Do you have a gym membership?

[jennlyn]

I'm not sure if I should post this in frugality and finances, but I'm wondering how many mamas have a gym membership of some sort?  If so, is it the Y, or a gym like Lifestyles or Shapes ?  Do you pay monthly or yearly?  I've looked at the options in my area and naturally, the cheapest option is a yearly plan.  If you bought a plan like that, do you find it worthwhile?  Or have you slacked off after a few months and been sorry ?  I want to look at it as an investment in my health and while I could just walk or do workout DVD's I really enjoy classes. 

[june'smom]

We have a membership to the y and they only offer a monthly sub here.  Sometimes we use it a lot, other times almost never.  I lost 50 lbs without a gym membership, but my husband couldn't lose any until he had somewhere to go and specific workouts, etc.

[Maela]

No.  I might consider one if I had older kids and lived in a place that was really snowy and cold during winter.

[sunsetdancer]

We have a Y membership that is on a sliding scale.  We use it at least 3x per week when DD and I go to circuit training.  DH keeps saying he wants to use it more, but he hasn't.  Maybe one day he will, but for now it's mostly just DD and I.

[nola79]

I do have a gym membership. I go every few days, and have been since I joined this past April. We don't have a Y near us, but this gym is very nice. The membership includes childcare, a pool during summertime, tons of classes, and some kids classes.

Oh, and I pay monthly.

[aircantu1]

I have a Y membership and have for years.  We pay monthly.  It's great for kids' sports, swimming lessons, and working out/ exercise classes.  My kids have all been going to childcare while I work out since they were infants. And they have parent's night out once a month -- a 4 hour date night for free!

[youngspiritmom]

I can't say enough good things about our gym membership. We really should not be paying for it -- we pay monthly and it is an athletic club that is overpriced. But since I started going (my husband got me the membership as a gift - he has a free gym near his work), my whole stamina as a mom and outlook on life has improved. I work out more than I would without the membership because I feel obligated to go work out since we're paying so much money. Also the natural high from working out helps me to be a better mom, which I need because sometimes I get really overwhelmed being cooped up in the house with DS. Also, I use the childcare at the gym (very high quality and DS loves it), even if just for 45mins to an hour, and I use that time sometimes to just shower! It is nice to have a place to go to take care of yourself, have time to yourself, and to generally help you feel positive.

Hope this helped :)

Edited to Add - I definitely recommend a gym or rec center membership for moms going through post partum depression, baby blues etc.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

For me it is 100% worth it. 

I live in a cold climate (Vermont, lots of snow) and my working out mojo disappears in the winter.  I need the comraderie of the gym and being around other people who work out really inspires me to push myself harder than I would otherwise.

Finally I started working there and now I have a membership as part of my employee perks -- but even if I didn't work there and get the membership for free, I'd find the money to pay for it.

Like the original poster mentioned, I think of it as a health benefit.  Going regularly to the gym will probably save me a lot of money in reduced medical expenses on down the line.

[chezlyryan]

I use the local gym a few blocks from my house and pay quarterly.  Last winter I didn't renew the membership because I knew I wouldn't be trudging in the snow to go to spinning class.  I started it up again in the spring.  This winter I have a gym buddy so I think I will keep the membership going.  I need the set time of a gym class and an instructor to really get a good workout. 

[annethcz]

We have a membership to a local community center.  Although there is a gym and track, we use it mostly for the pool.  We take the kids there every Sunday afternoon and go swimming.  I can swim laps while the kids go down the water slide and jump off the diving board.  DH mostly just sits in the hot tub :)

It would be cheaper for us to pay yearly, but it's only a couple dollars extra to pay monthly.  Because we didn't know if we'd use it consistently throughout the year, we chose to pay monthly. 

[ExRxMom]

I don't have a gym membership, but my husband does. He never uses it, but it's part of the mandatory student fees that the University charges him. He won't have time to use the gym until he finishes his PhD. For me there is no point in having a membership. I have a Master's in Exercise Physiology and all the equipment I need here at home. I have to lug it out to the living room during nap time to use it. When we move we'd like a place with enough room for me to set up my equipment and not have to put it away. In a few years when we buy a house we want a room with an outside entrance that I can use as a training studio.

Amy

[HollyBearsMom]

we have a family membership to the Y (forgot to add that to other thread about monthly expenses!)

Our use kind of roller coasters.  

We barely use in the summer because we have our own pool and a huge state park is our backyard. We all prefer to be outside.

In the dead of winter we go 4-5 times a week for hours. The family pool is great with a big slide, places to play and splash as well as swim. plus there is basketball, tennis, all kinds of activities.  our son  recently got into weights and they have a great youth training program

the rest of months kind of cycle with me using it the most, our sun sporadically and my husband rarely at all.

[surrogate]

I have a Y membership.  Every YMCA does scholarships, just ask.  My family membership was a little over $100 for the year.  Now I just wish I could get motivated to go.  Whenever I have TIME childwatch is closed :(  They are only open from 4 til 7pm and not on weekends...im a single mom, so that makes it complicated

[justmama]

I have a Y membership and love it.  I actually work in the childwatch area now so my membership is free.  But before that we were members with the financial assistance program because it is QUITE costly per month.  It was beyond my reach.  But I love that the Y has children's programs and the pool and activities for families unlike the much cheaper gyms in my area.  For my money, the Y is where it's at.  My kids are included and it's not just a place to hop on a treadmill and crank out a few miles.  It's a fun place for my kids to play with their friends while I work out.  It's a place where the childwatch counselors have known them by name and sight since even before I worked there.  They LOVE going.  And they love the pool and the spray park in the summer.  It's totally worth it for us.

[MommaRNCCRN]

I don't currently have a gym membership. I'm thinking of joining the Snap Fitness center in my town though because it's open 24-7, I can workout before work or after work after dropping my son off at school. Reason being is that I don't have room in my house for a treadmill. The basement would be the only place to put a treadmill but DH has over half of the basement taken up by his model railroading stuff so there's no room for any exercise equipment.

[mattemma04]

Our Y membership was around $67 a month.We only went 2-3 times a month,so I canceled after a year.It was nice to swim though.

[sagewinna]

I pay $89 for my parents, my husband, myself and for unlimited childcare for my youngest. My husband never uses it but doesn't want to admit defeat and cancel. :) My parents and I use it 3-4 times a week and have for the past 2 years. It's a stress reliever for me. My mom and I used to walk 2-3 miles a day, but in the summer it gets over 100 and in the winter it gets too cold to walk comfortably or it's raining, so we switched to going to the gym. We meet there most of the time, it motivates both of us when we don't feel like going.

[youngspiritmom]

Originally Posted by sagewinna 

I pay $89 for my parents, my husband, myself and for unlimited childcare for my youngest. My husband never uses it but doesn't want to admit defeat and cancel. :) My parents and I use it 3-4 times a week and have for the past 2 years. It's a stress reliever for me. My mom and I used to walk 2-3 miles a day, but in the summer it gets over 100 and in the winter it gets too cold to walk comfortably or it's raining, so we switched to going to the gym. We meet there most of the time, it motivates both of us when we don't feel like going.

I love that you work out with your parents and go on walks with your mom! What a beautiful way to exercise! I'm sure you have great conversations with your mom during those walks....I would love to have more one-on-one time with my mom where all we have to focus on is walking and talking.

[goinggreengirl]

We did for a short time but didn't go regularly. DH would love to have one but we don't have the money right now. When we have the money again, DH will probably get one and since baby will be older, I'd be okay with putting him in the gym childcare. We don't have a Y here so our option is a Gold's Gym or a local one that is much more expensive but has a pool.

I would rather hike but we don't have good hiking here and the weather sucks for outside activities for most of the year.