The New Gym In Town

While I was in Texas, I completely enjoyed the benefit I had at my employer of a reduced price membership (pre-tax dollars!) at Golds Gym.  There was one two blocks from the office when I was downtown and about three blocks away when I was in the call center offices.  It was walking distance at lunch and I used it pretty frequently.

Then we moved.

I tried the Rec Center where we live now, but it never really felt comfortable.  I loved that it has a pool and kind of an indoor track, but the gym part (unless you were very very into eliptical training) was a little thin on equipment. Three bikes, half dozen treadmills, and big signs everywhere suggesting very strongly that you limit your session on anything (everything?) to 30 minutes.

The pool WAS awesome, except that one of them was the pool that the swim team’s events are held in and therefore typically reserved for practices.  I was determined to do water aerobics (they had the coolest water weights) but every time I used the little pool some idiot would be in there doing their best to either swim laps the wrong way or walk back and forth diagonally so swimming laps or walking laps in that pool was really not worth the effort.

But I live in the north.  It’s freaking cold some mornings (5 yesterday) and I really want to start working out with weights too.  So I was off and on shopping for a gym that was conveniently close to home, open when I needed it to be open, not pushy, and that felt good.

The gym at work is pretty good, and they offer classes that I like, it is tax free dollars, but it is 30 miles from my house (no weekend workouts there) and I would have to leave home obscenely early in the morning to workout in the morning or try to accidentally find time when people aren’t scheduling lunch meetings to work out at lunch… and they were determined to make sure that my doctor’s note that said I have high blood pressure was taken to mean that I had to have someone take my blood pressure before and after every workout (I went there for three months).  This meant a 45 minute lunch would allow me maybe 20 minutes of actual gym time.  And it cost more month to month (albiet, again, pre-tax-dollars) than the rec center.

There was one by the mall that always looked interesting, but there were never cars in the parking lot and I was never really sure.

Then Planet Fitness took over the gym by the mall.  The boys joined a few days ago and they really like it.  I did some digging and found out that I think I might really like it.  Yesterday I bit the bullet and joined as a black card member.  For 20 bucks a month I can use any Planet Fitness gym (and there are several in the area) and take someone with me (And Squirrel Girl has been harping about going to the gym) and make liberal use of the massage chairs, the hydro-massage, the Total Body Enhancement thing and (if I want) the tanning beds.

Bear and I went in yesterday and walked around.  It’s nicely laid out, roomy but with lots of equipment.  The industrial look to the place is really neat.  The Black Card Members Only room is set off and really neat… There is a place to sit on chairs, there are all of the Black Card extras in there and it seems almost spa like.

And all of the equipment is PURPLE!

It is cheaper than the rec-center, even splurging on the Black Card membership.  It is right on the way to work.  The workout before work will be awesome because I know it always helps when I workout before work.

This morning, after Squirrel grabs the bus, I’m heading to the gym and seeing what I invested in.

This year I’m determined to do at least this much for me.  I’ve spent entirely too much time the last over a year investing over time at work, I’m going to start trying to get back to spending a little time on feeling healthier.

Wish me luck

April Wells
1/7/17