The Gym Rat Post

I don’t think anyone who’s read my blog would consider me sophisticated, or use it as any kind of guide (besides what not to do in many circumstance), or identify me as anything other than a basic white girl w/ an unhealthy obsession with Taco Bell, Justin Timberlake, and using baby powder in lieu of any shampoo, dry or wet. 

I’m not going to shock anyone by admitting I’m usually of the school of thought, “cheaper is better.” I know what I’m getting when I pay $10 for a t-shirt from Old Navy; when that shirt unravels in the wash a year later, I’ll gladly pony up the ten bucks for another one. Paying $30 for a shirt that might last me a little longer just seems like a gamble to me. I know that since you get what you pay for, I’m usually paying for crap, and I have no problem when that crap needs to be replaced down the line. 

One of the items that didn’t fall under this “cheap = better” category was my gym membership (notice I didn’t say my health; Taco Bell > Chipotle in my estimation). In Boston, like any city, gyms are hella expensive. For a smaller, private gym, even if it’s not the health spa you have in mind, you’re going to be paying a pretty penny. And I was fine with this. I liked going to the smaller, boutique gyms that included more than toilet paper in your membership. Towels? Check. Lotion? Check. Fungus free showers? Nice gyms have these in spades. My old gym had tampons, makeup removing cloths, razors, q-tips; nearly anything you’d want post-workout and shower. It even had a super sweet sauna and steam room that I’d hit up, usually sometimes for longer than I was actually working out.

Now that we’re out in the ‘burbs, there’s not as much to choose from. And why is it assumed that everyone either wants cross fit or yoga? Why are these the only niche options? I don’t mind paying more for a gym if I’m getting more, but paying almost $200 a month ain’t gonna happen (besides having a monopoly on the market, yoga and cross fit don’t come cheap). I toured a few gyms and was all set to join this one about three miles away. Small, boutique feel. Friendly staff. Clean(ish) showers. The only problem was that it was, well, small. And the showers were clean enough, but now that I’m driving to and from the gym, I’ll just wait the five minutes and shower at home. And the friendly staff was actually a little annoying. I don’t want to chat, I want to put in my time and leave. 

I told myself I would never do another Planet Fitness-esque gym. You get what you pay for, and I guess for twenty bucks a month, I’m not paying enough for working cardio equipment or a clean bathroom. But...there’s this Work-Out World not even a mile from our house. I scoped it out and saw miles and miles of cardio machines; if one treadmill is broken, it’s not that serious. The staff are older than 16 and appear to have a solid work ethic, while still allowing me to do my workout in peace. The locker room might smell a little too much like Febreeze, but I’m not in there for long enough to get a headache. 

Bottom line is, I'm not paying a lot of money for a gym membership b/c of this someecard. It actually hit a little too close to home; I'm gonna go have some ice cream and think about it.