The Expense of that Beach Bod

Belonging to a gym is pretty inexpensive; some are as low as $40 a month. The only problem is you get what you pay for…

A large gym, with a bunch of machines, and zero direction. If you don’t go in there with your own plan and self-motivation to ‘get it done’ you most likely will walk on the treadmill for 30 mins and do some abs before grabbing a $9 smoothie on the way out (that definitely has more calories than what you burned).

So what is the alternative? Answer: Boutique fitness studios. AKA being trapped in a room for 45 mins to an hour with an instructor (y)telling you want to do and motivating you to do it!

Hm, there must be a catch! Well there is…

The catch is pretty big, classes run anywhere from 25 – 35 dollars EACH! Do the math on this one – If you want to work out say 4 times a week, that is at a minimum $400 dollars a month and as much as $560! So you just went from spending $40 to $560 a month! On top of that, there are all these other ‘hidden’ charges:

• Mat fee
• Towel fee
• Late Cancel Fee
• No Show Fee

You could end up spending close to $700 a month on working out. So how do we get the benefits of the boutique fitness world, while not spending our rent money? Here are a few ways:

• Buy a class package (you’ll end up saving a few bucks a class)
• Buy an unlimited package if the gym offers it (you could spend as little as $9 a class if you go enough times a week)
• Always bring your own mat and towel if the studio doesn’t provide
• Always remember to bring your own water bottle
• Work at the front desk a few days a week, you only need to put in a few hours and you will get heavily discounted classes (if not free)
• If you might not be able to make a class, cancel it before the 12 hour window (you can always rebook)
• If you miss a class, for whatever reason, try to send an email explaining what happened – sometimes gyms accommodate (and you save $25)

Some people may be turned off by the fact that fee’s are charged for cancelled classes, but I have to say it keeps me from exiting stage left last minute. These classes hold me accountable!

Not only is it not easy to get that beach bod, but it also isn’t easy to fund it. Hopefully you can find your happy medium!

#SweatyReviews