Experiment with workouts with ClassPass.
Sick of your same old gym membership? Want to try all the latest cool classes? Prefer to jump from studio to studio rather than commit to one?
If you answered "yes" to any of those questions and are located in a major city, then you might want to give ClassPass a whirl. This handy app lets you choose from a plethora of fitness studios (8,000+ in the U.S. and abroad) located in 30 U.S. cities, near home, the office or while you're traveling.
Get $40 off your first month for a limited time when you sign up here! To find out if it's available in your city, scroll down to where it says "Explore studios in" on the homepage and click on the city for a full list.
Here's how it works:
ClassPass Pros
The Cost
Look, nothing's ever going to be cheaper than a gym membership to LA Fitness. But a cheap gym membership isn't a steal if you don't use it. ClassPass' most basic "Go" membership is $35 for three classes that need to be used within the month and you cannot repeat studios. The next level, the "Base" membership is $55 for five classes that need to be used within the month and you can repeat a fitness joint twice. The top level is $100 for 10 classes per month and you can repeat a place three times. Considering that, from yoga to spin, most classes cost more than $13 these days, this is a good deal.
Close Calls
Once you've downloaded the app to your phone, you can easily find a class near you by refining your search for location (nearby or certain neighborhoods), activities (all or select your faves from a menu), amenities that you need (such as showers or parking), level (open, beginner or advanced) and preferred start times. It's super easy. Since I don't like to go more than seven minutes out of my way for a workout, ClassPass works well for me with its many fitness options within my go-to neighborhoods in Atlanta.
Studio Deets
Select a class to get more details, including the studio rating based on user reviews, info on the studio, address with directions that link to Google Maps, what to bring and when to arrive. Thanks, ClassPass, good to know.
Easy Booking and Reminders
If you like a class, you can hit 'reserve class' to lock it in. Once reserved, you'll receive a confirmation email, and it also sends you a reservation reminder the day of, which is super helpful if you're prone to forgetting your schedule. If you know your spin class at a coveted time fills up in advance, you can book it up to a week in advance on ClassPass.
Friends with Benefits...of a Workout
While I'm a solo exerciser for the most part (get in, sweat, get out and go about my biznatch), if you like the motivation of a workout with a buddy, the latest feature on the app allows you to connect with friends and meet up for a sweat session.
Newfound Fitness Loves
Whether you get bored easily and like to mix up the classes you take like me or just haven't hit your fitness groove yet and want to see if something sticks, this is a great way to do it. You never know, anything from HIIT to bellydancing could be your thing—and here you were trying to love yoga (but secretly hating it) for all those years. You can also just book gym time if you want to slay it on a treadmill or lift some weights for an hour.
ClassPass Cons
No Shows Pay
Beware: There is a cancellation fee if you cancel within 12 hours. The best thing to do if you've booked a class and you know you're not going to make it is to definitely cancel it in the app and also call the studio directly—they might be able to soften the blow if you ask real nice. By cancelling in the app, it'll cost you $15 within the 12-hour timeframe; by not giving notice and just not showing up, it'll cost you $20. Since my schedule often changes at the last minute, my tactic is to wait until 15 to 30 minutes before the class when I know I'm going to go to book it, but that only works if it's not an uber-popular class that books up.
Search Savvy
When you search for an available class, it might not show you ALL the classes that are really available to you. This is one thing that really bothers me about ClassPass! The go-around is to visit the specific studio details and hit "view schedule," which will then bring up all available classes.
All in all, it's a badass way to get or stay in shape, and a great app to have in your fitness back pocket.
What's been your experience with ClassPass? Don't forget to sign up here to get $40 your first month!
