This is going to be boring... unless you too, are a health club member and get annoyed with the management. So, feel free to skip this one!
I've been a Lifetime member since 2007. When I lived out in the suburbs, the indie health club I belonged to was bought out by Lifetime. When I moved into the city in 2015, as it happened the nearest health club was also a Lifetime, so I kept my membership. Lifetime's monthly fees aren't cheap - I think I was paying $90-$100 a month before I went on Medicare. And that was with a discount that I received from my health plan for regular attendance.
And yet Lifetime is constantly trying to upsell additional services. I was taking Pilates Reformer classes for a while - one a week because that was all I could afford ($120 a month plus tax). Pilates Reformer is an apparatus with a sliding platform that has springs to add resistance. I loved the classes and loved my instructor. Then, at the end of last year they changed the pricing structure so that in order to do Pilates Reformer classes, you had to have a "Signature Membership" of $160 a month. They sold this as a big win because at that level you could do unlimited Pilates classes. Goddammit Lifetime! I just want to do one class a week and I don't want to pay $160 a month for that!
They recently started offering assisted stretching. Kind of like a Thai massage, where the personal trainer gets up on the table with you and is applying gentle pressure to help increase range of motion of your stretch. I did a free intro session. When the trainer told me the prices at the end of the session I just about choked. 25 minute session - $70 (only sold in packages of 4). 50 minute session - $125. Hey it felt good, but not THAT good - for that kind of money I'd rather go get a massage somewhere.
A year ago I went on to Medicare, and my Medicare Advantage plan has fantastic fitness benefits. So after fifteen years of paying through the nose to Lifetime I finally got a break from those monthly payments - my Lifetime membership was free. But then, last week I got an email from Lifetime. As of January 1, 2024 Medicare members will only be able to use the club between 9 am and 3:30 pm. And that seems rational - most of us aren't working a day job. EXCEPT I've recently started going to a Tue-Thurs yoga class where I really love the instructor, that starts at.... 8:45 am. 🙄 I went to the reception desk to chat with Lorraine, who helps coordinate the programs for seniors. She said, "You know with these free memberships we've just been flooded with seniors and this is their way of freeing up capacity during the busy times". First of all, I highly doubt that Lifetime is providing the memberships for free - they've got to be getting some kind of monthly compensation from my health plan, even if it's less than what they would get from me. Lorraine told me if I wanted unlimited access...you guessed it, I would need to upgrade and pay $80/month. 😡
Adding insult to injury - I say, "maybe I'll wait and see if I can make the new hours work for me before I upgrade" and Lorraine says, "you need to decide by November 1 in order to pay $80/month, after that it goes up to $100/month". 🤬😡🤬
I had asked her if the club was going to be improving the group class schedule so that more classes are available in the 9-3:30 time slot. Like, maybe move Ted's yoga class up 15 measly minutes? I'm pretty sure his class will be half empty if all of the people on Medicare are removed. Or...add some spin classes? I had been thinking about starting those up again, in hopes of getting my body happier on the bike, but they're all during early morning and late afternoon. All Lorraine could say was that they were going to be working on it. Sooooo....I have to decide whether to upgrade before I even get to see whether the revised schedule will work for me.
So, even though it's less convenient for me, I'm going to work on farming out some of these things. My OnePass program pays for four Pilates Reformer sessions a month at Club Pilates, which recently opened a branch in my neighborhood, so this morning I went and signed up for a membership there.
I also found out that OnePass covers StretchLab, which is a franchise that offers assisted stretching. There's one of those not too far away from me, so I'm going to look into going there instead of paying $70 for 25 minutes at Lifetime. AND, there is a good yoga studio across the river where I can do four free classes a month - so if Lifetime doesn't bring more yoga into the 9-3:30 timeframe, I'll join there as well.
Yep, Bahram Akradi - that's me giving you the finger. 🖕 (much that he cares, haha!!)
Fitness pictures of me just to keep it from being a totally worthless post. 😁
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I used to be a member at one of those franchise clubs that had facilities everywhere , and they were convenient — but expensive. Then, I decided to invest a few bucks into some basic equipment so I could keep fit from home. And that worked out great: weights, mats, and many other fun things.
It's still working out great. Except itZ a pain when I have to vacuum an inch of dust off all that stuff every couple of three months. 😐
Over ten years ago, after I took Pilates Reformer classes for the first time, I bought a reformer for myself. It was mucho expensivo but my workplace had a great program that allowed us to cash in sick leave hours to reimburse costs for fitness equipment.
I go through occasional spates of using it, but mostly it sits neglected down in the basement. Using it at home, alone, just isn't the same as having an instructor coaching you and five other students to commiserate with.
Same thing with yoga - I could do YouTube classes, but I enjoy it so much more with a live instructor and familiar faces around me. And I figure with my mostly hermit lifestyle I really do need those little doses of people contact.
@smartasswoman
I get it
ItZ mostly a thing about someone hold ing your leg into the sky...
... and letting air flow in there.
Dja feel the breeze?
My apartment complex has a 'deal' with a local fitness place for $25/ yr for residents. I keep planning on checking it out cuz for $25, I won't feel guilty for not going.
That's a pretty good deal! You seem to enjoy your hiking rambles much more than being indoors at a gym, though.
@smartasswoman Winter is just around the corner. The gym is only a mile away. It would get me out of house a bit.
I've been a gym rat since the early 80s. I belonged to this cute little gym that got bought out by some huge franchised gym, not PF but something else. Very exclusive and spendy. My membership at that time was about 10 bucks a month and came with other perks as well. You didn't have to pay extra for classes, the sauna, racquetball or any of their amenities. You had full use of everything. After the big gym came in, you were nickel and dimed for EVERYTHING! Even towel usage which I though to be ridiculous. I canceled my membership and used the gym at my apartment complex and experienced the same results. Gyms today are a money pit and I would never belong again. I can get the same workout in my living room and its open 24/7, towels are free, and I don't have to fight traffic to get there!!
Well, at least they don't nickel and dime us for things like towels and sauna usage. They shouldn't, with the amounts they charge people for the basic monthly membership!!
I applaud you for having the discipline to work out at home. I've been at this since the early 80's as well and have figured out that it's part of my personality to be motivated by being around other people when I exercise. Even if I don't interact with them! It's weird.
@smartasswoman I completely get that. Since I've been working out for so long, its just a normal part of the day like brushing your teeth. I also get my gear on first thing in the morning which helps as well. But, I still have my days of playing mental gymnastics cuz my motivation is low. I know I'll hate myself for not getting my sweat on so that's usually enough to get me focused. Right now I'm super motivated as I've put on a few while caring for my father when he was ill. If he was hungry, I got him or made him whatever he was craving and it wasn't diet food!
Feel your pain.Pre pandemic last gym belonged to (had to pay 3 years in Advance) was 20 $ per month.They have extra classes and trainers which never use. A regional chain with about 17 locations. When at the national chain franchise more than double the cost. ( even with their advance payment of 3 or 4 years) Is a small town with 4 gyms, so probably holds prices down.
Lifetime has some competition in this area - primarily LA Fitness, also some Y's and a couple of very well equipped Jewish Community Centers. There's a JCC about a mile away from me - I would think about switching but they don't participate in the medicare programs.
I did the Pilates and stretching for three months as part of my physical therapy after my leg injury. I loved the Pilates machine!
Isn’t it fantastic? So gentle but it really does help with core strength.
@smartasswoman It is fantastic! And I got some stretching, bending and twisting calisthenics in just getting in the machine! LOL
Good exercise
So it's like "get in on the ground floor for a not-small amount of money but you won't know what we're offering until after it's to late to get the introductory offer." I've always been amazed at how gyms almost don't WANT people to actually work out there, just pay membership fees.
On a different note, I've heard great stories about Stretch Lab from a friend but the cost is prohibitive for me.
I was looking on StretchLab's web site but couldn't find pricing (I'm sure that's for a reason! They get people in for an intro session, hook them in, and THEN spring the prices). I assume it might be comparable to what Lifetime wanted to charge me?
My OnePass only gets me two 25 minute sessions a month, but I think it'll be fun.
What a stinking nightmare!! You are doing things the smart way. You have a lot of patience. I would probably just skip it and the hassle.
Hugs!!
Ha, I don't think of myself as being a patient person. We'll see how I handle doing stuff at three different places.
I'm kind of experiencing information overload. Like shopper's shock. All those options and choices and few of them useful without being too expensive.
Right. I didn't even go into the various personal training options, or the group classes with a personal trainer that are extra $$$. For people who apparently don't have the motivation to climb on to a treadmill unless they're paying extra money for someone to yell at them to get their heart rate up.
(I shouldn't be critical - I could do yoga at home, but I do prefer to have an instructor telling me what to do and coming up with new routines and sequences).
Oh wow I can feel your frustration and understand why. The prices, to me, seem out of whack.
Your advantage plan had to have negotiated, I can’t imagine any company giving away free membership just because. Seems off.
I'm really curious now, how much per month Lifetime gets for the OnePass and Silver Sneakers memberships. I just did a little googling about it, but all of the information I found focused on the participant's cost ($0) and didn't talk about what the cost is to the health plan to pay for the memberships of it's clients.
Hm, my reply disappeared. I just said I was very curious what Medica is paying Lifetime for my membership there, but couldn't find anything online.
@smartasswoman it showed up after all
@smartasswoman From: health.adseyewear.com
“Silver Sneakers does not pay gyms for participating in the program. Instead, gyms are reimbursed for the cost of providing Silver Sneakers classes and other services to members. The reimbursement rate is determined by the individual gym and is based on the cost of providing the services. Gyms are also eligible for additional incentives, such as marketing support and access to Silver Sneakers’ online resources.”
@EnigmaInitiative so odd, some of the other replies that I made after this one showed up way before this did. Now I’m wondering if comments get randomly assigned as each one enters the system. If one reviewer was working more quickly I suppose later comments could get approved first.
I don’t know why I keep trying to figure out how things work around here!!
@EnigmaInitiative about what I thought. I wonder if the gym is tracking my activity and bills differently say, for a group class vs me just coming in and doing my own thing in the weight room.
It makes sense that it wouldn’t be a flat monthly reimbursement- probably a lot of people join and rarely come in and the health plan wouldn’t want to pay full freight for them.
@smartasswoman yeah I can’t figure it out either.
The reimbursement plan makes sense to me too.
Something about flexed thighs and calves!!
I certainly enjoy looking at a pair of muscular legs.
@smartasswoman Yes, I like using my flexed muscular legs in play and love to feel a woman's legs in a number of ways
I hope you can find a workable, durable and affordable solution - keeping fit (and the social side) is so important. Me, I'm a squash player
Thank you. I bet squash is great for staying fit! I’ve never been very good at anything requiring hand-eye coordination. 😊
It sounds to me that you should consider getting a dog to walk and a good yoga book and work out your own routines, saving a bomb!
Like I mentioned elsewhere, I’m alone so much that I think it’s good for me to have at least a little bit of people time by doing group fitness classes.
@smartasswoman I appreciate it can also be a social but there is always a person on the end of a dog lead.
Well it looks like you keep yourself fit and in good shape. You need to find a local gym that takes Silver Sneakers through Medicare and your supplement. I found a really nice gym and they pay the fees directly, so it costs me nothing out of pocket.
Yes, that’s what the situation has been with this gym up until now. I did check my program and there aren’t any full service gyms nearby besides this one, that are part of OnePass. Just storefront places like Planet Fitness.
@smartasswoman That is a shame! Looks like you are stuck with your current situation.
That's CRAZY!!
The local gym I've been attending for something like 10 years now is associated with the school district / recreation commission of the nearby small town. The rates have always been fairly reasonable (like $30/month) but of late they're feeling the pressure from Planet Fitness, the Y's, and others, and now all the classes, and the indoor pool, are included. (The classes used to be fee-based and the pool was extra.) Now my Medicare Advantage covers the full cost.
Yeah, I've thought of going to a gym on a regular basis, but laziness wins out all the time. Now I'm deluding myself that I'll sign up if a gym opens up across the street from the train station I use all the time. Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen 😂
Well...you know yourself. Location is really important though. Like when I lived out in the suburbs, the Lifetime I belonged to was on my way home. I learned that if I went home before going to the gym, I usually didn't make it back out the door again, so it was important that it was on my way.
Now that I'm no longer working it's not such a big deal, but not being a morning person I do like that my club is five minutes away for those morning yoga classes!
@smartasswoman
Another thing is that if I plan to do anything, I have to be out of the house before 7am, or otherwise I'll never make it out. Gyms aren't open at that hour, and if they're one of the 24-hour ones, they're not anywhere convenient for me.