Planet Fitness

Over 2 weeks ago, I promised myself to commit to a more healthy lifestyle. It is my senior year and I want to feel good, look good, and be healthy. To do this, not only do I have to be more strict about what I eat, I also have to be more proactive about exercising and working my body. I decided to join Planet Fitness, because it is affordable, close by, and a lot of my friends are members there. I weighed my options: I could get a normal membership, which is $10 a month, with access to all work out equipment. The downsides to this plan are that I would not be able to use the massage chairs, tanning beds, vibration muscle relaxer, and I would be restricted to only my "home" location that I sign up at. My other option was the Black Card, a $20 a month plan. With this, I have access to every single thing in the gym, including all the fancy post-workout machines like the muscle relaxer. The huge benefit to the Black Card is that I also have access to any location in the United States, and I can also bring one guest for no charge. Clearly the Black Card was the better choice.

Since I signed up, I have gone to the gym every single day. I can already notice the improvement. I'm not tired after walking up the staircases at school, I have much more energy throughout the day, and my mood in general is just more positive. The positive, motivated atmosphere while at the gym pushes me to push myself. I start with a 15 minute warm up on the bike. This usually comes out to about 4 miles when the 15 minutes is up. Then, I do a 1 mile half walk/half jog on the treadmill. After that, I move on to the weights. My favorite machines to use are the abdominal workouts. I love the feeling of burning in my abs; it tells me that I'm working them hard. My least favorite are all the arm workouts. My arms are very weak, and a lot of the machines put stress on my left thumb, which is still very sore after an injury last May. I finish up my workout with a 1 mile full run. Following the workout I usually go either the massage chair or muscle relaxer.

Planet Fitness is a very positive experience. If anyone has the opportunity to join a gym but aren't sure which is the best choice, I highly recommend Planet Fitness. If you can afford it, sign up for the Black Card. Trust me, when you work your body to exhaustion, the massage chairs are like God's gift from heaven. It's also nice to be able to bring a buddy if you aren't comfortable or motivated to go alone. Planet Fitness is a very positive experience, and I am glad that I've made the choice to join.