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Twin Cities Mom Collective

I Joined a Gym But I’ll Never Actually Work Out

I Joined a Gym But I’ll Never Actually Work Out | Twin Cities Moms Blog

I joined a gym last week. It has childcare. And I can use it for up to two hours a day. TWO HOURS. I’m so distracted by all of the amenities that I may never actually workout. I mean there is a hair salon. I haven’t had my hair cut since May. Yeah, it’s September, I know. I had a baby in early June and when I looked at the calendar three months had gone by. Even worse when I looked in the mirror and my hair had gotten so long I might have been mistaken for Rapunzel, except with split ends and a bad highlight job.

I Joined a Gym But I’ll Never Actually Work Out | Twin Cities Moms BlogAnd they have a spa. I dream of monthly facials like I imagine the celebrities get. Or a pedicure because the last time I had one of those was also the last time I had my haircut. Scary. I daydream about what if my ONLY job was to look good. I would finally do that coconut oil pulling thing to make my teeth sparkly white. I mean that’s a commitment. But I guess it’s better than the chemical kind that makes your teeth ache & taste gross. And the gym has a cafe with nothing but good-for-you food. My favorite is an egg wrap. Yeah, I could probably whip that up at home IF I WAS HOME ALONE WITH NO DISTRACTIONS. And that happens, um, never. But this place…I have two hours, TWO HOURS to sit in the cafe & eat. Eat so slowly that I enjoy every bite and actually finish my food while it’s still warm. Imagine that. Did I mention wi-fi? That’s the best part. I could bring my laptop or iPad & just do a little mindless perusing of FB friends or I could actually work on that Shutterfly book I’ve wanted to finish for two years. Oh—the–possibilities.

The reason I joined the gym was because I’ve got about fifteen pounds to lose to get back to my pre-3rd baby weight; because pre-baby weight would suggest that I need to get back to where I was THREE babies ago, which was also five years ago. Let’s create attainable goals here.

So when my calendar says “gym” I make an honest effort to get my yoga pants out with a coordinated top and hustle to the gym after preschool drop-off, but those last post-baby pounds may come off at a much slower pace than before. And I’m okay with that.

Any other mommas have a hard time prioritizing exercise in their routine? I would love to hear about your honest efforts!

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12 comments

Kathryn Awe September 26, 2014 at 9:48 AM

Funny you write this as I actually just joined the YMCA – and had the *same exact thought* (OH 2 HOURS!?) Now, they don’t have a spa/cafe/salon but they *DO* have a hot tub and wifi. My biggest thing though is that it is really hard to exercise at home! If I try yoga or aerobics in the living room – my two angels are all over me! If I want a fast walk or bike ride – I have to take them with me and well they either want to ride *their* bike (which means I walk a snail’s pace behind my 2-year old to keep him on the side of the road) or they don’t want the wagon or they want to go to some park across town that we have to end up driving to… SO. I also get easily distracted at home. I have enjoyed this week at the gym and today am recovering my sore muscles 🙂

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Tiffany September 27, 2014 at 8:32 PM

Kathryn, I feel your pain! I took my two youngest for a power walk in the stroller & one of them insisted on walking which slowed me down to a crawl. Not how I had envisioned my workout for sure! So the gym is a nice option for both of us!

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Rana September 26, 2014 at 6:36 PM

I think…. I need the name of your gym!

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Tiffany September 27, 2014 at 8:29 PM

Ha Rana! It’s Lifetime Fitness. I’ve never seen a gym like it and I’m so lucky to live only a few miles from one!

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Stace April 1, 2015 at 6:29 PM

I joined a gym for the same reason! Unfortunately, my 11mo old has been going through extreme separation anxiety where he spends the whole time crying for me. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve been paged since they have a 30min crying limit. I know someday that 2hrs will be mine, but it’s so hard to get motivated to work out knowing my little one is so upset.

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Tiffany April 3, 2015 at 2:59 PM

I hope your little grows out of that stage soon for your sanity for sure! It’s so rough. My daughter just turned 10 months and so far so good but I know most kids go through that. Hang in there!

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Renee April 1, 2015 at 10:02 PM

You should check out and join Moms on the Run! Best thing I’ve ever done for myself. And tons of locations in the Twin Cities!

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Tiffany April 3, 2015 at 3:00 PM

Thanks Renee! I don’t run (3 knee surgeries!) BUT I know a lot of moms who do so this is great info!

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Brooke September 6, 2015 at 9:20 PM

Great article! I joined a gym when my first was 8 months old and actually worked out. When I was pregnant with my second, I just showered while my son was in the daycare. Now that I have 2 kids I work out a little bit and still take advantage of a kid free shower. I wish my gym had a hair salon and a cafe!

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Tiffany September 17, 2015 at 10:07 AM

Oooh, yes, never underestimate the power of kid-free shower time! Bonus if you actually have time to dry your hair.

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Amy September 10, 2015 at 3:30 PM

Love this!! I joined the gym after child number 4. What took me so long? No clue!!! I was in heaven. I left the gym prettier than I came in. I showered after the workout watching tv in peace and quiet on the treadmill. My hair even got blow dried and the makeup got applied in those two whole hours. Then the kicker… I found out if you went home for a little bit, you could come back for another two hours!!! Crazy awesome!!

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Tiffany September 17, 2015 at 10:09 AM

You just rocked my world! I can come back and “work out” later in the day!? That is genius!

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