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| one of my favorite stretches |
Like many social media sites/apps/other tech innovations, it's almost hard to believe that ClassPass has been around for only a few years. The gym pass subscription service was started in 2013 by a couple genius women who understood that people want the variety available with all these specialty workout classes springing up, but may not want to be tied down to one boutique studio at a time (the post from Ignite Your Health is good to keep in mind). "Wellness" is a booming business now in addition to just being an all around healthy concept for your life.
Last month, there was an awesome promo and I finally took the opportunity to sign up. The deal for the 10-class edition for the Bay Area (normally $115 but $30 for 1 month with the promo) was too good to pass up. To quote a friend's usual joke, "You can't afford not to buy it!"
My recent exercise regimen has been jogging and weekend Pilates, so I used ClassPass to extend this to other types of exercises. Turns out the website is an amazing search engine for gyms, boutique studios and classes - I knew San Francisco was into fitness but on ClassPass I found so many studios I'd never heard of before. The studios and classes I attended were:
- Core 40 - 1 Foundation class
- BodyRok - 1 Sculpt class
- FightFit Training Center - 1 Krav Maga class, women only
- Row Club - 2 classes: RowGa (rowing & yoga) and regular rowing
- Body Chemistry - 1 Pilates class... but I've gone to this studio a lot, so it was out of habit, not exploration
- Rogue & Saint - 1 Board to Ball, cross-training class
- OMpower - 1 TRX class
Now that was only 8 classes, because I went to 2 other classes outside of ClassPass: another Pilates class at Body Chemistry with a friend and also, my very first Soul Cycle class, which I went to with a bunch of friends, including a couple other newbies - endorphin addiction is best shared, after all.
How did I pick the first batch of classes? Since I enjoy "regular" Pilates, I wanted to try Core40 and BodyRok on their megaformers. I'd always wanted to learn rowing, since one machine provides a full body workout. The cross-training class at Rogue & Saint was pretty cool and it had been a while since I last took a TRX class, which I really like. Finally, I chose the Krav Maga class so I could start learning something practical, too. All the classes were fast-paced and challenging, and while I would want to pay more attention to form and technique as I go on, the classes would be good cardio and strength-training sessions.
It wasn't always easy making it to class - but it's just a fact of life now that you really do have to schedule time for yourself and for your workouts, and not just watch celebs work out on Snapchat. It was fun trying out so many places, but since I am also running more often now and have some travel coming up, I put my ClassPass membership on hold for August ($19/mo to hold). At first I was incredulous that I had to pay for the hold, or risk a hefty reactivation fee, but then I realized the $19 "hold" still allows one class for the month. That was reasonable enough for me, although, if and when I do cancel ClassPass, the reactivation fee pretty much deters me from ever coming back. But for now I do plan to come back, and I'll just switch to the 5-class model afterward to accommodate my own non-ClassPass workout plans. Accommodation - another fact of life.
I've written before how I like switching up my workouts, so I think ClassPass can make that easier. I could see myself eventually settling on one or two studios, however, once I find the instructors I like best and the schedules that mesh with mine. I've gone through periods of busyness/laziness when it comes to fitness, but over the past few months I've tried to be more consistent and I've noticed results in my health and energy, so I'm using ClassPass to leverage this momentum. Any class or workout suggestions are most welcome in the comments.
tl:dr: Pros of ClassPass: good search feature; access to a variety of studios; pricing can be good if you're going to utilize it; month-to-month flexibility in changing membership level; ... Cons: limited in how many times you go to one studio each month; frequently being 'new' at studios; learning the styles of new instructors; watch the pricing, beware of the class cancellation and reactivation fees
How did I pick the first batch of classes? Since I enjoy "regular" Pilates, I wanted to try Core40 and BodyRok on their megaformers. I'd always wanted to learn rowing, since one machine provides a full body workout. The cross-training class at Rogue & Saint was pretty cool and it had been a while since I last took a TRX class, which I really like. Finally, I chose the Krav Maga class so I could start learning something practical, too. All the classes were fast-paced and challenging, and while I would want to pay more attention to form and technique as I go on, the classes would be good cardio and strength-training sessions.
It wasn't always easy making it to class - but it's just a fact of life now that you really do have to schedule time for yourself and for your workouts, and not just watch celebs work out on Snapchat. It was fun trying out so many places, but since I am also running more often now and have some travel coming up, I put my ClassPass membership on hold for August ($19/mo to hold). At first I was incredulous that I had to pay for the hold, or risk a hefty reactivation fee, but then I realized the $19 "hold" still allows one class for the month. That was reasonable enough for me, although, if and when I do cancel ClassPass, the reactivation fee pretty much deters me from ever coming back. But for now I do plan to come back, and I'll just switch to the 5-class model afterward to accommodate my own non-ClassPass workout plans. Accommodation - another fact of life.
I've written before how I like switching up my workouts, so I think ClassPass can make that easier. I could see myself eventually settling on one or two studios, however, once I find the instructors I like best and the schedules that mesh with mine. I've gone through periods of busyness/laziness when it comes to fitness, but over the past few months I've tried to be more consistent and I've noticed results in my health and energy, so I'm using ClassPass to leverage this momentum. Any class or workout suggestions are most welcome in the comments.
tl:dr: Pros of ClassPass: good search feature; access to a variety of studios; pricing can be good if you're going to utilize it; month-to-month flexibility in changing membership level; ... Cons: limited in how many times you go to one studio each month; frequently being 'new' at studios; learning the styles of new instructors; watch the pricing, beware of the class cancellation and reactivation fees
