Let’s be clear, this is not an ad. In fact, I’d like to set the record straight from the get-go that I’m avidly against college students paying for things. I’ll be the first to admit that I turn a blind eye when freshmen go up for a second free t-shirt at campus events. I mean, some of these boys will wear that shirt everyday for the entire semester; who am I to stop them from having a backup?
Because I feel so strongly about college students having access to free things, I wanted to share my experience with ClassPass’ month-long free trial. Before we dive in, though, I should probably answer some questions. What is ClassPass? What did my free-trial involve? Is an experience worth it just because it’s free?
Well, let’s get into it.
ClassPass is an app that allows you to book appointments at workout studios, gyms, salons, etc. You can find places near you and reserve sessions with them online. A user must pay a monthly fee for ClassPass credits, and with these credits, you can book individual sessions through the app, rather than paying (in some cases) a more expensive fee directly to said studio. Some classes, like a simple open gym or Pilates class, are as low as six credits, but some more high-priced treatments, such as a spa day or facial, may land somewhere in the 30-40 credit range. Depending on your desired amount of credits per month, your monthly ClassPass rate fluctuates. According to their website, the cheaper rate lands somewhere around $19 a month and the expensive rate lands somewhere around $249 a month. It can definitely be considered pricey, especially for a college student who’s working part-time or not at all. Truthfully, I would go as far as saying that ClassPass and the companies they collaborate with aren’t quite designed for the financial bracket that most college students fall into. This is why, when my friend called me on September 2nd with news about a month-long free trial, I knew I had to investigate.
And investigate, I did.
Now, before we jump into my workout adventures, I want to clarify two things. The free trial does not—unfortunately, but rather predictably—include spa treatments/salon appointments. Those still required credits. However, luckily for me, I’m not super fond of strangers touching me. The second stipulation is that you can’t re-book an appointment at the same place without using credits (i.e. paying) and you only get ten classes for free. This trial is strictly a sampling platter. Again, luckily for me, the city of Raleigh, NC had quite the assortment of workout studios to choose from.
My first class was a Reformer Pilates class. As someone who has never done Reformer Pilates before, I was both terrified of the moving “carriage” that I had to balance on and thrilled that a Pilates workout could be done off of a mat. Yes, my legs did get “the shakes” mid-workout, and yes, I was limping up the stairs for the next few days. Everyone was incredibly sweet and supportive (a common theme in these women-dominated classes; hmm… why am I not surprised?) and I have never experienced a workout like it. Will I be going back? Unfortunately, not for the 100+ dollars it costs for a monthly membership. But there was another studio in the area, and I did have to spend twenty dollars on grip socks, so it was only a matter of time before the Reformer and I met again.
The second workout I attended was a barre class. I had never done barre before, and it was both curiosity and a commitment to make the most out of a free thing that dragged me out of bed at 5am. If you are just getting into working out, here’s a pro-tip: 98% of the time, it’s better to take someone with you. My mom accompanied me to this one, and although it wasn’t as intense as the Reformer, we definitely left sweaty and out-of-breath. Turns out barre isn’t too different from a regular Pilates/strength exercise class, although there was definitely an added element of cardio involved.
The third studio I attended was the first one I went to alone. It was a cycling class full of LED lights, three cyclists (including me), and an instructor that had the energy of a newly-adopted puppy with the zoomies. Maybe that’s the reason she was able to bike nonstop for an hour with the perceived effortlessness of a Britney Spears performance. She taught me that stationary bikes weren’t just for cycling; they were also for push-ups, lifting weights, squats, and dancing. Mind you, this is all while she is singing Ellie Goulding with not a hitch in her breath. I don’t think I ever partied so hard before 8am.
Have you ever thought to yourself: “(wo)Man, I’d love to workout, but there just isn’t enough exercises that make me feel like a bird in flight.” Enter appointment number 4: Aerial Swing Foundations. For my friend who had introduced this trial to me, trying an aerial class was a non-negotiable. I wasn’t about to be one to negotiate either. I had never worked with silks before, and free is reason enough to try something new. My friend and I spent the hour swirling and twirling upside down and around with another ClassPass free trial-er. It was incredibly fun, and the instructor was the sweetest. Without a doubt, this was the shining star of the ClassPass saga.
The fifth class was another Reformer Pilates class. This time I came back to the Reformer determined to kick its butt. Spoiler alert: it kicked my butt, but improvements were definitely made! I’ll take what I can get.
I signed up for a class called Core on a Sunday morning at a local gym. No one showed up, not even the instructor, so I assumed I missed an email about the class’s cancellation. Deciding not to waste the time I had, I started doing my own workout. As I was going through my normal routine, another class came in and, well, I might as well get my money’s worth, right? (Yes, I know it was free.) This is how I ended up in the middle of a class populated with people who have most certainly lived through at least 15 presidential terms. I’m pretty sure I was the only one there born after the turn of the century. This made it even more embarrassing when I got completely shown up. It’s alright, I was technically intruding on that class anyway; if I wasn’t paying, the least I could give them was my pride.
Number seven was another Reformer class because evidently, I can’t seem to get enough of being humbled. This class was particularly fun because everything was pink, and the curriculum was half Reformer Pilates, half trampoline. I’ve never done a trampoline workout before. Safe to say, I was reminded of an old tape of my first ballet recital: six year old me fumbling behind the rest of the little ballerinas, a look of pure concentration amongst an array of smiles, always at least one move behind. Despite looking about as graceful as that fumbling six year old, the jump-dancing certainly added a level of whimsy that had been missing from my typical workout routine.
The final studio I visited prior to writing this article was a strength-training studio. It was circuit training, which basically means we had an allotted amount of time to rotate between a ton of different exercises. This one had me working muscles I wasn’t even aware I had, introducing me to exercises that I could (and probably should) incorporate into my typical gym routine. I could see why a membership to this studio was pricey. The technology this studio utilized to demonstrate each exercise, time the workouts and breaks, track the rotations, and walk through warm-ups and cool-downs was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It gave the instructor more of an opportunity to pay attention to what the class needed, including helping me combat my truly atrocious push-up form. It felt like having a personal trainer with the added benefit of being able to ease up a little when their attention was pulled elsewhere.
I have three studios left to explore if I want to get the most out of this free trial. Will I? Absolutely. This past month of running around the greater RDU area at the crack of dawn has been entirely worth it for me. Not only did I experience new workouts, meet new people, and commit myself to moving my body regularly, but I’ve been getting out of the house early, starting my day energized, and setting a tone of productivity that I manage to carry with me to campus. Again, this isn’t an ad for ClassPass per se, but rather an encouragement to take advantage of the free things you come across, especially when going to school is more or less your full time job. Life so rarely gives out handouts, and you never know what sort of exciting situations saying “yes” will land you in!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do think that the month-long free trial for ClassPass was a limited offer, but if you are interested in the app, I’m pretty sure that they offer shorter free trials all year long. Just remember to read the fine print and set an alarm for the day your trial ends! Also, many of these studios are small businesses and the owners/instructors are really wonderful. If you do have the interest and financial means to join one of these studios, I think that’s a wonderful thing! I simply wanted to recount my experiences as a college student who, at this point in time, cannot afford monthly membership fees to private studios, and urge students who are in similar positions to keep an eye out for free experiences; you never know what you might be offered!