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While many don’t need or want to pay for a monthly gym membership, even the most devout runners, bikers, and other fitness buffs sometimes like company during a workout, and the occasional attention and expertise of a personal trainer. And for gym-goers, there’s the perennial problem of actually making it to the gym; only about half of gym members actually get there on a regular basis.
Now you can get a total body workout on the fly with Fitmob. This San Francisco-based company connects personal trainers and other fitness instructors with exercisers in various neighborhoods throughout the city via its website (fitmob.com).
The creation of Raj Kapoor, Fitmob CEO and former founder of the photo-sharing and printing company Snapfish, Fitmob’s goal is to help personal trainers promote drop-in indoor and outdoor workout sessions in mostly public spaces like Dolores Park, the Mission Playground Clubhouse, Crissy Field, and the Marina Green. Once you’ve signed up online, you can access a week’s worth of workouts (30 total) by time, date, style, and instructor and make reservations for the sessions you want to attend. The first week of Fitmob workouts is free. After that the workouts cost $15 each, but the price goes down to $10 per workout for two classes a week, and $5 each for three or more. All of the instructors are certified trainers.
According to the company, the idea is to make exercising fun, convenient and affordable, but also to foster community among fitness buffs — there’s nothing like sweating alongside others struggling through a tough workout to help people bond. Fitmob classes include pop music and neon lighting at evening workouts, and the instructors are cheerful and knowledgeable. And the workouts have sassy names like Twerkout Conditioning, Sweat Soiree, Guru Gone Wild (yoga), Call of the Booty, and the popular Weapons of Ass Reduction.
This reporter spent an hour on a recent sunny Saturday morning at a Better Than Therapy workout at Crissy Field designed to offer a full-body workout with an emphasis on cardio conditioning. It was easy to find and reserve my spot via the Fitmob website, which also provides directions and instructions on what to bring, for example, layers and water. I also got a text reminder the day before. The location was marked with a colorful Fitmob banner and friendly staffers who signed us in and gave us equipment — in this case a foam matt and a choice of resistance tubing. The sweaty, challenging workout included squats, lunges, burpees, pushups, and core work, and yes, lots of cardio in the form of high-intensity bursts of jogging, running drills, side shuffling, and more. The hour flew by with lots of laughter and a bit of groaning from those of us being led by “sweat psychologist” Emily Gregg, whose upbeat yet slightly pushy demeanor was perfect as she urged us on until our muscles cried uncle. While some brought friends or significant others to the class, many came alone, and Gregg did a great job of getting us to work out with partners, fostering an instant sense of cameraderie.
If you’re looking for a fun new way to boost your fitness level with the help of a trained instructor, meet new friends, and skip that hefty gym membership, check out Fitmob. It’s addictive in a very healthful way.
Visit fitmob.com for details on free classes at various Marina locations April 1–15.
