My major focus for this month post-marathon is recovery and cross training. I’m including strength training in this since it’s something I need to kick up a couple notches, although I know some runners only consider cross training as other cardio activities.
Cross training can get expensive though, especially when you live in a city where fitness classes can easily range from $15-30 dollars per class. I already talked about how I was trying to pick more budget-friendly races, so I thought I’d share how I was keeping costs down with cross training also. After all, there are plenty of Christmas presents to buy, holiday happy hours to attend and plane tickets/gas money to shell out for this time of year, so saving a few bucks is always nice.
I can always count on a kick-butt workout from my favorite spin studio, Revolve. I saw a Facebook post on their page awhile ago about a work-trade program and decided to check it out. In exchange for helping out before and after certain classes, I get to ride that class free.
It’s pretty simple, I show up early to help riders checking in with lockers and shoes, get the room reset/clean if there’s a class just ending and help newbie riders with setting up their bike. Then after getting a killer workout in I hang around, wipe down bikes, sort and clean shoes and make sure everything is ready for the next day or next class. There are a few others plus staff helping out, so it’s a quick and painless process. I did my first “shift” last week and really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to getting in more rides like this! I’d highly suggest checking with your favorite gyms or studios to see if they offer something similar.
Awhile ago I did a post on a community class I took at Dancing Mind Yoga. It was a fun and intense workout and one I definitely wanted to try again. Well, just my luck, a Groupon came out recently offering an unlimited month of classes at the hot yoga studio for just $30! I just activated my month yesterday and look forward to telling you how my yoga adventure goes!
I’ll be honest, it used to really bug me when I taught boot camps and people would only come when they had a Groupon or Living Social deal even if they really liked the class. From the other side though, I get it. During times when the budget is not as tight, I will certainly go back to places that I got great workouts at, but why not take advantage of the plentiful discounts available when you can? It’s a great way to try out new kinds of exercise and really mix things up too. Check Groupon, Living Social, Amazon Local and other daily deal sites for local fitness deals whenever you can!
Finally, moving on to strength training. I’m lucky enough to have a gym right in my apartment building I can use for free, but if that’s not available, you’re certainly not out of luck. I’m a huge proponent of strength exercises that require nothing more than your own body weight. Think push-ups, planks, lunges, squats, wall-sits and more. There’s no reason you can’t get a great strength workout in wherever you are. Check out this Runner’s World article listing essential strength exercises for runners – many of which don’t require equipment.
How do you cross train? Do you shop around for budget-friendly deals or stick to your favorite spot regardless of price?
