Gym Classes and the Pumpkin 5K

Last month, Michael and I finally joined a gym. We talked about it for a long time but waited until we could fit it in the budget. There were many factors we took into consideration including price, contracts, location, and amenities. Of course, the gym first had to fit in our budget. Second, we wanted a gym that offered a month to month contract so that we were not locked in. Some people might be willing to travel to a fancy gym, but we preferred something close to home because we knew it would increase the probability that we would actually go regularly. Finally, we hoped to find a gym that fit all those requirements and also provided plenty of equipment, a variety of classes, and a clean, comfortable atmosphere. We were extremely fortunate to find all those at Lifestyle Family Fitness, less than two miles from home. It has totally been worth the investment for us. I've already tried their Zumba and spinning classes, and they offer these LesMills classes (which I had never heard of) that are really good. So far I've checked out BodyPump and BodyStep. Classes are great if you are social and want to meet new people, are looking for a low level of accountability (if you become a regular, you might be missed), if you like sticking to a schedule, or if you just want someone else to guide you through a workout. I can tell these are serious calorie-burners, and I hope to keep going.

The gym has also been a great way for me to supplement my running routine. I signed up for The Great Pumpkin Run 5K, which is next weekend, and have been moderately training for it. I would love to set a new PR, but I've been somewhat sluggish in training, so I don't know how well that will go over. The cross-training and extra strength training I get by going to the gym has definitely been good though.