@123443215 Man, I wish my gym was empty enough to try to do circuit training on cardio machines - that sounds like a great workout! I guess the tradeoff is that I basically get weights to myself.
@dawn16 The only issue I have with barre is that you're often not wearing shoes, and it's a lot of standing exercises. When you have plantar fasciitis, doing anything barefoot can be excruciating.
@dawn16 Seconding barre! Super low impact and great for muscle strengthening. The studio I go to still has a good bit of cardio so you can get a comprehensive workout without putting pressure on your joints. Plus it's a fairly challenging workout so there's a lot of room to grow.
@mrsrice Jumping on the barre bandwagon! Started after an injury and my dr. wanted me doing more isometric work and then could not stop going after seeing how much my body transformed and my body awareness shifted.
@mrsrice yes! I'm a barre addict after a back injury and have been going 3-5 times a week for close to two years now. My core is so much stronger today than its ever been. And yup - there were some exercises I started with no weights, and now still am only up to 2s or 3s...its just how barre is.
@dawn16 I started going because a coworker dragged me to a class and I kept going because I saw great results. After a decade of weak ankles, I can now run consistently with absolutely no ankle pain. Game changer for sure.
Come join us over on r/purebarre! Even if you don't go to PB (I don't).
@ejc420 I really love spin classes- my gym does them basically in the dark with the teacher under a spotlight. But I really enjoy it because I can go hard, or not, and nobody can really see. Also different teachers will have different music and routines which keeps me interested.
@elmerrm2007 That’s a really good point and people should definitely be aware of it.
My gym is pretty good with it- it’s open on one side so the music can’t be too loud, and the instructors are always up for changing the volume. My gym and classes are more of an ‘all ages, all sizes, men, women, teens’ vibe- it’s just a local gym and not fancy. I know there are epic spin classes out there though which really blast the music to that unhealthy level!
@merrymary Long live earplugs! I have the custom-fit silicone ones for musicians that cut certain frequencies. The gym (and the rest of the world) is so much more tolerable.
@elmerrm2007 My gym at work offers spin classes and about a year ago they had a sound meter thing installed that flashes yellow or turns red if the music is too loud. Red means the instructor has to get up and lower it. It was annoying at first because I want my one 45 min class a week to be loud and fun (nothing is worse than hearing yourself breath heavily, lol) but it's definitely better and healthier overall to monitor the the noise level. I wonder if my gym was forced to do it because it's a corporate environment, and if other non-work gyms will end up doing the same thing.
@aaron7kh77 idk about the lights, but the noise level limit is an OSHA thing. Work environments (and the coaches work in these places) have specific decibel limits over time frames. A quick google: "95 dB(A) is permissible for 4 hours, 100 dB(A) for 2 hours, and so forth, up to a maximum exposure for continuous noise of 15 minutes at. 115 dB(A)"
The gyms do take it seriously if you bring it to their attention. They do not want someone bringing OSHA in.
@elmerrm2007 Not sure why you are getting downvoted. I've never taken a spin class but they are done in a closed room at my gym and the music sounds insanely loud. I can hear it from pretty far away with the doors shut. It's the same with most of the other classes too... except Yoga. Yoga is quiet.
