As the studio manager of ABC Pilates, I find that getting my workouts in here at the studio can be quite challenging between teaching, answering phone calls, scheduling clients, etc. So, confession time (deep breath): I went somewhere else to get my workouts in. I know, I KNOW! Just hear me out to the end.
At the beginning of this year I knew I wanted to refocus on my health, and I wanted needed to get back into an exercise routine. But, I knew I’d struggle with turning off “studio manager-brain” for “student” brain here at ABC Pilates. I had to try something different. Drastic times call for drastic measures.
At ABC Pilates we pride ourselves on our wide variety of Pilates and specialty classes—from Yoga to TRX to barre—all for the cheapest monthly unlimited membership fee around. However, we also know there are plenty of other trendy fitness options out there, such as spin, Cross Fit, luxury health clubs, etc. We also know variety is the spice of life, so we don’t discourage our clients from trying it out if they want. Honestly we’re just glad you’re getting your exercise in wherever you can get it!
But now as a fitness consumer myself, I wanted to make sure I was getting the most bang for my workout buck. So, I signed up for a free class at… well, let’s just call it “THIS place.”
Is Expensive Exercise Worth It?
I’ll admit, I was pretty excited to see what all the H.I.I.T. rage was about. I went to my free class, and for one hour I worked out hard. When the final buzzer rang I sat down a dripping, sweaty mess… and it felt great. So, still high with all those post-exercise endorphins coursing through my body, I eagerly stopped at the front desk on my way out to check out packages and pricing. That’s when I realized just how STINKING expensive it was! Now to be honest, I haven’t had to pay for a fitness membership since I started teaching Pilates many years ago, but I was just completely taken aback by the prices. Still, I was on a quest to get back into working out, so I bit the bullet and signed up at THIS place for two months.
Two weeks in to my membership and I began to realize that it was hard to even get into a class on the days and times that worked best for my busy schedule… on top of the fact that I was only allotted eight classes per month… AND the more popular times had surcharge fees! So now not only am I paying a lot for this membership, but I can’t even really use it without paying EVEN MORE!?
I hopped online and made some calls to several similar high-end fitness facilities in South Orange County, and time and again I was shocked. Most of the places were way out of my budget. When I did come across places with decent pricing, I delved a little deeper and saw that they weren’t unlimited, they had a tiny schedule, auto pay contracts, and/or limits on number of visits per month. Still more places had websites that didn’t even have the pricing listed, which is a BIG turn off for me.
Then, there were the excessively expensive luxury gyms claiming to be “worth it” because they were an “up scale” establishment. Okay, stop me if I’m wrong here, but a workout is a workout! I don’t need a valet, cucumbers in my water, or sales pitches for additional services around every corner. To me, those lush amenities are unrelated to getting a great workout in, which ultimately is ALL I WANTED: somewhere that gives me all the exercise tools and motivation I need offered for a price I can feel good about.
Back in manager-mode the next day at the ABC Pilates studio, I answered a call from a new client inquiring about our pricing. From being in her shoes just the day before, boy, did I feel GOOD relaying our unlimited membership rate to her.
Back to the ABC’s
It’s now been over a month since I started working out at THIS place, and here’s how my story ends: injured. Second week in I pulled a muscle in my back, and now I have knee pain. I get that I’m older, and I’m not as fit as I was a few years ago but look, my goal was to workout and get stronger, not injured! I haven’t even been able to go to class in a week for fear I’ll make my injuries worse. So even though I do get a fantastic (albeit expensive) workout at THIS place, and I do feel stronger no doubt, I will not be renewing my membership.
Looking back on my adventure through the looking glass, I can honestly say that I have a new appreciation for our classes, pricing and the Pilates Method. I reaffirmed my belief that a workout doesn’t have to be about reps, intensity and sweat to be effective and fun yet safe. Now I get excited when a prospective member asks about our pricing, because I know I’m letting them in on a steal of a deal: great rate, great exercise and that they’re going to get their money’s worth at ABC Pilates.
So if you see me rounding out the pack at Run Fusion or rolling up next to you on a reformer, just know that I am 100% taking advantage of and loving my ABC workouts more than ever.
To your health,
Julianne
ABC Pilates Studio Manager & Instructor