Why I Tried Orange Theory

Fernanda and Coach Olivia at OT in Palm Desert

Going to a gym and lifting weights for an hour or attending a class where a coach yells at me turns me off. I don't want to hang out with bulked-up bodybuilders seeking to impress themselves or others. Orange Theory (OT for short), on the other hand, hits all the right spots for me.

I have tried everything from Zumba and aerobics to yoga and Pilates. While yoga and Pilates are excellent and I enjoy them, I needed to find a way to incorporate weight training into my exercise regime. We travel a lot, so getting into an exercise routine now poses a problem.

I had seen signs for this place called Orange Theory all over the US and knew it was an exercise studio. I looked inside once and saw all these people together doing exercises and I thought nope, not for me.

But when the results of my last physical came back, I knew it was time to start making changes if I wanted to grow old with strength and health. The problem is, I don't like going to the gym, don't like weight training, and have no self-motivation when it comes to weight bearing exercise. I just like to walk!

Thank heavens for a supportive spouse who pushed me to make the changes I needed. We signed up to do Orange Theory together so that I would have a committed exercise partner. What I have grown to love about the OT program is that it truly is a non-judgmental group exercise program. An extra OT benefit is that you can go to classes where ever there is a studio. You just need to sign up for a class in advance.

Yes, we all are in the room performing the same exercises at the same time. But, no one is telling us what size weights we have to use, other than a heavy weight or a light weight. So, for the physically fit participant, they might use a 50-pound weight while the beginner will use 5 or 8 pounds. And we all do the same number of repetitions but at our own speed.

My favorite type of class is called a 2G which stands for 2 groups. For roughly 30 minutes we are on a treadmill, bike or strider and then we switch to the weight floor. This allows me to get both cardio and weight bearing exercise in one hour.

Certain class times are popular so they move to a 3G where we are split into thirds with a group on the treads, a group on the rowers, and a group on the weight floor. I don't like rowing, but it really is a terrific full-body workout.

The studios also have an option of 50 minutes on either the tread or the weight floor with exercises for upper, lower, or full body depending on the class. I actually like to sign up for the weight floor option because it gives me almost a solid hour of weight training supervised by friendly coaches.

The coaches are there to help when I need it and they will definitely correct me if I am doing a movement wrong. At the start I was frequently reminded to not hurt my back. Honestly, the coaches at both Orange Theory studios we use are fantastic. I have several favorites in the Desert but I will mention Olivia specifically.

Olivia is in nursing school and she works at Orange Theory when not in class. Her happy vibe and wide smile are just what I need on those days when I am craving extra support. And she is my technical advisor when the fitness tracker refuses to acknowledge my efforts.

If you need music to motivate you for a run OT has that covered too. If I understand it correctly, there are many playlists the coaches can choose from. But, the music always has a beat that will allow runners to keep a good pace and everyone else motivated to keep lifting.

It's been several months since we started Orange Theory and we are showing no signs of quitting. In fact, I lamented to Coach Olivia that where we spend our summers in Michigan is devoid of a studio. I will cross that exercise bridge when I get to it, but for now, bring on my next 2G.