Workout Wednesday: What We Spend

For today’s Workout Wednesday, we are giving you a two-fer. This post is going to give you a peek into what our regular workout routines entail, as well as a sneak peek on what we really spend to “stay fit”. [Note: Katie 2 is not staying anything. The material contained herein reflects her attempt to not die of a heart attack at 40.]

Katie 1: Same as Katie 2 above regarding the heart attack.  I love junk food and wine and don’t want to have a heart attack so here we are. I belong to the same gym as Katie 2 and Elizabeth but I often supplement that stupid expensive gym membership with boutique classes (I’m a sucker for a fad) and races (I’m a sucker for t-shirts, free bananas and beer).  So… how much do I spend?  Good question, my breakdown is below.  

• Equinox Membership: $155/month for unlimited access to all Chicagoland clubs. While I mostly use the location near my office, it's not super convenient for weekends so I have the all access pass so I can use the location closest to my home. Also, the location that is midway between my home and office is significantly larger and has a pool which allows me to take advantage of a larger range of classes. Equinox Membership: $1,860 per year
• "Boutique" Classes: approx $35/class. One good thing about living in Chicago is that I can try the boutique fitness class du jour pretty much anytime I want to and usually for free in the summer months because so many popular studios offer free outdoor classes. However, there are a few classes that I will pay to attend (although I still haven't tried SoulCycle and I'm still dying to). What classes do I frequent?
• Stand-up Paddle boarding. Especially in the summer. My favorite is beach yoga and SUP on Saturday mornings. I average attending about 1 class per month, so my annual spend is approximately $140 ($35 per class*4 months)
• Shred 415. I admit that I haven't actually paid for a Shred class yet because along with attending their summer outdoor workouts (which are free), I've received vouchers for their boutique classes as a perk of attending the outdoor class. However, I like the workout so I'll probably end up going semi-frequently in the colder months. If I average paying for 1 class per month, my annual spend would be approximately $168 ($28*6)
• I've also tried various barre classes and will probably try SoulCycle at some point
• In total, I probably at tend 1 boutique class per month. Boutique Class Grand Total: $420 per year
• Races: I'm a sucker for races. I'm also a sucker for destination races. I average 2-3 destination races per year plus 4-5 local races per year. My average race entry fee is approximately $50, so my annual spend is approximately $480. For destination races, I usually end up getting a hotel which adds an additional $200-300 to the cost of the race. Annual race related hotel spend: approximately $600. Average annual race spend: approximately $1,080

Total Approximate Annual Fitness Spend: $3,360 (damn that's a lot)

Katie 2: At present, my fitness routine consists of a membership at the bougie Equinox gym in the Chicago Loop. I only pay for access to the Loop location (so I save over Katie 1's costs), as the other Chicagoland gyms are not convenient to work or home. The membership includes unlimited fitness classes, of which:

• I regularly attend Precision Running, a treadmill based class that incorporates speed and include and I actually love it and joined the gym for it
• I try to regularly attend an early morning yoga class (i have completely failed recently)
• I occasionally try other classes offered such as spin and HIIT.

As I mentioned here, I sign up for 5Ks for the t-shirts and drinks at the end. Recently, I've added a 10K and half marathon to the mix. Tw of the 5Ks and the half marathon this year take place in Michigan, so in addition to the registration fees associated with the races, I have some travel expenses (which don't include overnight accommodations, since I'm from Michigan and I just stay with family). (Check back for a separate post on destination races.) How many races do I run? For 2017, I have four 5Ks, a 3.5 mile (hey, I ran an extra .4 miles, I'm taking credit for it), a 10K, and a half marathon. You do the math.

Elizabeth: I used to do Barre classes and outdoor running.  I believe it was about $100 or so for a month of unlimited classes.  I gave up the Barre to join Equinox.  The Equinox location was much more convenient to the office, there was a variety of classes and equipment to use, and I had the added bonus of a gym buddy (Katie 1 and now also Katie 2).  I, like Katie 2, only pay to use one location.  I also participate in the occasional 5k or 8k.  I will chalk that up to being a sucker for brunch, which we typically go to after.  So, my spending is pretty similar to Katie 2 in terms of membership dues and race registrations (and brunch!).  The only extra I have is working with a personal trainer.  I will be honest- it is not cheap and obviously the more you go the more it costs.  I just really like the trainer that I am working with, so I go once a week for a 30 minute session.  We alternate between typical training workouts (squats, lunges, bench press, etc) and boxing.  I like having someone to show me new exercises, and especially with the boxing, enable me to do activities that I couldn’t do on my own.  The other good thing about a trainer is someone is expecting you to show up and you have paid for the time, so you won’t skip it or half-ass it.  If you have a discipline problem when it comes to working out this is a good way to keep yourself on track.