First off, E's hives have completely disappeared-he is healed! Hallelujah!
I did a bunch of research this week trying to figure out this whole gym/childcare situation since I no longer have childcare (The Little Creche closed down) for my gym classes. I determined that childcare elsewhere was just too expensive. Babysitters and the two daycares that would allow me to book weekly drop-offs have 3hr/day minimums. And for twice the time, it was three times the price to put Hailey in childcare (over $200/mo. just to go the the gym twice a week!)
So then I was able to get my money refunded (It was way easier than I thought it would be to get it back, actually. I was prepared for a battle.) for the four months of remaining membership I had prepaid at my gym, Everyone Active. I love their Zumba and Pilates classes and it was a shame but it was just no longer cost effective, I might as well join a gym that has childcare right there.
But, the closest gym (Fitness First) with childcare is 1.8mi. away. The next closest is Virgin Active, 2.7miles. I went to check out Virgin Active with Hailey on Thurs., just for fun (it's too far to go regularly and kind of spendy). But it was really fun to just check it out for a day and get the grand tour! Fancy schmancy!
This open cafe atmosphere was interesting--it seemed more like a club/cafe than somewhere to workout! They had this padded children's play area so that you could have coffee while your kids played. For slightly older kids, there were touch screen gaming systems and computers to use! Not to mention the nice outdoor pool with chaise lounges (in addition to the indoor pool)!
Check out this state of the art equipment! I had never even seen/heard of these things before today:
Rowing Erg that was developed by an American Olympic Rower that when you pull on the handle, a mini paddle gets pulled through the water tank up front. Apparently it's much closer to the tension/feeling of actually rowing in the water. Cool!
Forget what this thing is called but it was developed to train the astronauts since many experience a loss in muscle density after traveling to space. Some consider it the next big thing but it is supposed to accelerate your workout by sending vibrations and providing a more intense workout. He had me try some stretches on it and yeah, I could feel it working a lot sooner than normal.
Self-propelled treadmill. So innovative!
Apparently elliptical machines are developed for an average height/stride but this machine can move in different directions and styles and is tailored to each individual. You can also run programs that look like you're running around major cities, like San Francisco and see the scenery you would see if you are there (ha, might be a nice distraction instead of planning out what you want to eat while you are working out on it like I usually do):
The childcare had this cool padded maze (like Elevated Sportz and those play places that you pay to go to) and a separate art center for kids 2 and up. I left Hailey there and went to the NOVA class (very similar to my Piyo class back home). It was a great class but I was sore!
Now I'm trying to book childcare to try out Fitness First (which I'm guessing will be the one that I'll join). Apparently you have to book classes for that day on the morning of. And you have to call during childcare hours (9-2 or 9-3 some days to book childcare like a week out). I have tried twice now and neither time happened to be when it was open (or they were fully booked). My goodness, each of these gyms has their challenges.
Geez, what's a girl gotta do to get in a few workouts and an hour of alone time a few times a week?
No comments:
Post a Comment