About a year ago, I was WAY into going to the gym. I loved it. I’d been going regularly since just before getting married (7/2001) and really thought that I had made exercise a habit.
Enter: THE MONKEY. Shortly after the Monkey came home, we had to quit the gym–our monthly membership was basically what we spent on formula. I was very sad, but knew that a) atleast for the first 3 months I wouldn’t be there at all and b)even after that, I really wouldn’t want to leave her long enough to work out/use their child care (fine for toddlers, but babies??) and c) we needed to buy formula!!
So I became rather slovenly–and totally started to feel the effects of not exercising regularly–you know, the fatigue, the aching back, not sleeping as well, the too-tight clothes, so on and so forth. L was feeling the same. So last week he joined the student fitness center on campus where he is 4 nights a week anyway. Yeah for him–$20 for the summer, $30 per school semester or something crazy like that.
So yesterday I decided to figure out what I could do. Our old gym is just too pricey, bottom line. So I looked at an old, scuzzy gym (yuck!), a fancy circuit gym/weight loss center (very ritzy) they wanted $1100!!! No, that’s not a typo. $1100 for a total of 62 weeks. Not REALLY highway robbery, until you start realizing that’s not a membership for my family, there is no pool or even a shower there, their “gym” consists of 2 treadmills, 2 elliptical machines, 2 bikes and 2 sets of crazy “electric” machines that exercise for you. That’s it. It took me about 2 minutes (after the 3o minute sales pitch) to realize that WASN’T what I was looking for!
I called Curves, but apparently the entire company takes a siesta daily from 1-3 or 4pm, and I, of course, want to work out after work before I pick up the Monkey. I checked in the just single classes offered by parks and schools, I checked into Jazzercise….NOTHING during the 1-3pm timeslot, anywhere. The YMCA single membership was just as much as my old gym, and I’ve heard that it’s a suburban madhouse. I was so bummed!
So today I drove over to Cardinal Fitness and found what I was looking for. There are no classes, but since nobody else offerred them at my preferred time, I thought that wasn’t really a loss. There are plenty of machines, floor equipment, etc. There’s a small locker room (no hot tub, but nice showers!), and there’s child care that looked like the Monkey could have fun there should she ever need to go. Of course, the child care room is closed from 1pm -4pm, but she’s covered during that time–I would only need to use it if I went on Saturdays and L was busy or something.
So tonight I shall pack my gym bag for the first time in close to a year—I can’t wait!!!