Sunday, November 3, 2013

Groupons for Fitness

I am a perennial student. 

If I could, I would always be in classes of any kind - literature, language, chemistry, cooking, you name it - but this is particularly true when it comes to fitness. 

Arthritis, flat feet, acid reflux, and more run in in my family's medical history, so it goes without saying that running has never been a particular fitness favorite of mine. In fact, any high impact workout for me tends to be not only painful but soul crushing, to the point that I become discouraged to be active at all.

Enter the trendy exercise class. 

I ADORE trendy exercise classes. Yoga, pilates, piyo, zumba, barre, you name it - let me wear a stretchy yoga pant and lay on a sticky mat and I'm set to go. 

The big problem with this kind of class, though, is that they tend to be expensive. VERY expensive. Especially if you want to go more than once a month. 

So what's a person to do? 

That's where Groupon comes in. Part of the reason I even began this fitness challenge, in fact, is that I began to pay attention to the fitness deals on Groupon. I found one for a studio (Align Pilates - more on them later!) that I had been dying to try for a while and could never afford, so I took a leap. And I got hooked. 

I'm currently two weeks into what must be the best Groupon deal of all time - two months of unlimited classes at Modo Yoga for $59 (one month unlimited through Modo is $125). I've been taking full advantage of it, experimenting with hot yoga, battling the world for a spot in the uber-popular barre classes, and generally getting my ass kicked. 

I'll be reviewing Modo, Align and some of the classes they offer in later posts, but for now all I can say is that the Groupon for fitness is one of the best deals out there for the financially challenged health fan. It's an awesome way to try something new without immediately emptying your pocketbook, and fail-safe if you are a commitment-phobe.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

No Punishment Allowed

Who else loves to cook? Drink? Smoke a little? Who else is tired from sitting at work all day, has a hard time adjusting to life as they age, and never for any good reason? 

If you fit any (or all) of these categories, you're in about the same boat I am. I got in great shape during college and thought I had the healthy body/lifestyle down pat. Unfortunately, the perils of a sedentary office job, car based commute, switch to eating meat, and the full fridge a steady salary brings have changed all of that. 

I have a lot of student loans, so fancy gym memberships and apparel don't work within my budget. However, I always seem to find time (and money) for fancy co-op food and red wine of some sort, so I know it's possible to dig up cash for improving my health as well.

Join me as I try to find a way to health-ify my life, explore non-traditional fitness options, and cook some awesome (but good for you!) food. My goal is to enjoy what I do and take care of myself, not punish myself to fit some ideal. However, that doesn't mean there will be no sacrifice - I can't sleep in forever.