My Lifebooker experiment: From lump to lively

A good friend of mine recently had been singing the praises of her latest penny-saving find: Lifebooker. This is sort of the Gilt Group equivalent for making the body and face that wears the gilt group designer duds look like a million bucks. It offers limited time deep discounts on facials, massages, spa treatments, and yes, work-outs.

Now, work tends to be slow in New York during the winter as it seems that most photoshoots occur in sunnier climes (such as Miami and LA). And whereas when I am working I spend 12-18 hours running around the whole city, when I am not working I turn into some sort of lump-type-object. I transform from my usual fugue state to being completely sedentary.

Well, this was just not working for me. But then, I am also not one for torturous and mundane gym work-outs. Sure, the thought of potentially being the owner of a tight rear-end the likes of which a 16 year old cheerleader might possess can get me to the gym. once. maybe twice. Because, in the end, the gym experience is pure hell, and after a couple goes, that potential 16 year old ass is simply not motivation enough to get off my oh-so-comfy couch happy-place.

I need more than potential hard-body-ness. I need to have fun.

So, a few weeks after joining life-booker, I got an email for a month at Crunch Gym for $36. This headline alone, of course, would usually hold no interest for me. However, the email cleverly emphasized all the crazy fun classes they have a Crunch. Whomever thinks these things up, clearly does so with people like me in mind.

So I have gathered all the schedules of classes for all the Crunch gyms in Manhattan, and like my first day at college, I have excitedly highlighted all the classes I want to try.

Yesterday was my first class: Anti-Gravity Yoga. Wowza. They hung vaguely stretchy large sheets in a U shape from the ceiling, that became each persons yoga-hammock. Immediately it was fun, as I was able to hop on and swing about like a child. It was more difficult and scary that it would seem, but once you try a move, it really becomes second-nature. Hanging like a bat upside down. Flipping around. Doing the splits in the air. After one class, I think I'm pretty much qualified to join the circus! My only question is, can I install one of these hammocks in my living room? I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone. There are great stretches, and even an aided downward-dog (my hardest pose in yoga, as I have terrible hamstrings), fun swinging, and I do believe that hanging upside down must do some good in terms of circulation.

Today I tried BOING with Kangoo. In this class they give you boots with some sort of spring like contraption attached to the bottom. This class is about bouncing. Lots of bouncing. Right away, I wanted to bounce the second I put them on. It's quite addictive. So I was very excited to get going, but once we did, I realized a very important fact: I am terribly out of shape. This class is full-on aerobic. And here I thought the spring would do all the work. I got extremely sweaty and red, I got a cramp in my side, and at one point I do believe I was having a minor heart attack. However, I can't WAIT to go again! I am a child, and what child ever wanted to get OFF a moonbounce, no matter how tired they were? In fact, I think one day I would like to own my very own pair of Kangoo boots, and bounce around the city like the biggest dork that ever lived. look, it's gotta be great for the lymph nodes, right?

So that's the recap of my first 48 hours. I also intend to take the following classes: Pole Dancing (because it reminds me of playing on a jungle gym, or cirque de soleil), Awesome 80's Dance class (because no matter how tired I am, I ALWAYS have energy during an 80's song. ALWAYS. really, I'll do anything during an 80's song. Plus, they'll be teaching dope 80's dance moves, so it's win-win, really), Masala Bhangra (dancing like a Bollywood movie, something I've always wanted to learn), Hip Hop (why not? I'm a gangly white girl, I could use some help in this arena), videography (britney spears choreo...I'll bust it out on the dancefloor one weekend and shock everyone), and then I'll repeat (especially Anti-gravity Yoga, and BOING).

Of course, all of this seems well and good, but I would be remiss if I did not also report the pitfalls. First off, as a freelancer, it is very hard for me to show up to classes with any regularity, as work can run late, or just run me into the ground. And secondly, these classes do not run as often as I would like. Given that fact, they are always very full, and since some of them require the use of rather limited equipment, you have to arrive about an hour early to get in. So for now, it's great. Work is slow, and it's getting me moving and stimulated. But soon work will pick-up again, and I will have to work-out on my own time. But for now, I'll let you know how it all goes.