Tried out OrangeTheory, think this might work for me.

FireOpalCO

Last night I went to Orangetheory for a free class and signed up for a membership right away. I think I found something that will work for me.

I'm an introvert with an elementary age SPED kid and a long commute. It was too easy to find reasons why I was too tired to go to the gym "tonight". Mostly I just wasn't comfortable in the environment and felt too "on my own" and stuck to a boring routine. I tried classes, but since the people in charge of scheduling apparently believe people only work from 10 to 4, the only class that would work for me was way overcrowded. Then there is the glass wall so people in the gym could see you working out, lots of mirrors, and two competing soundtracks (the gym and the class), it was not great.

I tried personal training, both at big gyms and small locations. Felt weird having someone's undivided attention for an hour and honestly sometimes I felt like I had to keep the trainer from being bored.

I remembered some former coworkers really liking Orangetheory and figured I would at least try it. It worked really well. The trainer met me 30 minutes before class and walked me through everything (and not one peep of sales talk). The workout had a nice variation and since I had all my own equipment and setting my own pace based on heart-rate I didn't feel like I was being judged or in the way for being slow/using lighter weights. He would check in on me during the workout periodically but not push me to go harder (I was in the "green" zone with a few orange moments and he knew it had been years since I worked out). The video examples of the weight exercises above the stations were awesome.

It was a nice mix of "on my own" but not "left to my own devices". I signed up for a 8 class a month plan and didn't get pushed to sign up for more. When I mentioned to the trainer I was thinking once I got used to 2 sessions a week adding a yoga class instead of a 3rd OT class, he thought it was a great idea to strengthen my back (old injury). The schedule has enough classes that if I can't make my usual one, I have some flexibility as long as I reschedule more than 8 hours in advance. Losing money if I don't show? That's a good stick to keep me motivated. I also liked getting the emailed heart-rate summary.

So I think I found a good starting place for me. As I gain some confidence and shed weight I can mix it up with offerings from other places to stave off a rut. I can increase and lower my membership or switch to buying packs of classes. I'm already looking forward to Friday and my next class.

My kid last night said "mommy I'm proud of you."