Does O2 Fitness have childcare?

The challenges of parenthood are endless—I know you parents out there are busy balancing family, work, and personal commitments. What does that often leave out? Finding time for fitness.

Well, fellow parents: here's my advice for the ultimate game changer: A gym with childcare. It's truly a win-win for the entire family—I get a chance to break a sweat for an hour-ish, and my little one gets to mingle and play. 

Amazing news, parents. O2 Fitness absolutely has childcare, and it's available at every single one of their 15 locations. If you're in the Carolinas and looking for a gym that can take your kiddos for a bit, O2 should be on your list.

Major cities in North Carolina:

• Chapel Hill / Durham (3 locations)
• Greater Raleigh area (5 locations)
• Triad (4 locations)
• Wilmington

and South Carolina is covered with:

• Charleston (2 locations)

Each O2 gym with Kids Club will have a slightly different setup and layout, but the general standards will apply to all O2 clubs:

• Playroom with various colorful toys
• Safe and separated areas from the main gym floor
• A mix of activities and games, such as: 
  • Themed dress-up days
  • Role model and mascot visits
  • Face painting, crafts and music days
  • Holiday themed activities
  • Kid fitness events

Kids aged 6 weeks to 11 months will are able to attend 1 hour per day. If they're aged 1 to 12 years, 2 hours is max. You'll also need to fill out the Kids Club waiver/info-sheet for your first-time visit.

Finally, we love a program called "Drop n Shop" by O2 Fitness. You're able to leave your kids for a period of time as you shop/complete some errands. This is great—a trusted and familiar place for your child. They also have introduced "Parents Night Out" which is essentially childcare/daycare services as you enjoy a night out.

Adding Kids Club to your O2 Fitness membership is $10 per month. There are no mentions of maximum visits, just maximum time limits. We've seen other gyms charge that amount for a single visit—so using his service just once from O2 Fitness likely pays itself off quickly. 

No mention on pricing for their two special programs "Drop n Shop" and "Parents Night Out." 

So many reasons why this works for parents and kids alike:

• Super convenient! On-site babysitting facilities means parents can reliably get their exercise done without fear or worry of their kids wellbeing. It's legit a one-stop for the day to make sure you don't miss a workout.
• It's safe! Daycare facilities require certain health and safety standards, usually mandated by the county or city. This often means at least CPR certification, along with other safety protocols.
• Provides Interaction: Many babysitting/daycare services at gyms focus on engaging playtime activities—giving your kids a stimulating environment where they may play games and with other kids.
• It's flexible: We like when the childcare hours are clear and easily found. This makes planning our workout both flexible and reliable. Parents, you know how it is to juggle schedules—especially around nap time!
• It gives great Peace of Mind: Happy kid = clear mind = great workout. All is intertwined. Knowing that your child is entertained and well-supervised gives you great peace of mind.

We haven't seen a gym chain approach childcare/daycare in the way that O2 Fitness has. With every location offering the service, they clearly are showing how important full-family-fitness is. With an amenity that helps both child and parent at once, this perk alone would make going to this gym worthwhile. It's also quite inexpensive to add, too.

Finally, stepping up with their extra-hours additional services proves to O2 Fitness members that this gym chain truly is a part of your (and your kids') life!