Does ClassPass actually help you get fit? Is a ClassPass membership a good idea for business travelers and digital nomads? What do ClassPass beginners need to know? What types of classes can you find on ClassPass? *And read to the end for a limited time ClassPass discount!*
This post may have affiliate links. Meaning if you buy something using them, I get a small % for recommending it. It won't change the price for you and it's a super easy and nice way to say thanks for the work I did creating this 🙂 Cool? Cool.
I dropped some photos on IG this week that got me an influx of messages…
“Have you been working out?”
First of all: purr 😌
Second of all: Yes!
One of my reasons for moving to New York City was to have a more consistent workout routine. Going to country to country every few weeks is so much fun, but not conducive to things that require a lot of consistency and stability, like
- long term relationships 🙈
- a workout routine
… Or so I used to think.
Working out with ADHD
I know how my ADHD brain works: I walk into the gym → immediately feel overwhelmed → and after 15 minutes I lose interest → get bored → remember something else I'd rather be doing → and leave 🥲
But I wanted a consistent workout routine!
I wanted something flexible yet readily available, interesting yet consistent, and that would give me a good workout in a short period of time.
It seemed impossible and many people told me to resign my life of traveling so often for business if I ever wanted to get fit. They said it was impossible to have a consistent workout routine between different Living Spaces, different James, and obviously different time zones. And I was starting to believe them. I felt very disheartened that I would pack my jump rope or resistance bands and yet forget about them and not touch them for an entire trip, or work out the first three days and fall off the wagon.
but I love travel and wanted to continue a lifestyle a fun spontaneity and wellness. I didn't want to give up! And that's when a friend sent me a life-changing DM one day:
Hey babes, have you tried ClassPass?
Signing up for a ClassPass trial
I I had never heard of it. But when she shared with me the flexibility and the fun she was having trying different classes, I decided I had nothing to lose by trying it out by using her link for a 2 week free trial.
So when I moved to New York City in spring I sat down and signed up ClassPass… Fast forward just 4 months later and here I am writing this blog post today! Because, baby, the results speak for themselves.
I do a ClassPass class every other day or so. You can do the same class over and over, or hop around to different classes (what I do). On average they are 45-60 minutes.
What are some interesting fitness classes on ClassPass?
So far I've done: pilates, yoga, hot yoga, weight lifting, Zumba, kenpo (martial arts), pole dancing, surf lessons, K-pop dance class, run club, boxing…
It's like I'm traveling and doing random classes, but they're all right here with no extra sign ups 🥹
How I've gotten fit with ClassPass 🏋🏽♀️
- At the beginning of each week I grab ClassPass classes for 2-3 days of the week. In the morning, on my lunch break, at night, whenever I want.
- The flexibility is an ADD godsend. You can cancel without issue up to 24 hours before each class. So if my schedule changes no worries BUT I'm also blackmailed into actually going and not ditching if I'm feeling unmotivated the day of!
- It's so easy to keep a work out routine while traveling now. I've been to Los Angeles, D.C., and Boston since I got ClassPass. And it's available in each city, so I don't need to break my routine just because I'm traveling. Actually, ClassPass is available in major cities around the world including London 🇬🇧, Paris 🇫🇷, Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷, Amsterdam 🇳🇱, Lisbon 🇵🇹, and more. Literally like a global gym membership!
- I'm actually having fun. Like literally. I'm able to be consistent with it BECAUSE IT'S SO FUN. Always changing routine. Being able to focus on fun or cardio or strength depending how my body feels that day. The flexibility to cancel 2 days before or book a class that starts in 30 minutes on a whim.
If I'm honest, consistently working out has always been a problem for me. I've had personal trainers and not been able to stick with them, I've tried YouTube home workouts and just get too distracted. Balancing my digital nomad lifestyle and neurodivergency makes it hard to stay consistent with anything.
It's funny that's why I'm so successful as an entrepreneur and creator though—I always have new ideas, always want to try new things, and get excited by novelty and change.
That's also why ClassPass is such a brilliant solution for someone like me: inconsistent, easily distracted, fun-seeking, but dying for results.
It gives me the flexibility, consistency, novelty, community, accountability, and just a little *sprinkle of chaos* that I need to keep going back over and over again and finally get the results I want!
What I don't like about ClassPass
There are 4 major annoyances I do have with ClassPass:
- Because I'm chaotic I'm always doing different classed, meaning I'm hopping into a different company or gym each time. SolidCore, BodyRok, Crunch, LIFTONIC, etc. The thing I like most about it is that it's an adventure every time you go to a new class! But that also comes with lack of familiarity or building community as I'm meeting new instructors, and don't necessarily become a regular.
- Sometimes different Fitness orgs or gyms are only on class pass to recruit for themselves. So they'll have a discount or special offer on class pass, but if you want to go more than once the experience will be different. For example, I did a hot pilates class that I really enjoyed but they only provided a towel and yoga mat which are required for the class, on your first time visit. So I could visit complimentary of ClassPass membership, but if I wanted to go again I would have to purchase equipment. Similar for Pilates with Pilates socks, or boxing gyms with boxing gloves. Next thing you know, you spent $50 buying up a bunch of equipment that you may not use regularly.
- Different gems, different characters… Similar to hopping in an Uber ride, every experience is different. I've been to one or two class pass classes where the instructor fails to show up, and or some of the other attendees cause a bit of drama. Luckily, class have passed has been very responsive in feedback and has refunded me both of those bad experiences.
- Different cities, different availability. Like I said, some of the biggest cities in the world have an abundance of class pass classes available for you to take at the drop of a hat. However, ClassPass isn't worldwide quite yet. Some of the major cities in Asia, Africa, and South America like Mexico City, Tokyo, Rio, and Nairobi don't have ClassPass yet. Hopefully that changes!
So, is ClassPass right for you?
if you're like me you found this blog post because you're really trying to discern if class pass is right for you. Maybe you relate to my story and our neurodivergent, or have mental health factors that make consistency and a routine difficult for you to maintain too. No judgment. Like I said, that's so me 🤠
But you found this blog post in my first person account, and are just inches from pulling the trigger right? You want to try it out but class pass isn't as cheap as that YMCA monthly membership and you couldn't even use that consistently. You don't want to invest more money into another service that you just won't use. I know because I was exactly where you are right now… for like, 8 months.
8 months I waffled on trying out class pass. I made pro con lists, I tried walking 10,000 steps every day and not spending any money, I went back to the at home workouts.
I couldn't stay consistent with any of it. I needed something exciting, in a group setting on my calendar, to keep me accountable, period.
But like I said, I waffled for 8 months. Instead of just paying for one month and see if class pass would work for me, I simply (thought* for almost a year, ultimately not getting an inch closer to my fitness goals. I wasted my own time.
So my advice is to just make the leap. Look at your calendar and see which of the next three upcoming months is your most free. Choose a month to go really hard into your fitness goals. Maybe it's the month right before summer to get your summer body. Or maybe it's a month in winter when you need to do indoor activities anyway, and your schedule is most flexible.
Then commit! And I can even help you with that part:
I hope this blog post has helped you learn a bit more about how ClassPass memberships work, if they're a good fit for your fitness or wellness goals, how I maximize and get the most benefits out of my plan, and why class pass has worked for me as a neurodivergent woman and chaotic business traveler.
Good luck on your fitness goals!
Though I am I ClassPass affiliate member, all thoughts and words are my own honest opinion and experiences.
Thank you for reading!
ClassPass frequently asked questions:
you may terminate your subscription at any time before your subscription renews by going into your account settings on the ClassPass website and letting us know you would like to cancel.
Here's the ClassPass pricing menu for New York City, straight from the ClassPlass plan website. I currently have the 80 credit plan for $160 a month.
On average the classes I take run 8-16 credits. So I can get anywhere from 10-15 classes per month (if a yoga class is 6 credits, pilates may be 12 credits, and a karate class might be 16 credits, etc.) I've also gotten a facial using ClassPass for 19 credits! So it depends on the activities you do and how often you go. Today is the last day of the month and I'm was struggling to get through the remainder of my 80 credits this week, if it helps you! I think the 43 credit plan is best for the average person.
Of course. My diet has been extremely important in this! Mostly, eating a high protein diet at home as much as possible, tracking my diet and exercise in MyFitnessPal, and portion control when I do eat out. My high protein at home meals have looked like: double bean chili, dense bean salads, sous vide chicken thighs and mushroom risotto, seafood salads, and more. Let me know if you want a blog post sharing these recipes and more about my food intake!
Yes! This is the this is one of the very best parts about using class pass. Unlike a YMCA membership where you're signed up in your city or county, and can't go use the local YMCA when you're visiting family or on a business trip, you can do exactly that with ClassPass!
Comment your thoughts or questions in the comment section below! 👇🏽