I joined a gym(?!)

Yes, it's true. The girl who had ratcheted down the spending on fitness to $0 for over a year is now not only regularly going to pilates classes but joined a gym!

I have been going to an hour-long Pilates class once a week. It's a great core and strengthening workout, but there is really little cardio involved. Over the past couple months, I'd been thinking that it was time to get going on some cardio exercise, however the two feet of snow on the ground and below-freezing temperatures did little to motivate me. Last week we received a flyer from Fitness 19 advertising a weekend sale. I took the bait and went in.
Here were their membership choices:

Option One: No enrollment fee, $19 per month (plus a once a year charge of $29)
Option Two: $149 enrollment fee, $7 per month (plus a once a year charge of $29)
In both cases, unlimited child care was $5 per month.

After doing some calculations and weighing the options, I went with Option One- no enrollment fee and $19 per month. My reasoning? I am not a big workout fanatic and might just end up quitting once the weather gets nice or if I lose motivation. This way I can easily cut and run without eating the $149 enrollment fee. When I signed up, they even waived the child care fee! So I can work out as much as I want, with free childcare, for $20 per month with tax. Seems thrifty to me!

Why did I go with a no-frills gym? Price and convenience. The gym is about 10 minutes from my house, near our church, and in the same shopping center as the dollar store and a Cub grocery store. It also has a childcare center, so I don't have to worry about finding a babysitter every time I want to hit the treadmill. The price is pretty unbeatable, too. To be honest, I wish there was a pool, sauna, spa, hot tub, waterpark, etc like at our old gym. However I really don't need those things.

Splurge- Worthy Wednesday- Working out?!

As you may recall, I posted here about the fact that it's OK to quit the gym if you aren't using it enough to justify the price. But what I didn't say is that for some people, working out is their favorite splurge and one that brings them joy. I have friends who are into marathons, triathlons, yoga, pilates, kickboxing, you name it. And they spend a good amount of money on bikes, shoes, mats, trainers, entry fees, etc. It's great, they get a lot of satisfaction, motivation, and positive health effects from their chosen workouts and the money they spend.

I, in fact, just got back from my first ever fitness yoga class at a local studio. They were offering a deal so I bought five sessions for $40. I'm going to give a few different classes a try. Who knows, maybe I will enjoy it so much that yoga and pilates will move to my personal splurge-worthy list! I'll keep you posted

It's OK to quit the gym

Do you pay a monthly gym membership fee? Take that fee and divide by the number of times you actually went to the gym last month. How does that number make you feel? That is the amount you are paying per time you work out. If that number makes you uncomfortable, I'm here to tell you it's OK to quit the gym. Even if you have the best intentions of using that hot tub, taking a spinning class twice a week at 6am, lifting weights until you have huge biceps, if you haven't done it in the past few months, you probably won't. And it's summer which makes it even hard to work out indoors.

I'm not saying not to work out, but financially, could your money be better spent elsewhere or saved? Think about it.

Some free or low-cost ways to stay in shape:

• Download a workout app on your iPhone or plan from a website. There are many out there that can help you drive towards a goal such as a 5k or marathon, or just give you ideas of routines.
• Make an ongoing date with a friend to walk, run, swim, bike, rollerblade, or any other physical activity that you enjoy.
• Walk the stairs at work or go for a walk over lunch. In my former workplace there is a group that walks the stairs in our 50 floor building over lunch.
• Go to free open houses at gyms around town or go as a guest with a friend who is a member. I just took a free yoga/pilates class this week at Yoga Bella near my house, they have an online coupon you can print.
• Use the gym at your work if there is one
• Borrow some workout DVD's from the library or a friend
• If you feel you have to work out in a gym, try a low-cost one such as Snap Fitness,  Anytime Fitness, etc

Anyone else have suggestions on free or low-cost ways to workout without a gym membership?