The last time I actually wore a bikini was 1987. I was sunburned, slathered in baby oil and bouncing up and down nauseous on the infamous “beach bus,” which shuttled eager valley girls over Topanga Canyon in the hopes of making contact with a real life surfer. I was 15 then. So getting “bikini-ready” simply meant “putting one on.” In 2015, its a whole other endeavor equipped with exercising, exfoliating, waxing, and a host of other things I have very little experience or patience doing. Here are some of the things I’ve committed myself to doing for two weeks in order to make life slightly more pleasant for those around me, should I ever venture into a bikini again. Dieting is NOT one of them.
Heated Cardio Workout! Cardio sucks balls. Im not going to lie. Pretty much any hard core cardio sucks for me. Add 100 degrees and a dark stinky room filled with 30 plus stationary bikes piled on top of each other and you pretty much described my idea of hell. (Actually scratch that, put a sound track on of El DeBarge and my kids wining and THAT would be hell)
Yet for some reason it’s NOT! Maybe it’s the thoughtful playlist.
Maybe it’s Melissa Lau, the instructor’s, encouraging up beat vibe. Maybe it’s her savant-like ability to remember every single person’s name. Who knows. Whatever the reason, the 55 minutes of torture I endured three times a week at North Hollywood’s Sweat Shoppe during my bikini journey, were some of my favorite moments. No joke. Its hard and intense. But Melissa’s class is a party the entire time. Such a party, my husband and I made her Wednesday night 6:30pm class our official “date night.” Romantic, I know.
Reasonably priced at $20.00 a class with packages and flash sales frequently, Sweat Shoppe’s 55 minute heated workout definitely gives you the most bang for your buck Of course there are days I’d pay triple to just not show up, but its those days that Melissa’s personality and her dedicated following of fellow spinners worked extra hard to see me through. Its definitely a supportive community with large (toned) open arms for new comers and beginners and anyone else who dares to enter. But be prepared, you have to sign up ahead of time. And if you don’t show up, you may just get a text from Melissa. It’s not a super scary text…just scary enough!
Meredith is a mom of three perfectly behaved and always impeccably dressed boys who never cuss or fight. She prefers exercise to the side effects of lithium. You can follow her on Instagram @meredithmorton but don’t expect too much.