I Hate Working Out at Home!

It's January in New York City, and it's getting frickin' cold! I have no gym membership at the moment, and have been contemplating a few different workout situations, but none of them perfect. Izzy and I decided that our beloved Quick Fitness gym was too far for us, especially when it's cold and we can't drive there on the Vespa. A popular gym franchise has opened up closer, but it is not close enough to make up for what this soul-less franchise lacks. I refuse to commit ever again to something that I don't love.

I was considering Class Pass, which for $99 a month, one can take classes at top studios all over town. But you are limited to 3 visits to each studio per month, and again there really aren't options super close to me. I really need to come home right after work most nights so I can take care of the doggies. Especially now that Izzy is going to barback some nights. I am lacking consistency.

Izzy has been thinking of ways to work out at home. I usually hate working out at home because I really need the energy and motivation of the instructor and the competitiveness of the class. Izzy showed me an interactive exercise bike online last night, suggesting that we could buy it: https://www.pelotoncycle.com This beautifully perfect bike allows you to take spinning classes either live or on-demand. The live classes are filmed in a NYC studio, and you can virtually "compete" against other users. But the price tag is hefty! $2000 for the bike, plus $40 a month subscription to the online classes. Plus clip less shoes and other accessories plus tax, I estimate the total for us would be $2800! But I couldn't stop thinking about this bike, and I convinced Izzy to take a class with me at the studio today.

When I created an online account through the Peloton website, I realized that they set you up with a free class credit. Score! because classes are $30 a pop. And that includes free clipless shoe rental (they clean after every use), super clean locker room with upscale toiletries, free bottled water, and even disposable flip flops for use in the shower. We signed up for a 45 minute class, which was about half full. The instructor was great, and even though the workout was intense, time really flew. After, I had an amazing "Morning Glory" smoothie at the coffee shop/lounge. Both of us felt amazing, but argh that price tag is steep.

There is a Peloton app, and for a limited time, all on-demand and live classes are free. So I got thinking, and started doing some Amazon research. And we figured out that we could get a really nice, sturdy belt-driven (and therefore extremely quiet) spinning bike that would not make our neighbors hate us, since we are apartment dwellers. I was inspired by a user review by someone who switched out the pedals for Shimano clipless pedals, added an iPad holder, a water bottle holder and a simple bicycle computer. We both got clipless shoes, and the total price with all of the extras that we want is about $700. Compare this to the cost of a gym membership for 2 and this is a very sound investment.

I really did not want to settle for something that wouldn't completely fit my need or leave me unmotivated, but I don't really feel like we are compromising much. I really hate buying cheap stuff, then not using it or replacing it with a more expensive item later. The only thing completely missing is the ability to compete on the leaderboard. And when they start charging for the classes through the app, if the cost is prohibitive,  I plan to check out other apps or websites like www.studiosweatondemand.com.

The class we took at Peloton utilized some very lightweight hand weights at the end. It was only a few minutes, but because we never rested our arms between sets, I really felt the burn. I looked on Amazon for some type of holder for the weights, but didn't see anything like it. The Peloton has a wire holder under the seat, possibly I can craft my own version possibly with Izzy's help.

Besides that, I have been doing more of the cooking. And I'm on a roll, Izzy loved some of the meals that I surprised him with. Today I made breakfast sandwiches. I made scrambled eggs with a little cheese and Trader Joe's soy chorizo crumbles, on a whole wheat hamburger bun with sesame seeds. That was a winner, I really have to remember that one! I am also going to step up my packed lunches. I ordered 6 32 oz glass jars on Amazon for about $15 so I can make salad in a jar. There are millions of recipes and ideas, I really like the blog www.organizeyourselfskinny.com, which is also helpful for my organizational aspirations. 

Also did some more purging of old things yesterday, I must keep going. I got an iRobot for Christmas, which is amazing! It sweeps or mops (GPS-driven) with almost no effort, and you would not believe how much gross stuff and dog hair it picks up. I prefer the wet mop option with a microfiber scrubby rag. All part of my plan to work smarter not harder. Seriously if you have a pet this is a must-have.