Want to start going to the gym but need motivation? Or maybe you work out at home but the cute little monsters who live with you make it hard to be consistent? Prioritizing your fitness isn’t impossible. In fact, I can give you one really good reason why you can and should go to the gym: child care! Get everyone out of the house while you get in shape. These fitness centers in the area offer child care as part of their membership or as an add-on for a little extra. When you think about the cost of a babysitter, it’s a no-brainer! You’ll be hitting the treadmill, the floor mat, and the weights in no time.
For Big Upgrades Coming Soon
Edgewater Fitness
This neighborhood gym is getting a major glow-up. It was purchased by Pure Family Fitness, a company that runs gyms throughout Delaware and Maryland. Renovations will begin soon and will include their child care area. According to their website, the room for kids will have “fixed play equipment for safer, more engaging supervision.” And don’t worry—they will still be open during renovations! Plus, Pure Family Fitness will open a new gym in Pasadena, so keep an eye out for that!
Location(s): Edgewater
Age Range: 6 weeks to 11 years
Child Care Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 AM to noon and 4 PM to 8 PM. Saturday to Sunday, 8 AM to noon.
Duration: 2 hours
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: Current membership options and prices can be found on their website. Adding a child for the Kids Club will be $20 per month for the first child and $10 per month for each additional child.
Drop-In Option: Yes, $15 per child.
For a Spa-Like Experience
Evolutions
Evolutions Annapolis Health Club offers a calm, relaxing environment for your wellness journey. They’ve got the biggest fitness trends including yoga, barre, Pilates, TRX, and cycle. Get your heart pumping, then relax with a massage. They focus on the whole person in a mindful, approachable way. And your whole person includes the fact that you are a parent. Don’t worry, your kids will be well looked after by their child care staff.
Location(s): Annapolis
Age Range: 6 weeks to 10 years
Child Care Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 5 PM to 7:30 PM. Saturday to Sunday, 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
Duration: 2 hours
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: Their Basic plan is $65 per month but has some limitations for access. Their All Access plan is $112 per month. And they have an Off Peak plan for only $53 per month, for those who prefer to work out between noon and 4 PM. Adding a child to the membership costs $50 for the first child and $25 for each additional child.
Drop-in Option: Yes, $12 per child.
For All-Around Support
Foundation Fitness
Foundation Fitness has gyms all over the DMV, but they all want the same thing: to make their clients feel welcome and supported. They provide motivation without intimidation. (That would work for me…I’m not a huge fan of getting yelled at.) And their personal training options include prenatal training, for women who want to work out safely while pregnant. Once the baby is born, their child care area will be glad to have you both right away—they offer care for babies as young as two weeks old!
Location(s): Annapolis
Age Range: 2 weeks to 12 years old
Child Care Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Friday, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Saturday, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
Duration: Time slots are booked in 1- to 2-hour increments.
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: Their Adult Month-to-Month plan, which has no long-term commitment, is $82 per month ($72 discounted rate). Their 12-Month Commitment plan is $75 per month ($65 discounted rate). And they have plans discounted for military, first responders, students, seniors, and educators at $75 per month ($65 discounted rate).
Drop-in Option: No.
For the Gym Rats
Gold’s Gym
Gold’s Gym is the place to go if you want to become a true Gym Bro. But powerlifters and bodybuilders aren’t the only ones getting swole. Mamas can drop off their kiddos and then go work out in the Lady Gold’s women-only area, take a Zumba class, or do some spinning. Then finish up by checking out their pro shop for your next athletic-wear and healthy snacks.
Location(s): Pasadena/Marley Station, Glen Burnie, and Crofton
Age Range: 6 months to 12 years old
Child Care Hours:
Marley Station: Monday to Thursday, 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM to 8 PM. Friday, 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Saturday to Sunday, 9 AM to 1 PM.
Glen Burnie: Monday to Thursday, 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM to 8 PM. Friday, 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Saturday to Sunday, 9 AM to 1 PM.
Crofton: Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 1 PM and 3:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Saturday to
Sunday, 8 AM to 1 PM.
Duration: 2 hours
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: Their Gold Membership plan costs $33.99 per month, $3.23 due at sign-up, with a $49.99 annual fee. This plan includes Kids Club spots for two children, with each additional child costing $5.00 per month. There are two Basic Membership plans that differ with how much they cost up front and how much they cost per month. However, Glen Burnie and Crofton’s Basic plans do not allow the addition of children for Kids Club access. Marley Station allows children to be added to their Basic plans for $5 per child.
Drop-in Option:
Marley Station: No.
Glen Burnie: Yes, $20 per child per day.
Crofton: No.
For Newbies
LA Fitness
This is my gym! And the reason I joined…you guessed it, the Kids Klub! My kids love the large play structures, the variety of toys, and the friends they’ve made. Plus, there’s a TV with access to children’s shows, because sometimes the only thing getting my little one into the car is, “You can watch Paw Patrol at mommy’s gym!” For grown-ups, there’s weightlifting equipment, cardio machines, a basketball court, a pool and more. While their equipment is not as high-end as other gyms (for example, they don’t have individual TV screens on their bikes and treadmills), going there has allowed me to try different forms of exercise and learn what works best for me.
Location(s): Crofton and Severn
Age Range: 3 months to 12 years old
Child Care Hours:
Crofton: Monday to Thursday, 8 AM to noon and 4 PM to 8 PM. Friday to Saturday, 8 AM to noon.
Severn: Monday to Thursday, 9 AM to noon and 4 PM to 8 PM. Friday to Saturday, 9 AM to noon.
Duration: 2 hours
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: Their Basic Plan allows access to only one LA Fitness location and costs $29.99 per month, plus a $69 annual fee. They have two Classic plans: One costs $29.99 per month, plus a $99 initiation fee and a $69 annual fee. The other costs $39.99 per month with no initiation fee and a $69 annual fee. Access to the Kids Klub costs $10 per child, charged monthly.
Drop-in Option: Yes, $10 per child.
For Affordability Plus Perks
Pip Moyer Rec Center
This Annapolis staple offers not just the usual gym equipment, but also an indoor track and a rock wall! Plus, you can learn some new moves in one of their dance classes or focus on fitness with their personal trainers. Your kids will be safe in the Kidz Zone until the end of your workout. After which, you can take them over to Ballocity for fun indoor play or out on the trails to get into nature.
Location(s): Truxton Park, Annapolis
Age Range: 4 months to 12 years old
Child Care Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 7 PM. Saturday, 8 AM to 4 PM.
Duration: 2 hours
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: A monthly plan for an adult is $36 for Annapolis residents and $41 for non-residents. For kids ages 3-17 the cost is $28 for a resident and $33 for a non-resident. Children two and under are free! And more options for rates are available. However, access to the Kidz Zone is a separate payment at the front desk. According to the Kidz Zone page on their website, “The fee is $3 per hour (or any portion of an hour) for the first child and $2 per hour for additional children of [the] same family. A 10-hour punch card is available for $25.”
Drop-in Option: Yes, $6 for residents and $7 for non-residents ages 3-17. The drop-in fee for adults is $8 for residents and $10 for non-residents.
For an Extra-Long Workout
Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club
It can be tricky to cram everything you have to do at the gym before your kids reach the child care time limit. You’ve gotta put your stuff in a locker, do a warm-up, workout, cool down, stretch, and shower. It takes some time management, that’s for sure! But that’s not a problem at SPRFC, because their child care workers will watch your babies as long as the room is open for the day! So take your time with your run or your swim—SPRFC has got you!
Location(s): Severna Park
Age Range: 6 weeks to 12 years old
Child Care Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM to noon and 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Friday to Saturday, 8:30 AM to noon.
Duration: As long as the childcare room is open.
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: On their website you can find their One Year Individual Membership, which is $70 per month, and includes your children. And it doesn’t matter whether you have just a singleton or you could build your own baseball team—they’re all included! Their Equipment Rooms Only Membership is $55 per month and does not include child care, but you can add-on for only $20 per month to cover your family. Each of these has a one-year commitment, enrollment fees of $150, and key tag fees of $10. They offer discounts for military, seniors, and corporate members. Just reach out to membership@sprfc.com or call 410-987-0980 for more info.
Drop-in Option: Yes, $6 for the first child, plus a fee for each additional child.
For a Women-Focused Gym
Transformations Fitness
This gym that’s just for the ladies offers workout equipment and fitness classes that will get you sweating, smiling, and making tons of new friends. You can even workout with your kiddos who are eight and older! Have a blast stretching together, dancing together, and kickboxing together (oh, I know my kids would like that!). Transformations also offers personal training, nutrition counseling, and medical weight loss. They are focused on helping women get healthy, fit, and happy.
Location(s): Odenton and Pasadena
Age Range: 6 weeks and up
Child Care Hours: Monday, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 4:30 PM to 8 PM. Tuesday, 9:30 AM to 1 PM and 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Wednesday, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 4:30 PM to 8 PM. Thursday, 9:30 AM to 1 PM and 4:30 PM to 8 PM. Friday, 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Saturday, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Sunday, 9 AM to 11 AM.
Duration: Flexible, but be sure to reserve time using their app.
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: All memberships include unlimited access to gyms, classes, and child care. Their memberships include a 12-week plan, a 24-week plan, and a 52-week plan, which cost $24 per week, $18 per week, and $14 per week, respectively. They also have a PT Plus membership with a weekly personal training session for 12 weeks. Visit their website for more information.
Drop-in Option: No, because child care is included in all memberships.
For All the Bells and Whistles
The Y
The Y has really grown over the years…this is not the version I remember from childhood! Its huge locations in both Arnold and Pasadena are filled to the brim with state-of-the-art exercise machines and dedicated spaces for any group activity you can think of: racquetball, yoga, basketball, cycling, and so much more. For families, they have almost everything a mama could want: rooms with activities you can do together, a Stay and Play area for kids to hang out while you work out, pools with splash pads, playgrounds, clubs, sports, day camp…and regular parents’ night out events! So you’re telling me that I could actually have one of these ‘date nights’ I hear so much about? Yes, please!
Location(s): Pasadena and Arnold
Age Range: 6 weeks to 10 years
Child Care Hours:
Arnold: Monday to Thursday, 8 AM to 12:15 PM and 4 PM to 8 PM. Friday, 8 AM to 12:15 PM and 4 PM to 7 PM. Saturday, 8 AM to 12:15 PM. Sunday, 9 AM to 12:15 PM.
Pasadena: Monday to Thursday, 8 AM to noon and 4 PM to 8 PM. Friday, 8 AM to noon and 4 PM to 7 PM. Saturday, 8 AM to noon. Sunday, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cost of Membership and/or Child Care Add-on: $74 one-time fee, discount for active-duty military and first responders, $122 per month for a family including up to four adults and all dependent children under age 26 (with a 10-person limit).
Drop-in Option: No.
No more home HIIT sessions interrupted by someone asking for juice or tattling on their brother. No more yoga poses dismantled by a toddler using you to see how high he can climb. And no more workout videos drowned out by someone screaming, “MA!”. (Are these all real examples from my life? Who’s to say!) When you get to exercise in peace and your kids get to run amok in a safe environment, everyone wins! And don’t forget, a strong, healthy mama who has had time to herself can show up for her kids with more energy. It doesn’t matter what exercise you do, as long as it’s for you!
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