Cancelling my gym membership?

[MSGTomo]

I wanted to know from some long-time T-Tappers - do you have a gym membership too or did you cancel it at some point?

I've been T-Tapping for a year (though 9 months of that year I was pregnant, so I didn't T-Tapp as much as I had hoped) and I'm starting to think I really don't need my gym membership any longer. It costs me $25/month, $10 of that is for childcare - they will watch the kids while you work out.

I have a few concerns:

1. I paid a TON of money for the membership and I've had it at least 15 years, and the monthly fee is fairly low in comparison to getting a new membership from scratch.

2. The childcare is convenient, but I worry about my kids contracting illnesses from the other kids. I can't tell you how many times I show up and there are kids with that lovely green snot running around, touching everything, etc.! I have a friend who stopped the gym simply because her child was getting sick all the time!

3. T-Tapp seems to be all I really need - am I right? It's useful to be able to walk on a treadmill on very hot or very cold days, but I cannot say I was ever so devoted to the gym that $25/month is really worth it. For that much money I could just keep building my T-Tapp library!

Anyhow - just looking for some advice, I'm having a hard time making this decision - I've considered quitting the gym for years now as I really don't use it as often I think I should/could, but now with T-Tapp I feel like I really can get results with at-home workouts.

Thoughts?

[ayj67]

Yes, I finally had it cancelled sometime in the fall last year (at first, my dh said don't cancel, he would use, but that never happened, and I put it on an about to expired credit card, I don't how, they continued to charge on a new card with different expiration date, so I had no choice but go in to cancel).

I forfeited some of the prepaid babysitting fee too...

Mine is 46 dollars monthly for both my husband and me, with the SuperSports (All club corporate membership). I had it since 1998, but we never went to the gym. I at least went there and lose baby fat and put my health in order, I went consistently from May 2005 to Sept 2006 (until I got pregnant with my second one). I am not going to do the math, there is way too much I spent.

It is ridiculous to try to find parking at the gym. I hurt my knees the second round when my second son was 3, I went there for 4 months and over did on elliptical, and then I found T-Tapp. That was the history. It is even more difficult to fit time in to go to the gym when there are 2 kids.

So, with $46 a month, I can have quite a bit of funds to buy T-Tapp stuff, and I can go to the retreat once every 3 years too!

[MissChriss]

Two thoughts here, first off, can your membership be frozen for a period of time? If so this can buy you a little more time while you decide. I think a gym can be a good thing and a huge motivator for some, especially if you don't have the worry of your children getting sick from other sick children. From my personal experience I have been a gym rat my entire life and have experienced more health benefits and body change in the past six weeks with solid T-Tapp.

[MSGTomo]

I'm definitely not a gym rat, but I always feel like I like to have the option. I have two kids now as well, and I just don't feel comfortable taking my newborn anyway - I think I can freeze it - which I have done before. I went quite a few times while pregnant because all I could manage was walking and it was so useful to have that childcare...but I agree, T-Tapp did more for me in 3 months last year than a gym has in my whole life! I think I'll freeze it while I make my decision...but I'd love to hear from other Tappers - what they have done with their memberships!

[Erika]

I was actually planning on joining a gym/family rec center this summer before finding t-tapp. My intentions were about getting out of the house and interacting with others in a class and having small breaks to workout because the kids could play for free in the childcare center while I worked out. It also came with the benefit of swimming/waterplay. Well summer is half over and I haven't joined yet, partly because t-tapp ended up giving me such good results and we've had so many other activities to juggle.

I still haven't sworn it off for the fall as i may want to take some yoga or hip hop for fun. But I'm looking it as an option for fun and glad I don't have to go to get results, because 5 weeks in t-tapp seems so doable and excuse-proof I have a long history of signing gym contracts and then all of a sudden finding every excuse not to get there. The only reason I'm considering the one I am is because it is month to month with no start up fee. So I can always try it for a month and take a break with no penalty.

So maybe a compromise is to ask about freezing your membership and then researching options that are free of contractual obligations so you can have the flexibility you need with your lifestyle and budget. I'm sure there is something in your area. Hope that helps.

[dg5boys]

Dear MSGTomo,
Like MissChriss I am a gym rat. I did eventually give up my YMCA membership after hurting my hip in a kettle bell class, and my boys hated the "NO! POOL" as they called it.

Our Y is very clean, especially compare to some of the rusty, chalk dust covered, leather torn/worn, screaming, plate throwing, ammonia capsules smelling, pull-up strap sharing...MissChriss is laughing now...oh, all the fond memories...with the music so loud that you had to yell at the person beside you for a spot, gyms I'd trained at before.

Your $25 gym membership is looking better and better isn't it? Seriously, if you're not using it see if you can freeze like MissChriss suggested. Use your past history with them as a bargaining point and let them know how you feel about the nursery. Worse case they'll say no, but hound them about the childcare facility and sick child policies. T-Tapp is the best, but gyms have their place as well.

[NY Mom]

I was a total gym rate from 1992 until 2003 when I got pregnant with my older son. I easily spent 1.5-2 hrs/day at the gym 4-5 days/week. I was in reasonably good, but by no means exceptional shape. I needed that much gym time to even maintain a normal weight.

I had stopped working out while I was pregnant - exhaustion, morning sickness, laziness - so I suspended my membership for the last 4 months plus another 4 months after I gave birth. I reinstated it in September 2004 and went less than a dozen times between then and May 2006. I WOH FT and never wanted to give up time with ds to work out so I came to the conclusion that I was throwing away a lot of money (this is NYC so at least $80/month) and I needed to figure out a way to workout at home after ds went to bed.

Enter T-Tapp. I started T-Tapp in June 2006 and had such amazing results that I permanently canceled my gym membership before the end of the summer and never looked back. I lost 30 lbs and 3 clothing sizes in the first 4-5 months with T-Tapp and worked out WAY less than I ever had at the gym. Although I've fallen off the wagon with T-Tapp over the years and I'm still struggling to get back on, I never even consider going back to the gym. And I never feel guilty for the wasted money month after month

[MSGTomo]

Thanks for everyone's perspective. I too LOVE T-Tapp. I'm 2 months post partum today, already fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans (a little snug, but they FIT!) have lost 23 pounds, only 8 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight and measured today and have lost 3 inches after just 3 weeks back into "regular" T-Tapp workouts (and that's maybe 3 workouts a week doing MORE and SATI). I know the gym would not have done that for me, but I guess I'm just thinking ahead to winter where we're all stuck in the house and the kids want to run around a bit and I need a tiny break...yes, I'll be pausing the membership and I like the suggestion to hound the gym about their sick policy. They need to know if members are considering quitting because of other sick kids - that's a major revenue stream for them I'm sure!

[Jeanamarie]

I've been at a gym for almost a year now... and I really don't use it for anything else but the pool and the jacuzzi. Mine is actually a community center, so there are lots of other reasons for belonging... but for the sake of weight machines, cardio machines and fitness classes... I don't really do them. The walk track is nice for when its way too cold or hot out, and the "gym" for shooting hoops or playing other games is nice too. Maybe hold on to the membership until they can offer some other premium services, like nice meeting rooms to do your T-Tapp in! Good Luck!

Jean