I love working out. Okay, that’s a lie. I just wanted to see how it felt if I typed that out with confidence. It felt wrong.

Let’s start over. I love how I feel after I work out. It’s getting to the gym, and more than that, getting in the habit of working out, that’s always been a struggle for me. Believe me, I’ve tried everything from gym memberships to CrossFit, in attempts to become one of those people who can say, “I’m addicted to working out! I feel so blah when I miss a day.” It’s simply never going to happen. I love skipping the gym and I also love eating Chick-fil-A. It’s just who I am.  But I’m also a person who deals with anxiety, and exercise is truly a powerful and natural antidote to combat any type of emotional stress.

Because of that, it’s been my mission to find ways to stay excited and committed to working out. After being a member at LifeTime Fitness and LA Fitness, I’ve finally accepted that I need structure. I will literally walk into the gym and work out for less than thirty minutes (and only last thirty minutes because I feel dumb leaving) and fake a phone call so I can leave. I’m kidding, I haven’t faked a phone call. Okay…I did once.  I know that’s ridiculous, but I didn’t want the towel people at the front desk making fun of my lack of discipline.

So, when a few of my girlfriends were talking about StudioHop and ClassPass, programs that partner with all types of boutique fitness studios in your city, I was all ears. Structure, remember? The closest I’ve ever felt to “being addicted to working out” was when I was a member at CrossFit. I loved it, especially the community there.  The problem was, I got burned out. I need structure, but with variety. That’s what these programs offer.

I’ll be honest. At first, I was intimidated. I dread being the new girl in class. Ya know, the one who is frantically looking around the room to see what everyone else is doing because you have no idea what, “Stack your palms, elbows wide and lift your knees” means. Once I realized that every class had a ton of new members, partially due to these programs, that fear diminished. In fact, I found myself looking forward to scheduling my next class at various studios, leaving each time with a sense of empowerment because I completed a new workout that was foreign to me walking in. I now own 3 pairs of non-slip Barre socks. For those who don’t know what that means, join ClassPass and you’ll quickly catch on after you pay $15.00 for the first pair. To avoid that cost, I borrowed socks from my gal AB, who is a PureBarre instructor, making sure I liked that type of class before spending money on special socks.

If ClassPass isn’t an option for you, due to where you live or cost, gyms offer classes and that’s an awesome option. I would advise finding an accountability partner, because they are included in your membership and, if you’re anything like me, it’s easy to make an excuse not to go, given that there’s no payment penalty if you are a no-show. ClassPass is my perfect fit because there’s a cancellation policy. ClassPass and Studio Hop keep me excited to work out, mainly because I get to mix up my work out and social scene.

I still have a ton of studios I want to try, but here are some of my favorite Dallas Studios thus far:

SESSION Pilates 

Beyond500  (Go see my friend, Ally!)

FlyWheel (I always think I’m going to die during the class, but it’s a great low impact cardio class)

BodyBar

The Ride House (same experience as FlyWheel)

BURN Dallas

Regardless of what type of program works for you, it’s vital to maintaining a healthy balance for your body and mind. Aside from fitness classes, I love taking long walks with Finn and Pete. Walks free my mind better than anything, while serving as a workout. So find your perfect match. Commit to a program that keeps you accountable and excited. When you’re focused on a goal, you ultimately keep your mind from dwelling and certainly relieve some daily stress.

Cheers to sore muscles, but a clear mind.

p.s. My next fitness post will give you tips directly from a fitness expert and I’ll add in some of my favorite work out gear. Talk about tackling this together 🙂