Before you all start freaking out and thinking I’ve lost it, hear me out. My love affair with the gym began a long time ago and I would fit it into my life as much as I could – being one of those annoying people who actually loved to be on a treadmill. That hasn’t changed much. The only thing I now find, is that my London lifestyle doesn’t lend itself to the same old system I had before.
I remember when I would go every day, sometimes twice a day in the holidays before the new university year started back up again… that kind of large period of free time is no longer something I own. And it’s not just free time you need when you move to the Big Smoke. Rocking up in London, your first realisation is – “Whoa. They weren’t kidding. EVERYTHING is more expensive here.” And unless your salary is £infinity, sometimes you have to look at what you can cut back on.
The endless gym membership (plus a one time arbitrary joining fee) disappearing out of your bank makes you feel like you have no control – you are trapped in a contract and it doesn’t matter if you are too busy with work to go this week, or on holiday for the next two weeks… and suddenly you’re paying not to go to the gym. Ouch. Not cool.
I was testing the waters with various gyms, yoga studios and dance classes when I stumbled across the ClassPass app. They had an introductory offer of 36 credits for £4 so who was I to say no to that kind of offer?!
Planning to cancel as soon as my intro period ended, I crammed as many classes as I could into the two weeks. Each class is assigned a number of credits depending on things like: how full it is, time, location, popularity etc. and you spend your credits booking classes. Easy.
I managed to try out a bunch of new studios and classes so I couldn’t help but keep my membership after my two weeks were up. (There are different payment plans depending on how many credits you want). Check out what’s in your area and get all those classes in the diary! The great thing for me is the flexibility – I can book classes near work or home, or wherever I will be… I can fit everything into my schedule and it’s far easier than just having one gym in one location. Classes include dancing, boxing, HIIT, yoga, stretching, barre… and you can even book gym time, so technically I won’t be breaking up with the gym entirely.
Plus, you get to login to their other app ‘Go’ which is filled with virtual and guided exercise sessions – everything from yoga and meditation, to core and strength training. Perfect for if you want to try out something new to see if you like it, or if your schedule is hectic and you only have time for a home workout.
Check out the intro offer (right now they have an offer for a free week of 30 credits!), even if you cancel after the two weeks, it is a great offer! Or you can get a cheeky bit of discount here with my £40 off link. You’re welcome!
