There’s no denying that mid-January is an especially bleak time of the year. The joy of Christmas is long in the past and your motivation regarding any New Year’s resolutions is fading fast. And it’s cold.
So it makes sense that a Monday in January would be the most depressing day of the year – Blue Monday. It’s not really, of course – someone made it up and wrote a press release that spiralled out of control, leading to ten years of people repeating that the third Monday of January is just the absolute worst. Which in itself is a bit of a bummer.
Still, on the bright side, national gym chain DW Fitness First has established an annual tradition where it opens up its gyms to all on this day, which it calls “Red Monday”.
This means anyone and everyone can turn up and use the gym or try a fitness class, whether they’re a DW Fitness First member or not. It’s a great opportunity to start over with any resolutions that may have fallen by the wayside, or take your marathon training run into the warm for once, or lounge in the sauna, or… well, you get the idea.
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We recommend trying a class rather than just using the gym if you possibly can, because you’re likely to pick up new ideas to use in your own workouts as well as enjoying a highly motivating session led by a personal trainer. The Red Monday classes on offer will differ by location and you may have to book in advance or turn up early to secure a spot, so it’s best to check with your local Fitness First ahead of the day.
Some of the classes on offer include TraX, a strength and cardio HIIT class that throws a bit of “healthy competition” into the mix, and RoX, which is a 50/50 mix of running and boxing.
Fitness First is also bettering its new year first-month-free offer, with 50% off the first three months of a six-month contract (so one and a half months free) if you sign up in the gym on 17th or 18th January. The cost of one month's membership ranges from £39-£99.
