Most of our kids are wild, crazy, and move seemingly a mile a minute! Staying in the best physical shape possible by working out regularly will go a long way in keeping up with those rambunctious kids, but it can sometimes be hard to find someone to watch them while you’re at the gym. So, does Blink Fitness offer childcare while you get your sweat on with them?
Blink Fitness is a relatively new fitness center chain with locations across 10 states, and it does not currently offer childcare. Because of this desire to keep costs low, childcare and other amenities are not provided, so you will need to find alternatives such as a nearby daycare, babysitter, or swapping with a partner or another gym member.
Keep reading to learn more about Blink Fitness and your options for childcare while working out there.
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Does Blink Fitness provide childcare or kid care?
Blink Fitness is one of the hottest and fastest-growing workout centers in the country. The gym currently has around 109 facilities spread across New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, Florida, and California. Hours of availability vary from state to state and location to location, with some locations being open 24-hours while others are around 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. If you have a local location, you will need to check in with them to confirm their individual hours and membership plan information.
While Blink Fitness is quickly becoming a power player in the fitness industry, their facilities at this time do not offer any accommodations for those of us with small children. However, what you will find are variable plans that may make it easier for you to find a solution to the childcare problem.
Let’s take a little closer look at some of Blink Fitness’s membership plans. Keep in mind that the prices listed are a generalization and may be different at your local facility.
- Gray – Blink’s gray plan comes in at around $20 per month and allows you to pick one facility of your choosing to work out at. With this plan, you pay from month to month, and the company asks for a 30- to 45-day notice before you cancel.
- Orange – With the orange plan, you have access to one gym of your choice with a one-year commitment. The plan comes in at around $10 per month and requires a 30- to 45-day cancel notice. After the one-year commitment, payments are made monthly.
- Blue – At $23 a month, the blue plan gives you access to all Blink Fitness locations, excluding facilities in the Lower Manhattan areas of Bryant Park, Murray Hill, 54th Street, Grand Central, Chelsea, Penn Plaza, Noho, FiDi, and the East Village. Similar to the other plans, you will have a one-year commitment and a required 30- to 45-day notice of cancellation.
- Green – Blink’s Green plan costs around $27 a month and gives you access to all Blink facilities nationwide, with no exceptions. Same as the rest, you have a one-year commitment, and a notice period of 30 to 45-days is required to cancel.
- Maintenance Fee – All plan levels will also include an annual maintenance fee that is billed annually.
With so many plans and a wide range of hours available, it shouldn’t be hard for most parents to find time to make it into a Blink’s gym. If your kiddos are older, at least 14 (16 in California), they can join you in the gym and work out with you! Without a parent’s consent, the minimum age to work out is 18.
Again, it is well worth keeping in mind that your local Blink Fitness’s plans, prices, and age limits should be close to what we listed above. But it is always best to call ahead to your local location to get exact information for your area.
How to find childcare at Blink Fitness
Blink Fitness is a great place to work out, but what are parents and guardians supposed to do without a childcare facility in-house? Well, necessity is the mother of invention!
Here are a few things you could potentially do to find a workaround for the lack of childcare at Blink:
- Look for a nearby daycare
- Take your workout virtual
- Work out as a family
Let’s take a closer look and see if any of these work for you!
Look for a daycare nearby Blink Fitness
Many daycares offer a convenient child drop-in service. For a fee, you could easily take your kiddo to the daycare for a few hours while you hit the gym!
It is very much worth asking a few local drop-in daycares if they offer any discounts to Blink Fitness members. Some may feel incentivized to offer discounts if there are gyms around them.
Depending on your schedule, you may be able to lock in a lower price if you bring your little one on a consistent and regular schedule, even if it is just a few hours a week. Drop-in daycare will most likely be one of the more costly options for you to get your work out in, but isn’t feeling healthy and fit worth it!
Take your workout virtual
Technology is wonderful! Tech can make us lazier and more sedentary, or it can help to overcome childcare issues and allow us to get a great workout!
Blink realized this and came up with the Blink Fitness app, which gives its users access to various tools that allow you to get in a great workout on your lunch break or when you get home.
The app offers:
- Over 500 workout classes
- Customizable workouts
- Delicious & nutritious recipes
- Plus access to your own personal trainer
The virtual personal trainer allows you to select the workout specialties and training style that works best for you when convenient for you!
Make getting you workout in a family affair
Depending on your situation, you could ask a family member or trusted neighbor to watch your little ones for a bit.
Your kids are growing up fast; their aunts, uncles, and grandparents would probably love to spend a little extra time with them! Plus, honestly, it’s family; unless they have a perfect excuse, it’s going to be hard for them to turn you down!
If your child is a little older, but you don’t want to leave them home alone, Blink Fitness offers a youth plan for kids 14 and up.
A couple of things NOT to do
I couldn’t end this without begging you not to do a few things!
Please do not leave your children of any age alone in the car while you go in for a “quick” workout! You will never be fit enough or look good enough to justify the potentially fatal consequences. And lastly, do not leave your small children home alone either! If they are older, maybe. But small children should not be left alone unattended while you go work out.
Emergencies and unique situations pop up; believe me, I get it! However, going to work out is not a unique situation or emergency; it isn’t worth risking something tragic happening.
If you want to learn more, I have put together a huge list of which gyms have childcare and which ones don’t!
