Decision Made!

I finally made my decision about Lifetime Fitness. It took forever but I feel good about it. Meaning, ever since I made it, I've felt very relaxed and haven't questioned it one bit. I decided not to join. It's so strange because I thought I wanted it so bad and the fact that I had my husband on board was, I thought, a sure fire sign that this was a perfect move for me. However, I just kept turning that monthly fee over and over in my head and was having a heck of a time justifying it. And I know my boys would love it for the first few days, but would that enthusiasm hold up or would the noise/running around/chaos of the child care center get old fast? I'd hate to have to drag complaining kids to the gym just so I can work out. I know me well enough to know that I'd feel horribly guilty if that happened. And not only that, but if I were paying $140/month, I'd feel like I couldn't sign the kids up for anything special (short mini camps, etc) during the summer.

So! Now that that decision is out of the way, I'm sure you are dying to know how the hell I plan on staying fit and not becoming a cranky bitch this summer. Right now I'm full of optimism and 100% convinced my plan of action is going to work so hang in there with me and when I start whining by mid-July, please don't say, 'you should have joined the gym!'

First, I am going to purchase a 25-daily admission pass to the rec center where I currently work out because I know there will be days when I will be able to get to my favorite classes. My husband works from home and every now and again, he just may take a lunch break at the noon hour when my class is held. Also, my mother-in-law is in the area and occasionally takes the boys for a day at the pool during the summer.

Next, I discovered that Netflix has 'watch instantly' options for exercise dvds. I must have been living under a rock because I had no idea this was available. I have the lowest of the low membership with them, I can only have one movie at a time, but the 'on demand' feature doesn't count toward that dvd. I have a ton of dvds that I've been wanting to try in my queue right now. My current go-to favorite is 'Crunch: Total Resculpt'. It is 44 minutes and divided into two sections - upper body and lower body. I've done this workout several times and what I love about it is that while short, it really packs a good punch. I feel like I got a great workout and my boys don't bug me. I've made sure to do it when they are around and it has worked great. And if I need to, I can do just one half and cut it down even more. I could finish upper or lower body while they are eating lunch. This may not be a great option for some of you, but I've never had a problem with workout dvds. I actually kind of enjoy them. I'm a huge fan of The Firm and have their big 'ol step up in the playroom. When I can fit it in, the 55 minute cardio workout is fantastic. Lots of step-ups, some weights and short cardio bursts.

I also have a Wii. While I'm not really counting on using this option much, it's available. I have Wii Fit (kinda boring if you ask me), My Fitness Instructor (which I have yet to try), Golds Gym Cardio (fun for short workouts) and I'm seriously considering the new EA Sports Active. The problem with my Wii is that it's down in my dark basement and the kids and I rarely go down there. In order for this grand plan to work, I need to be in the same general area as the kids which is why the dvd/netflix option is such a promising one; I can have my laptop anywhere.

There are other great options all over the web. Make Use Of recently had a posting on Best Workout Websites. They list Exercise TV which is another option I already use (again, great to have a laptop so I can move to different areas of the house) and highly recommend. They have tons of short, free workouts or, you can take it a little further and purchase longer workouts for not a lot of money. I think I'll try the Fitness Magazine Create a Workout option. Even though I subscribe to that magazine, I had no idea this was available.

Then of course there is the treadmill that I have. I can always hop on that after the kids are in bed although, that is probably my least favorite time to get a workout in.

So what do you think? Am I nuts? Think it will work?