When I started university, I thought working out was “only for meatheads and gym rats,” and I really couldn’t stand going to the gym only to be leered at while standing in a stanky room filled mostly with guys. This image of the gym deterred me from working out for a long time, but when I started dancing again I realized that taking fitness classes is a way to avoid the unpleasantness of the gym but still get that regimented workout experience. The problem is finding a class you can take frequently enough that you get the results you want, but that is not so repetitive that it only targets certain muscle groups. ClassPass has a unique answer to this problem: one membership that gets you into hundreds of studios in your city.
To celebrate the launch of ClassPass in Toronto, they gave me a one-month subscription to ClassPass so I could get a feel for the service and try out some studios around the city. Here’s how it works. For C$99 a month, ClassPass members get unlimited classes to studios in the ClassPass network. Members can take as many classes as they want in a month, but can only visit each studio up to 3 times per monthly membership cycle. ClassPass is not so great for people who get attached to a studio or one particular workout, but it is fantastic for those of us who enjoy variety and want to try weird classes – like “Twerkout,” which is apparently a thing at Brass Vixens studio in Toronto.
During my free month I went to a couple of classes, and I found the experience went a lot smoother than I expected. The ClassPass website is extraordinarily well designed, with all the information you could want about the studios available before you even realize you need it. You can search for classes by date, time, location, or activity, and maps of each studio are conveniently populated with each result. Once you select a class it appears in your dashboard, where you can manage your reservations and keep track of your favorite studios.
It really is a smooth user experience, and I was pleased to find that the ease of use carried over to the actual classes as well. Each time I went to a studio the instructor was expecting me and welcomed me into class without any awkwardness or confusion, even when everyone else in the class was clearly a regular. In most cases the studios emailed ahead of time as well. Overall I was very happy with my month of ClassPass and, if I wasn’t going back to Halifax this week, I would strongly consider renewing my subscription.
