Every time life starts to get a bit stressful, it goes either one of two ways in terms of how well I’m able to handle it. I’ll either take it in stride, staying practical and keeping a positive mindset; or I struggle to fall asleep at night, go through the work week as a half-zombie, and develop a very short temper. And the factor that decides which version of me takes the reigns? The level of physical activity I’m able to maintain.
Staying active is so important for me as stress relief – when things aren’t going my way, completing a 5k at 6am makes me feel accomplished and like I’m back in charge. When stress is building up, there’s nothing better than that breathless feeling to make you feel like you’ve left all of your worries in your dust. But the reason I sometimes drop my exercise and stop running altogether when I’m stressed out is that I can’t be bothered thinking of exciting workouts. My stress makes me feel lazy because I’m focusing all of my effort on my issues rather than on my health and fitness. And it’s usually at this stage, when I’m at my wits end, that Luke asks me ‘When was the last time you exercised?’ and then it all makes sense.
As discussed last week, I’ve been going through a few stressful weeks lately, but I’ve been doing a lot better at keeping up my activity levels. The reason? ClassPass*! It’s the best thing to happen to my workout routine, helping me to change it up when running is boring, as well as challenging me and my muscles in ways that make me feel like a total beginner again (which is actually really fun!).
If you’re like me and you follow a ton of fitness people on Insta for inspiration, then you’ve probably not only heard of but also really wanted to try all of the various fitness classes available these days, from barre to jumpboard pilates, or even aerial yoga. However, all of these trendy new workouts can cost upwards of $30 or even more per session. The practical side of me always sticks to either running or jumping around in my backyard to a Nike+ Training workout, because they’re free (save for the upfront cost of any apps). And while I’d heard that ClassPass does make classes super affordable, I still thought it was an unnecessary expense, until luck pretty much dropped it into my lap in December. Let me explain…
December is a time when it seems like every brand and online influencer holds a giveaway on Instagram in efforts to build their following (and sales). And while they used to require you to repost their images to enter the draw, this year there were a number of brands whose giveaways required you to do nothing more than tag a friend in the comments. Easy! So that’s what I did, and I ended up winning a 3-month ClassPass for 5 classes per month (which I can upgrade to 8 classes for $10 extra per class = $30) from @melbournelovesyoga.
Without the win, I’d probably never have tried ClassPass; but now that I have, I’m hooked. I’ve still got 1.5 months to go on my win, but once that ends, I can buy a 3-, 5- or 10- class pass for about $10-13/class. So far I’ve taken reformer pilates, barre, spin class (so hard!), yoga, and even done a 30-min float therapy session which was absolutely amazing (especially for the equivalent of $10!). Throwing in 1-2 workouts per week that are totally out of my normal routine, and building muscle in a way that running can’t, has been fun and kept me sane for the past few months. Additionally, because you sometimes have to book the classes a week in advance in order to secure your spot in the really popular studios, you spend the week pumping yourself up with excitement for the class. On a usual day when I might feel like skipping my workout because I’m too tired, I’m instead excited to go (and deterred from canceling last minute, because there’s a cancellation fee). It’s absolute win-win!
There are so many studios in and around Melbourne that I still have yet to try: I’m dying to get to Humming Puppy (a yoga studio that apparently ‘hums’ i.e. literally vibrates to help you get your zen on), try my hand at a boxing class, and check out aerial/zero gravity yoga. ClassPass is a dream for those of us who get bored easily, or who don’t want to commit to one studio, especially given that usually the only reasonably cost effective option for some of these workout studios is to buy an unlimited pass. I just can’t deal with that kind of lengthy commitment. In my mind, the best part of ClassPass is that there’s no lock-in subscription, you can just turn your payments off for next month if you decide you’ve had enough. Again, great for those of us with commitment issues.
If you drive to work in/around Melbourne, or live in or near the CBD, there are so many studio options, but there are also plenty of studios in the suburbs too. If you live in another major Australian city, ClassPass is available in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. There are limits to how many times per month you can go to a certain studio (based on which subscription option you choose), but I’ve never really had a problem with that. The greater problem is deciding which studio to attend, and then trying to get into the classes when they open. For the moment, ClassPass has totally changed my workout game and reignited my motivation to get out and get my body moving. I’ve seen an improvement in my running, as well as my flexibility, from using all these different muscles in different ways. But most of all, through stressful times, this gift of ClassPass has helped me stick with the one thing guaranteed to relieve my stress (you know, other than wine) on a regular basis. And for a hard-working, career-driven person like me, that’s really critical to my health, both mental and physical.
Oh, and if you want to hear more about the business side of ClassPass, its founder, Payal Kadakia, was on an episode of the GirlBoss podcast in 2016!
**Note: This post is not at all sponsored, though the links are my referral links. I wrote this post because I legit love my ClassPass. Also, about 4 people read my blog and I’m pretty sure they’re all related to me, so no company in their right mind would pay someone with an audience so small (who don’t even live in Australia) to promote their product. Just so we’re clear haha.
Images via Jessica Olie, Sporteluxe (Rocky Barnes for Lorna Jane)
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