How To Work Out For Free All Month
Here we are, halfway through January and ignoring New Year’s resolutions while sitting on the couch binge-watching Black Mirror and eating chocolate-chip cookies. You tell yourself you’ll go to the gym on Monday, because everyone knows it’s easier to start a lifestyle change on a Monday. But then you realize you don’t even have a gym membership.
No more excuses. Turns out, you can work out for free every day for the rest of January by taking advantage of guest passes, free trials, and intro offers. So put on your game face—you know, the one you use with the salesperson while you’re checking out that designer handbag you know you can’t afford—and get yourself in gear. There’s nothing to lose, except for hopefully those unwanted holiday pounds.
Through January 21: Pure Barre
Offer: seven-day free trial
Grab a pair of sticky socks and get ready to tuck and pulse your way through this structured, 50-minute class. This low-impact, total-body workout promises to give you a dancer’s bod in no time, using only a barre, hand weights, and a small exercise ball. Try it out at one of the five Indianapolis locations with a week-long unlimited class pass. purebarre.com
January 22–26: LA Fitness
Offer: Five-day free guest pass
Ditch the barre and yoga mat for a more traditional gym experience for your second week. At LA Fitness, you can personalize your week of workouts, choosing from free weights, cardio equipment, group fitness classes, lap swim, and more. Sure, you have to listen to a spiel of membership offers and agree to a short tour of the facility first, but then you’ll be on your way to five days of quality time with the Smith Machine and squat rack. And did we mention there’s aqua zumba? lafitness.com
January 27: CycleBar
Offer: First class free
Jump on the spin train. Pop into either the Traders Point or Carmel location and ride your way through a 45- or-60 minute session for free. At CycleBar, the experience—large video screens, heart-pumping loud music , and specialized lighting—might make you forget the burn. Look for the “FREE Intro to CycleBar” on the online schedule, usually offered on Saturdays at noon. traderspoint.cyclebar.com, carmel.cyclebar.com
January 28: Orangetheory Fitness
Offer: First class free
This new heartrate-based interval training workout is quickly capturing the sweat of fitness newbies and professional gym-goers alike. Using heartrate monitors to track your progress in real-time—which are broadcast on TV screens for the entire class to see, by the way—the trainer pushes you to reach your fat-burn-optimizing “orange zone” while you row, lift, ride, or run. Reaching the “orange zone” is supposed to keep calories burning for up to 36 hours after you crawl—err, walk—out of the hour-long class. orangetheoryfitness.com
January 29: PurposeFit Pilates
Offer: Free 30-minute Intro to Pilates class
This intimate studio on the southside offers both barre and Pilates classes, all led by owner and certified Pilates instructor Brienne Christopher, who incorporates a spiritual, Christian message into her practice. (Christopher is also a former IndyCar on-air reporter for ESPN and ABC Sports.) New customers can try an intro Pilates class for free by scheduling with the MINDBODY app (or here). But stay strong and aloof when she starts talking membership offers—you’ve still got several more stops on your free workout tour. briennechristopher.com
January 30: Peak Performance Indy
Offer: One-day free trial
This northeastside gym offers 18,000 square feet of newly renovated workout space. On top of your basic cardio and strength training equipment, Peak Performance Fitness gives members access to free classes including aerobics, Pilates, and spinning. Even the aesthetic is cool—think concrete floors and exposed brick. See what all the hype is about by signing up for a free one-day trial on its website. peakperformancefitnesscenter.com
January 31: Studio 317 Fitness & Cycling
Offer: First class free
From BodyPump to HIIT to cycling, this Greenwood studio has plenty of ways to get you sweating. Depending on how you’re feeling at the end of your Tour de Free fitness journey, you can go big with a barbell workout or take it easy with a cool-down yoga session. Check out the lineup online, and then call to schedule your free class. studio317fitness.com
Maybe after trying out all of these options you’ll be ready to commit. Or maybe you’ll go back to sitting on the couch eating chocolate-chip cookies. Either way, you will have saved a couple weeks’ worth of gym membership fees.
