Confessions of a Gym Rat

Yes, it’s true. I’m owning up to the fact that I’ve become (as my parents have said) one of “those people” at the gym. I’m buddies with the front desk guy (Hi Eryc, you make me laugh!), I know the names of all of the trainers (and even know where a few of them grew up or went to college) and I have a designated spot in most of the classes (front row, duh).

I realized tonight that I’m a bit of a gym rat. I showed up at Crunch at 5:30 and chatted with Eryc for a bit before going up to the locker room to change. I did some light weight training and stretching, then went to a 6:15 spinning class. Matt’s class was awesome tonight. Super motivating (I love when he yells “You’ve only got 8 counts left, you’ve got this!” or “You’re going to feel so good when you leave this room tonight!”—both so true) with great music. After spinning, I followed Matt up to the boxing ring for a 30-minute abs class. Then from 7:30–8:30 I took Rachel’s insanely fun hip hop class.

Yes, I know, this sounds like a lot. But I will justify: The only super taxing class on my body is spinning. Once I got that out of the way, I got to lay down for some ab work, then get my groove on with Rachel. It was too fun to pass up. And since I stopped dancing I’ve really missed taking dance classes, so this is a great way for me to dance without having to pay extra at a fancy NYC studio.

So before I left for the night, one of the lady trainers stopped me to say that she hadn’t watched last night’s episode of “Glee” yet. “I’m going to watch it tonight,” she told me. “You’ll be here tomorrow right? We’ll talk about it then!” Yup, that’s right. She just assumed I’d be there tomorrow night.

And she’s right—I probably will. There’s a class on Thursdays I really like. But afterward I’ll hang out with my real boyfriend: ABS. I do not date the gym.

So how do I stay motivated, you wonder? I’m addicted to endorphins and to fun group fitness classes. Whether they’re hard (Tesuto), relaxing (BodyArt) or just wicked fun (Hip Hop!), I love setting up shop in (or as close as possible to) the front row and working it out. So I recommend finding really great classes. You’ll quickly get to know people and make friends. Knowing other people are going to the class regularly prompts me to show up regularly, too.

A quick disclaimer: While you’re reading my blog, please remember that I am not a health or fitness expert. I’m simply writing about what I do to stay happy and healthy. I definitely welcome feedback (In fact, I seriously encourage it! Comment away!) regarding my daily workout routines. I do not recommend that anyone do exactly what I do, though. I know what feels good for me and what my body can handle. I don’t know your body—only you do. So make good choices that work for you!

Now DISCUSS: What are your favorite group fitness classes and why? If you don’t take group classes, why not?

Sleep time! Goodnight!