I’ve Taken Every Class that Equinox Chestnut Hill Currently Offers

I completed my 2017 New Year’s Resolution!

I’ve taken every single group fitness class that the Equinox in Chestnut Hill currently offers. You can read a recap of all 50 classes I took here, and a really cute (read, naive) description of my goal here: http://www.iamrunningthis.com/2017-goal-try-every-class-at-the-equinox/. When I wrote it I assumed it’d be about 22 different classes, not realizing that class offerings change regularly. Totes adorable.

I ended up taking 50 unique classes.

But I did it. I got to the point where I could look at the schedule and there was nothing I hadn’t taken.

To check, I printed out the PDF of the regular class schedule and wrote down the date I’d taken every class. I then cross-checked it with my spreadsheet of when I took classes and discovered that there are 11 classes I took throughout the year that aren’t currently on the schedule.

When I checked my phone today after my last class, there was a text message with confetti waiting for me from Greg. Love. 🙂

Would I do it again?

Well….

I’m so glad I did this.

I’ve worked out with the after-dinner crowd and the 6 a.m. crowd. I’ve competed with a college student in rowing class and talked yoga instructors with an 81-year-old who can hold a headstand longer than I can. (Ok, I can’t even hold a headstand.) I’ve burst out laughing in the middle of a pilates class and barely survived Tabata Circuit. I’ve stopped collapsing in my chaturanga or feeling self-conscious when I ditch the weights during a jab sequence so I can focus on technique.

But there were diminishing returns. After I’d taken about 20 or 25 fitness classes, I felt like I’d pretty much tried everything and was getting variations on a theme when I walked into a new class.

By June I had successfully pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I’d tried every style of class, gone to class at all different times of day, and met a lot of incredible instructors. At that point, I might have benefited more by sticking with something.

I wonder a little how much I sacrificed by prioritizing variety over consistency. What would have happened if I’d taken the 9 yoga classes back to back over three weeks instead? How much could I have grown and improved by focusing in that way?

Would I recommend it to others?

I love the idea and how much I grew during the process, but I don’t think taking every class your gym offers is necessary (or even advisable) to reap the benefits. You could easily break it down into a smaller goal that meets your end needs more efficiently.

Love yoga? Try taking every style yoga class offered at your gym, or take a class from every instructor, or visit every yoga studio within a certain radius of your home.

Want to push outside your comfort zone? Try taking a new class once a week for 10 weeks, hitting at least one in every category.

Want to really experience your gym? Try taking a class at every single start-time to see it all hours of the day. You might fall in love with how you feel taking a late afternoon class.

Trying new classes, learning from new instructors, connecting with other people at the gym, and getting out of the house at different times of day were all richly rewarding.

What’s next for me?

2017 was a year where iamrunningthis didn’t… and it’s time to get back to it.

I’ve signed up for the Maine Coast Half Marathon in May.

Equinox has its new Precision Running lab opening in the Spring, so it looks like the perfect time to take my new love of fitness classes and use them to boost my running instead of replacing it.

Best wishes as you daydream your next goals!

PS – If anyone knows where I can buy one of the discontinued t-shirts that says EQUINOX MADE ME DO IT… I’m kind of in the market for one. 😉