Joining the YMCA

char_barr

I just found out that I may be able to join our YMCA - I have never been, but their book lists tons of classes and FREE childcare. This is a bright light for me!!! I hope that it is a clean, friendly, healthy environment, I want to instill in my children now the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

hilsidney

My family has a family membership to the Y and it is great! They have tons of free classes, like Spinning, Zumba, HIIT, Mat Pilates, Yoga, Powerhour, etc. They also have classes you have to pay for but are discounted to members, like Pilates Reformer, and Personal Training. Our Y has an indoor and an outdoor pool, a sauna, steam room, and hot tub. I hope that you join your Y. There are so many fun programs and activities for your kids too. Good luck!!

stacetherainbow

That is GREAT! I've never been to a Y that wasn't exactly those things. I joined mine recently and love it. Especially the swimming. Take advantage of that free childcare and get yourself moving!

Chellody22

I plan to get a membership for my kids and myself around september. They love to swim, and I would love to swim with them for fun and extra exercise.

smwooley

I couldn't work out if it wasn't for the Y - my 2 year old simply won't let me :-) I'd encourage you to try out the free classes! You never know what you might find that you enjoy!

petersonabt

I am also joining a Y soon turned in our scholarship papers yesterday just waiting to hear back then going to sign up! Im excited!

Lennonluv2

We belong to the Y here in NYC. It's been great, my son even goes to their day camp.

They also have a program called the fit zone for kids ages 6-12(my son is 8) It's four nights a week for an hour, while you workout they take them to the track, they play bball and soccer all kinds of activities to keep em' moving. I can't say enough about how great this has been for my son. He's now running a mile on the track. Super happy.

obrientp

We practically live there. I don't know what we'd do without the Y.

pscarolina

I go to the Y on days I'm not teaching Jazzercise. Ours is really nice with indoor & outdoor pools, raquetball, just about anything you can imagine. It's a good place to work out, especially when you have kids.

Try to make some friends there in your group exercise classes or get some friends to join. It can sometimes seem like you are the only one there who doesn't know anyone else & sometimes makes you feel a little isolated when you can walk in & walk out & come in contact with loads of people & the only one who spoke to you is the lady at the front desk.

GiddyupTim

Love my Y.
You get a cross section of the community there you don't get elsewhere. Mothers with little ones, seniors, heavy-lifting teenagers, basketball players.
It is nice. I get to rub shoulders and talk with people outside my own demographic.

asp415

I am a member of two different Y’s. One has a great variety of fitness classes for the kids, like kids yoga, taekwondo, etc. & the other one has very few classes for the kids, but does have the instructors I like for my group classes, so I tend to use one Y for my kids & one for myself. When the kids come w/me to the one that is more for me I put them in the childcare, which they enjoy. The Y is more costly than some gyms, but it has great classes all included in the cost & it’s a more family friendly atmosphere than a regular gym. I hope you enjoy your membership & take full advantage of the classes.

Ninkyou

I have a Y membership too. I love it. My Y has AquaZumba which is sooooooooooooooo much fun. And yes, the drop-off babysitting is a lifesaver! Now my daughter goes to preschool there. I'm looking forward to the fall when school starts cause I'll have 3 hours of exercise to myself.

And I agree with tufel, there's people of all walks of life there, and people are generally very friendly.

char_barr

I already looked up the class schedules - for both myself and my kids (2 & 4) My 4 year old is great on her own at daycares, my 2 year old hates when I leave him and cries (doesn't stop me from leaving him usually). He's a little older than the last time I left him at a gym daycare, and I want to get him used to going to classes there as well. Last time I was at a Y was in the 80's when I was a kid. I so need this.

smwooley

I already looked up the class schedules - for both myself and my kids (2 & 4) My 4 year old is great on her own at daycares, my 2 year old hates when I leave him and cries (doesn't stop me from leaving him usually). He's a little older than the last time I left him at a gym daycare, and I want to get him used to going to classes there as well. Last time I was at a Y was in the 80's when I was a kid. I so need this.

My 2 yr old still occasionally cries when I drop her off, but it's never for long. And I NEED that break! I NEED to workout! :-)

char_barr

Yeah, he is a bugger. When he turned 1 joined a gym, but they had a 15 min cry limit and he learned that pretty quick, he would start crying in the parking lot and by the time he was in the room - he was a mess - and would cry the entire time. They would come get me at the 15 min mark and I would have to get him. There went my work out. Then about 2 months into the membership, he had surgery and couldn't straddle toys for 8 weeks, so I didn't feel comfortable leaving him (even crying) with his restrictions, and then the membership was over and I was just fed up - 15 min workouts MIGHT be helpful, but they sure are frustrating/depressing when all you want to do is spend 55 min in a Spin Class. Anyway - he's gotten much better, and I take random classes at a studio and he has done OK in the daycare room. So I am very hopeful. It was just such a shock to me - my daughter (4) would go in any room that has toys and other kids and not look for me for 3 hours.