year.
Either way, I’ll keep you posted!
I took my first pilates class today. I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk tomorrow. It was very challenging but so fun, I think I’ll go again after I recover! 🙂