Fitness Friday: My Gym is Closing!
Happy Friday, Blog Friends! What a week it’s been. Change is exhausting! And let me fill you in on some news that I got this week. My gym – my little gym where I take my most favorite Spin class on Wednesday and where I work out with the girls every Friday – is closing! Ugh! Of course, I knew this day would come at some point. A bigger, more competitive gym opened nearby and members flocked to it. Our little gym had less to offer, so people left.
So, why did I stick it out? Why didn’t I go to the bigger, splashier gym earlier? Well, because basically, the little gym still met my needs. I work out really early in the morning – and the classes at the bigger gym aren’t early enough. The little gym still had my Most Favorite Spin Class – at an ungodly hour in the morning, which suits my working mother schedule. And I could meet up with the girlfriends who were still at the gym. I get to take state-of-the art classes at the beautiful studio where I teach Pilates, so I didn’t need the class schedule at the bigger gym. So, I hung in at The Incredibly Shrinking Gym.
Some of the Friday Gym Girlfriends defected to the Bigger, Splashier Gym months ago. I didn’t blame them for leaving at that time. They devote more time than I do to their gym routine (where my schedule is more diversified between gym and non-gym activities). They needed the gym with the most-to-offer, so they left. That’s how business works.
So now, I need to figure out where to go. I can go to the Big Splashy Gym and meet up with my old Gym Girlfriends. They’ve even invited me for a free trial. The Gym Girlfriends are amazing – they get up even earlier than I do. They will help me to get out of bed and get my cardio done. But there won’t be a Spin class that fits my schedule at the Big, Splashy Gym.
Like I said – our gym closing came as no surprise to the few members who were left. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a gym rise and fall since moving to the area. I’ve been through this drill before. And you know what? I have to remember that the last time I ended up switching gyms (for pretty much the same reason), I liked the new place better. All of my favorite workout friends ended up landing in pretty much the same place. The classes got better and better. Classes came onto the group exercise schedule to suit the needs of working commuters. While change can be no fun at first, it sometimes opens a whole new door – and things are much, much better.
Question of the Day
Have you ever had to radically change your fitness routine?
**Note: Photos and names above are anonymous.
Posted by: Melissa 4 comments
Posted in: Fitness Friday
Tags: Fitness Friday, Gym, Pilates, Spin
on Jan 18th, 2013 at 10:56 am
YES!! I was a regular gym member for years and when I went back to work two years ago I tried to hang on but the class schedule just didn’t fit my life anymore. I wasn’t able to make 8:30 or 9:30 classes anymore. I was at work. I tried to work out after work….NO WAY….I am not an afternoon/evening workouter anymore. did that in my twenties….NO MORE! So VERY SADLY I had to leave the gym and start out on my own. Not as much fun without the “workout buddies” but I joined a running club that I enjoy and I got a lot of great workout videos – some of which you recommended here on this blog. So I continue to workout but not at all in the same way. Miss the gym but I couldn’t let leaving the gym make me give up exercising. It’s too important.
on Jan 18th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Yes I have, but not because of losing my gym…..Life and age have forced me to change….What and how I do my exercising now is very different than how I did it ten years ago…But that’s ok…with modifations I can still exercise to keep myself healthy….I think that’s what counts….
on Jan 19th, 2013 at 3:38 pm
I’m sorry! Change is hard. I’m a bit older than you and I have been in awe of the schedule you keep. Maybe there is a blessing in here somewhere? I know you will land on your feet and find your spot!
on Jan 19th, 2013 at 7:15 pm
oh what a bummer Melissa! when we moved to cali from Reno i was a member at a golds gym. i loved the one in Reno but in cali it was far away and yucky……i tried a bunch of other gyms and hated them all. now i just run outside, do yoga, and ride. no more lifting or classes but it works for me right now