September is my birthday month, and this year I’m turning 37. I’m not one of those women who’s always trying to downplay her age. I’m a Bicentennial Baby, and that’s totally, completely fine with me. What’s not fine with me? That I’m not at a healthy weight. I’ve been overweight since I was a tween. It’s not that I was stuffing my face so much as not *moving* the way you need to in order to be active and healthy. Being overweight didn’t stop me from enjoying school, making friends, going to school dances, or falling in love, but it did make me self-conscious, incredibly modest, and unwilling to participate in even friendly athletic competitions (OK, maybe that last one has more to do with my lack of athletic ability, but still, I associate it with being out-of-shape).
Not only am I about to turn 37, but I was born at 37 weeks — a mid-September baby who wasn’t supposed to arrive until early October, so I’m embarking on a 37-week project of renewal. I’m going to work out every week at a different gym, almost all local, but occasionally also via personal trainers or fitness videos. Every week, I will review the gym/workout I visited or completed the week before, sharing my thoughts on the classes, the facilities, the instructors, the cost, and how my fitness level is changing.
I’d like to thank the following gyms for being the first to support my Personal Fitness Map by offering me a free one-week pass to try out their facilities. If you have a favorite gym or specialty fitness studio in the DC area you think I should visit, please leave a comment, so I can arrange my week-long trial membership. My only caveat is that it can’t be more than 20 miles/45 minutes away from Silver Spring.
D.C.:
Maryland:
Virginia:
Personal Trainers:
- Virtual Boot Camp by Balance Personal Fitness Training
