Alright first, let’s get this out of the way. My hair is parted in a really funky way in this photo, and I didn’t realize it until the photo was on the computer and I was editing it and *not* looking as pretty as the picture. Whoops. But I am super proud of this new hairstyle I tried! Probably one I’ll do regularly—without the funky part, of course. Anywho, let’s talk about why I don’t pay for a gym.
It’s not a “worth it” expense for me.
Let me break it down for you. We’re going to compare the prices of a few well-known gyms and their annual costs to the amount I pay for my workouts at home.
You probably already know where this is going…but let’s do it still for my sake, shall we?
Equinox—those luxury gyms (sorry…”clubs”) in New York with fancy spas and pools and juice bars—range between $150 to $200 a month. That’s $1,800 to $2,400 a year. Hahahahahaahahaa. No.
Snap Fitness is a gym my family and I used in my hometown, where you can pay around $35/month for a single membership. That’s $420/year. Not as bad as Equinox, but you’ll still have to consider the $99 new member fee as well.
Planet Fitness is all about their cheap prices, at a whopping $10/month at their lowest price. But…that’s if you only want to go to one of their gyms. If you want access to any Planet Fitness gym, and a few of their other fancy amenities (like bringing a guest or use of their recovery equipment), you have to pay $22.99/month. Plus, an annual fee of $39, rounding out to $315/year.
Shall I keep going? Nah, I won’t torture you. While I do love working out, paying that much to go to a place to workout just isn’t worth it for my budget. I would much rather spend that money on something else.
I can workout anywhere I go with my fitness app.
So this is where my current workout routine comes in: I use an online fitness program called Tone It Up! And how much does it cost? Ah, get ready. It’s only $60/year.
Haha. I know. Compared to the highest price at Equinox, that means I’m saving $2,340 a year. Hello, vacation money!!
Now here’s the other beauty regarding the online fitness program I use—I can workout anywhere. Tone It Up is an app that you can use on your phone or tablet where you can just click and stream any workout, anywhere. When I’m home, I’ll just stream the video to my Apple TV!
I promise, they aren’t paying for this post…this is just genuine love for the price and the product. Having my gym right in my pocket feels like a lifesaver when I’m traveling, or simply need to get my body moving after a workday.
I’m not traveling to a gym for a 30-minute workout.
I workout every day. That’s right—every single day. No, I’m not a workout junky by any means (although I do love a good set of burpees). I just like moving my body in some capacity on a daily basis because it makes me feel really, really good. And to feel that good, I only need to move for about 30 minutes. Or sometimes less!
The workouts on Tone It Up are between 10 to 40 minutes each—perfect for my kind of lifestyle. Right now I do a workout at the end of my workday, and I usually settle for some kind of 20-minute sweat session. It’s the perfect amount of time for my day, makes me feel good, and I didn’t have to travel at all and waste chunks of my day to do so.
I like to do a variety of workouts.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good fitness class every now and then! That’s because I love to switch up my workouts. I’m a huge love of HIIT workouts, but I also love Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, dance, bike riding, weight training, and so much more. I also count long walks on the weekend as my workout for the day!
If I were paying for a gym, then I wouldn’t get that same instruction to try new things. I also don’t think I would be comfortable rolling out my mat for a Pilates session! There’s no reason to pay for a space to do that when I have enough space in my bedroom to do the same workout.
I don’t have an extra room as my “gym” or anything because our apartment isn’t big enough (although someday I aspire to have that kind of life). When it’s time to roll out my mat and do a workout, it’s right in my bedroom. We have this nice open space in our bedroom that gives me enough room to move my body. And to be honest, most of the Tone It Up workouts don’t go farther than the width of your mat, so they are perfectly apartment-friendly.
I also like having my own equipment!
On that note, I do have a small collection of items that complete my little at-home gym. You can get my full list of workout essentials here.
It’s the freedom of getting to workout whenever I want, using whatever equipment that I want, that really gets to me. It makes my experience so much more worthwhile and motivates me to do it. Especially when I know how much time and money I’m saving when I simply choose to do a quick 20-minute workout in the bedroom.
Online workout programs if you don’t want to pay for a gym.
Are you in the same boat as me—looking to save money, or simply want the convenience of working out at home? Here are a few of the workout programs I recommend. Some you pay for, and some are completely free! Gosh I love the Internet
- Tone It Up (duh)
- Pilates by Diane
- Michael Cohen Yoga
- Beachbody On Demand
- Blogilates
- Yoga with Adrienne
- Popsugar Fitness
- Obé Fitness
- Peleton Online Digital Classes
Alright, that’s it! Who’s ready to workout?
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