Yikes! I tried Curves for a while, but really, it’s not much of a workout. You’d be better off joining a gym.
The founder of Domino’s sent money to various pro-life groups, but he sold the chain a while back. Go ahead and eat their pizza.
The difference being, she is making the choice about her own body, rather than have it forced upon her.
And besides, are there “right” reasons to make these decisions? Again, if it’s her body, why should the reasons matter to anyone else?
Agreed, and vehemently. I would choose not to support someone who supports these places, even if it’s his own money and not the company’s official position, but this is an issue that I feel very, very strongly about.
I hate the gym anyway, so my solution was to buy an elliptical machine and some handweights for about $600–the equivalent to a two-year gym membership. The lump-sum outlay kept me accountable (spent the money, gotta use it) as did the machine staring at me from the guest room every morning, and being able to work out in privacy where I could pop in a DVD or crank up the stereo is really great for me.
The investment has paid off well. At this point I’ve owned it for just shy of two years, and still use it a minimum of five times a week, way better than my shoddy gym track record. 
The money going to a cause you oppose is probably insubstantial in the grand scheme. If you’re doing this for your health, you may add years to your life with which you can be a voice for your views on the issue. I say join and get healthy, and if an alternative becomes available, join that.
It’s one thing to ban abortion. It’s another to discourage it. The pro-choice movement advocates the choice to have an abortion, it doesn’t advocate abortions, and it shouldn’t despise people who discourage them. To the extent of boycotting gyms and pizza places? Quit with this partisan bullshit of who’s on your team and who’s your enemy. Mindsets like these are what’s wrong with this country.
How about this then: instead of giving them your money, you walk to the Curves that’s four blocks away, and back home. Repeat a few times, then run to the Curves at top speed (just fas enough so that you can run the whole way, but arrive out of breath), while walking back slowly. Repeat a few times, then cool down by walking back and forth a few more times. Let’s say you do 2 “laps” of 4 blocks in each direction as a warmup, 4-8 laps of intervals, and 2 more laps of warmdown. 12 laps x 8 blocks = 96 blocks, at 20 blocks a mile makes that just under 4 miles at most, a very nice workout. (Start doing just 4 laps of intervals and push yourself to do more over time.)
Do this cardio four times a week. For the “full body” aspect, twice a week, do as many push-ups as you can without stopping before beginning the walking; then try to do about half as many push-ups after your warmdown, followed by some crunches and chin-ups.
There you go, a free full-body workout that spits in the face of Curves!
Throw in a calorie counting strategy and you’ll be trimming down muy rapido.
:dubious:
We’re not talking about merely discouraging-we’re talking about people who use their resources to lobby to make abortion illegal. I don’t wish my money to go towards those causes.
Money for pro-life causes doesn’t go to lobbying to illegalize abortion (or if it does, it’s useless). Lobbying can effectively affect many issues. But for abortion, it’s spitting in the rain.
Second. And note that between facilities costs, taxes, employees, other investors, your 10% is going to be much more than 10% of that guy’s share of your membership fee.
Taking another tack, I have seen a lot of Curves franchise’s go out of business. You may pay your $$ and find that one closed.
How about trying the Y?
When the guy is the founder and CEO, the only real difference between giving HIS money and corporate money is a dollar amount. Curves gets a billion dollars, he gets maybe 50 million, and gives 5 million to whatever (I’m just making these numbers up as examples, BTW).
The company is his money machine, and he is funnelling it to pro-life groups. He has an absolute right to do this, as people who know this have an absolute right to not participate.
Drain Bead, it looks like you’re not alone in this. You see, I did a bit of Googling on Gary Heavin, Curves founder, and I came acrossthis website for pro-choice women who are considering joining Curves. It suggests, among other things, a bunch of charities you can donate to to counter Mr. Heavin’s proclivities. It includes the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation which he boycotts because they give money to Planned Parenthood.
I wouldn’t go to one myself, and not just because of Mr. Heavin’s actions. The workout doesn’t sound like the way I like to work out, and I’m not that wild about women-only things. Mr. Heavin believes he’s out to better the lives of American women by reducing obesity. From what I’ve read, it does sound like it’s a spiritual goal for him, although one that’s made him a ton of money. On the other hand, I know a few people who’ve gone to Curves and swear by it.
It’s a little more insidious than that, actually. The “pregnancy support” centers mentioned upthread are absolutely disgusting to me, because of how they try to trick women who need unbiased help in making a decision.
Where does money donated to pro-life causes go, exactly? I think everyone has a goal in lessening the number of abortions–I prefer to do it through contraception education and accessibility, they want to do it by…well, banning abortion. Are you alleging that pro-life causes do not have the ultimate goal of ensuring that abortion is unlawful?
Curvers For Choice, anyone?
Drain Bead
Before you get yourself worked up about this, I would suggest that you go try out a Curves facility. I think they give people a couple of workouts free before making a commitment. Really look at the workout and see if it is something that you would want to do multiple times per week.
I was a Curves member and what really drove me out was not their political activism, but the:
- Incredibly cheesy music they play
- Inane conversations of the other guests
At Curves, you need to be able to hear the electronic voice telling you to change stations, so you cannot wear headphones or anything.
Make sure its right for you!
Pass. Morally, you’ll never be comfortable with your decision. It’ll haunt you. Besides, what’s inexpensive about Curves? Ms. Malienation looked into Curves before finding out about the pro-life thing, and wasn’t impressed with their rates. They have poor machines and no locker rooms. Members have no ability to tailor workouts to suit their needs (some say this regimentation is a plus, but once you become acclimated to working out, you’ll be sorry you can’t do it any way but theirs). Really, for what you get, they’re overpriced.
>It’s a little more insidious than that, actually. The “pregnancy support” centers mentioned upthread are absolutely disgusting to me, because of how they try to trick women who need unbiased help in making a decision.
I can speak to some of this, too. I used to volunteer at an abortion clinic as an escort to help patients get around the “pro-life” people and into the clinic. The “pro-life” people would do various things that I found reprehensible and inexcuseable. They would run at patients and slow down or veer away at the last moment. They would walk alongside us and angle their path into ours to try to crowd us off the curb (if we were on the sidewalk) or into the curb (if we were in the street). They would hold big grisly photographs in front of the patient, within less than a foot of their face so they couldn’t even see to walk. And this was after courts had started limiting the things they could do, and the police would start to make a point of cruising our block frequently. During the times when there were no patients around, they would walk briskly into us and shove us with their shoulder and arm at their side, in a posture I might use to try to force a door open. They would also yell taunts at us. They would often yell that we were homosexuals - this always amazed me, because I would have to guess that the only demographic that rarely seeks out abortions would be - no, not Republicans, not conservatives, not Evalgelicals, not Catholics, not Nuns, not even Right to Life movement leaders - no, the demographic I’m thinking of is the fully committed gay people.
Anyway, I have imagined since then that money channeled to the pro-life movement is a pretty nasty thing.
I wouldn’t join if I were you. Malienation is right; it seems like you’d never be comfortable with your decision.
I don’t know if this is an option for you, but my alma mater offers alumni a gym pass for $10 a month. The only drawback is that instead of working out with folks of all shapes and sizes, I’m working out with 19-year-old sorority girls. Not so great for the old self-esteem. 
You could see if universities in your area offer a similar deal to community members or alumni.
Or, if you want to support a great, woman-friendly organization, you could join the YWCA. Their official mission is “Empowering Women, Eliminating Racism.” In support of that mission, my local YW offers child care, mentoring programs for teen mothers, preventative health programs, and classes for the community on everything from basic computer skills to affordable homebuying, as well as having a fitness center and workout classes. Check out the one in your area.
Join Curves so you can have a sexy body, and then use that sexy body to seduce men and then get yourself repeatedly impregnated so you can have multiple abortions, over and over again, to get back at the pro-life people who are in charge of it.
FIGHT THE POWER!