Workout Woes

I am on the hunt for a new gym. Dan and I have been members of the YMCA by his old school for a really great educators discount price of $80/month. It's a good gym, a little small and VERY crowded at peak hours, but now that Dan is not working in that neighborhood any longer and we've moved farther away, we're just not making it over there much anymore. As we also work on transitioning to new health insurance (we were on Dan's from the Department of Education, which he is no longer affiliated with, yay!) my company's insurance offers $150 towards a gym membership. Not much, but nice.

I am looking for a gym by my office so that I can work out in the mornings, evenings, or even at lunch with a good deal of convenience. Yesterday I checked out Equinox, or as some call it "chic-quinox". It's a beautiful gym. They place a great deal of importance on aesthetics, functionality, and cleanliness. It's really well designed and I can definately appreciate that. It's exciting to see a gym that is using aesthetics and design as a way to motivate people to get fit. I was lured in. When a place is clean and chic it can give certain people a sense of belonging and a desire to BE there. This is important. They also have a spa where their members get 10% off all services (massage, waxing, etc.). It's right across the street from my office. I can see in the window of the weight room from my desk! I was hooked. But at $145/month it's a bit out of our price range. Sigh...too bad.

Today, I am checking out New York Sports Club which is just a block away on Broadway. Their website shows a monthly membership fee of $79/month, which is much more do-able. With plans to start training for the NYC Marathon this spring, I really need to be able to get quality workouts that are convenient and fit in to my busy schedule. I also think it will help with being able to blow off steam during lunch if I need to, keep fits of depression to a minimum, and also give me something fun to do as friendships are lacking these days. Maybe I can even meet someone to work out with.