The Gym Dilemma

Some of you might remember that I quit my gym back in January. I had grand plans to workout at home, go for a few runs around my village, attend my weekly Pilates class, etc. In reality, not much of that happened. I could list many excuses: I’ve been extremely busy working at several projects, the weather has been awful, I got sick, my Pilates trainer got sick, and so on and so forth.

Honestly, I’ve been missing the convenience of heading to the gym right after work, before I even get close to my house. I’ve noticed that it’s so hard for me to find the motivation to exercise once my butt has touched the couch. Or I see the pile of dirty dishes in my sink. It’s almost impossible!

So, why don’t I just join a new gym? Mostly it’s because of the cost. Gyms are generally quite expensive around here. Sure, you can find gyms that are only $30 per month, but they are just like my last one: no classes, no trainers, old equipment, no air condition, and you even have to pay extra to take a shower. A membership at a decent gym costs about $80 per month. And that’s for a 24 month contract, plus $130 entry fee. Yikes!

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And here’s the next problem. Most gyms only offer long-term contracts. Sure, you can also get a 12 month contract, but then your monthly fee will go up to $90. Including the entry fee, that will cost me around $1200 in one year. That is a lot!

At the moment, our financial situation is quite okay, but that could change within just a few months. I have no idea if I will still be able to afford a gym membership at the end of the year.

I’ve already found a gym that looks really nice, offers interesting group fitness classes, is situated close to my workplace, and even has a sauna area. How fancy! But it’s also quite expensive.

I don’t know what to do! I hate the idea of spending so much money, but I also miss working out and feeling strong. And I know that exercising at home is harder for me because there are too many distractions.

Do you prefer working out at home or at the gym? How much would you spent on a gym membership?

See you!

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I quit the gym!

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with gyms. In the past few years I’ve tried, joined, and quit a few ones. None of them could convince me to stay.

About two years ago I joined my current gym. I had just started running and mostly wanted access to their treadmills, so I could still run during the harsh, long German winters. As our financial situation has always been quite ‘unpredictable’, I chose the cheapest gym I could find, which cost about $30 per month. Most other gyms in my area cost up to $90 per month, so I thought it was a pretty good deal, and signed a standard 24 months contract.

That gym is very close to my work place, but a 30 minute drive from my house, so I only went there during the week after leaving my office. At first I liked working out there. It was warm, dry, and safe.

(Source – not my actual gym!)

But after a few months, some things started to bug me. Like the fact that you have to pay extra for a shower. Or that there are no trainers that care about you. Or that the treadmill TVs have no sound, no remote control, and are often not working at all. Or that there are no fitness classes. Or that it’s crowded with huge muscle heads and skinny Barbie dolls. Or that there is no AC, so the temperatures are unbearable during the summer months.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. I didn’t enjoy going to the gym anymore. I hate wasting money on something that I don’t like, even if it’s just a relatively small amount. So I decided to end my contract, which was actually quite easy. My membership ends in January, so I still have the opportunity to go a few more times if I really want to. And I probably will. I’m still paying the fees, after all!

But there are other activities that I enjoy a lot more! My tiny village has an adult education facility (Volkshochschule in German), which offers a decent variety of fitness classes. I didn’t like the yoga class I took two years ago, but I totally love their Zumba and Pilates classes! As you pay for each class individually, the costs quickly add up, but I’ve decided that they are worth it.

I also still love workout videos, either online or on DVDs. My favorite fitness channel on YouTube is Blogilates. I highly recommend it! Those workouts are actually quite challenging!

And guess what, my husband has started running! He’s always been a very fit guy, but running was never his thing, and he prefered biking and weight training. But a few months ago he picked up running, and is now constantly asking me to run with him.

I’m also considering getting a bike trainer, as a Christmas present for myself, so that I can stay in shape for our outdoor bike rides on sunny summer Sundays.

See, you don’t really need a gym to workout! That said, I might change my mind again one day, and join another gym. But next time I’ll be way more selective, and make sure I’ll find one that I really, really love.

What’s your opinion on gyms? Love them or hate them?

See you!

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Gone Swimming

If you’ve checked out my Dailymile page recently, you may have noticed that I added a new kind of activity to the rotation: swimming.

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It’s been crazy hot here lately (well, hot for Central Europe, of course), way too hot to run, bike, or hit the gym on some days. So I stepped out of my comfort zone, put on my swimsuit, and went to the pool. As usual, things are a little different in Germany. Most gyms around here don’t have pools. Instead, there are many public pools, that are run by the local authorities. One tiny little problem is that almost all indoor pools are only open in winter, and most outdoor pools are only open during the summer months. German summers can be quite rainy and chilly, but at the moment we are ‘blessed’ with a real heat wave. After a long day in my oven-like office, I’m really looking forward to jumping (ok, slowly walking) into the cool water.

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I have to admit, though, that I’m a terrible swimmer. I can only do a poor, slow breast stroke. But I do hope that I will learn how to perform a proper free style stroke one day. Until then, I’ll just paddle around, enjoying a seemingly sweat-free workout.

Who else loves swimming? Are you good at it?

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A Tale Of Two Zumba Classes

Back in January I got the chance to finally try a Zumba class. For a few weeks I had so much fun, but then I decided to take a break to focus on training for my spring race. This class appears to be extremely popular, so I won’t be able to get back into it until late September!

Fortunately, I recently found out that there is another class not too far from where I live. A few weeks ago I gave that class a try, and was surprised to find that those two classes have a lot in common, but are also a little different in some aspects.

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My first class was tought by a young man named Mario, the second one is hosted by Lynroy. Both are certified Zumba instructors, so a lot of the songs and moves were quite similar. But their professional backgrounds are totally different! While Mario is a ballroom dance instructor, Lynroy is a former kickboxing champion and also teaches kickboxing to adults and children. So it’s no surprise that their teaching styles are quite different.

Mario usually introduces new moves by explaining them thoroughly and doing them half-time, and often shouts commandos and gives lots of nonverbal cues. Lynroy just goes through the whole choreography at normal speed, and you have to figure out the moves by yourself. I’d say that Mario’s class is more beginner friendly, while Lynroy’s class is probably more suitable for advanced Zumba students.

All the differences aside, both classes are fun and sweaty. Very sweaty. I slightly prefer Mario’s teaching style and personality (he’s such a  goofball!), but I’ll surely come to Lynroy’s class again, whenever I feel like shaking my hips.

Have you ever tried Zumba? Did you like it?

See you!

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Summer Fitness Goals

Before I start with today’s actual post, I want to point out that the Munich Airport Run guys (sort of) officially corrected the distance! The 10k was actually an 11.6k, which is 7.2 miles! An entire mile longer than originally announced! Considering that, my finish time is pretty awesome, with an average pace of 10:19 min/mile. Holy banana!

Now that my spring race is over, I’ve been wondering what I should work on next. While I sometimes enjoy just doing what I feel like, I’m a lot more motivated to workout regularly when I have a specific goal. There are so many fun ways to be active, like running, biking, Zumba, Pilates, but I don’t have the time or energy for everything I’d like to do, so I have to choose.

The next two weeks are going to be interesting, as I’m taking a little staycation. That means I won’t be able to run with my coworkers. How sad! I probably won’t go to my gym, either, as it is quite a long drive away (only 5 minutes from my office, but 30 minutes from home). So for the next two weeks I plan to focus on short solo runs around my neighborhood, bike rides with my husband, and maybe even some workout videos (via DVDs or YouTube).

I also want to bring back the one hundred pushups challenge. I really loved doing it last year, it’s short and simple and can be done everywhere. And my arms never looked better!

And then? Tough question! First of all, I want to maintain my current running form, by running either alone or with my coworkers 2-3 times per week. There’s a local 10k race on July 13th that I might sign up for if my training goes well. I also hope to do a few longer bike rides on Sundays with my husband. We love riding together, so I really hope for good weather this summer. My weekly Pilates class will also stay part of my workout routine, at least until summer break starts in late July.

What I probably won’t be doing that often this summer is going to my gym. They have no AC and it gets crazy hot in there. It’s just not fun working out there at the moment.

So, these are my fitness goals for the next few weeks. But wait, there’s more!

Cassey of Blogilates.com is hosting a two-week vegan challenge starting on Monday, May 28th. While I don’t intend to follow a vegan diet on a long-term basis, I do enjoy doing those vegan challenges once in a while. Sometimes I let things slide a little too much and need an extra kick in my booty to re-focus on a more plant-based diet again.

I’ll report back with details on that challenge and how I’m feeling once I’m a few days into it.

See you!

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