Anyone who has read my blog even a few times knows that my 5 a.m. Orangetheory class is one of my favorite things (I didn’t say my 4:20 alarm was though!)
I have been attending this class 3-4x a week since April 2018 and could list off a handful of ways that it’s made my everyday life better (in ways that have nothing to do with weight loss.) I love the class and adore the people who work out alongside me, both old friends and new.
After having Jillian in July, I took the recommended six weeks off from exercising and resumed on Labor Day. Because Orangetheory does not offer childcare, the only two weekday classes that I could attend would be the 5 a.m. or 7 p.m. class. The 7 p.m. class is not jam though, which is why the 5 a.m. has become a routine out of necessity.
But having a third baby has turned these 5 a.m. classes into a real struggle. I still love starting my day this way, but I started to notice that I was dreading the wake-ups way more than I used to. I slowly realized that in this season of having a newborn, I needed to scale back with waking up daily at such an obscene hour. 😉
I hemmed and hawed about what to do and eventually reduced my membership from unlimited to eight classes per month. I felt so much relief after I signed the paperwork.
It’s been a month since I scaled back my membership, and it’s worked out so much better. Now I find that I very much look forward to the classes I’ve signed up for since I’m only going a couple of times a week.
Since I’m saving about $40 a month at Orangetheory, we now had a little bit more wiggle room in our budget to join a new gym that just opened about 10 minutes from us called Phaze 3. It’s basically the Disney World of gyms and is so impressive! For our entire family to join, it was only $70 per month ($25 per adult and $20 total for three kids in childcare).
I’ve been a member of a handful of “regular” gyms throughout my life and never enjoy them. I always end up canceling my membership within six months. This experience seems different though for a few reasons:
- The majority of our close friends are members! This was the only reason I initially joined if we’re being honest. 😉 I could just see us spending so much time up there with the kids this summer.
- Having friends who are also members means that our kids can meet up to play in the childcare area without anyone’s home being destroyed while we moms work out and hang out together.
- My favorite workouts are the ones that are alongside friends, and it’s been super easy to find friends who want to attend the same classes I do.
- The childcare area is AMAZING and our kids LOVE going! It has computers, arts and crafts, a mini movie theater, mini basketball court, and a separate infant area for Jilly. 🙂
- The classes are phenomenal! I’ve only taken a few so far but I’ve really liked them all! They’ve challenged me in ways that Orangetheory doesn’t, so I feel like I’m getting the best of both worlds by working out at Orangetheory AND at a gym with such a variety of classes.
- The gym has areas that Jamie and I could utilize to spend time together and have little “dates” away from the kids, including the cinema cardio room, large indoor hot tub (with a big TV), the separate smoothie bar area, and more. At $70/month, we figured even one date night a week at the gym would more than justify that cost!
So our new routines look like this: Jamie will still workout each morning in our garage, and I’ll still work out two mornings a week at Orangetheory. Jamie will likely use the gym a couple of times a week when we go as a family (likely one weeknight and once each weekend), and I will use the gym sporadically 2-3x a week to join friends for classes or hang with Jamie.
I tend to be a creature of habit who thrives on routine and is terrified of change. Change (and the unknown) often really overwhelms me, simply because I am such a planner. Even scaling back my OTF membership and joining a new gym was nerve-wracking for me. I get scared that I’m making the wrong decision or adding unnecessary things to my plate. This has all been a good shake-up in our routine though. We love having the new gym as an option for something to do as a family and/or with our friends.
More: One Year at Orangetheory | Working Out While Pregnant | 9round VS Orangetheory
Let’s chat!
If you feel like you have a fitness routine that is working well for you (and your family) right now, I’d love to hear about it!!
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo