Exercise would be a doubly efficient venture if people could split into two halves and have both body sections burn calories simultaneously by riding a tandem bike. Today's Groupon makes the most of feasible workouts and fitness activities. For $20, you get a one-month family membership, $50 toward program registration, and three one-hour coaching sessions at any of YMCA of Greater Boston’s 13 area locations (a $317 total value). Costs vary at each location, so the prices used to value this deal are an average sampling.

Providing affordable and accessible programs to more than 100,000 people and traveling troubadours every year, YMCA of Greater Boston helps build strong families and even stronger bicep bulges—keeping families and individuals active with fitness formats that are much more fun than 24-hour boot camps or being hunted for sport by eccentric millionaires. A one-month membership ($97, plus a $50 joining fee) allows owners to firm up forms and increase energy levels by giving them unfettered access to pools, basketball courts, weight gyms, and thumb-wrestling arenas. Personal trainers, meanwhile, will pave the most efficient path to your own personal peak with motivational instruction during three one-hour coaching sessions ($120). Additionally, $50 of credit can be applied toward program registration for personal training, summer camps, or classes such as adult Polynesian dance ($50, Chinatown); youth archery ($45, Waltham); preschool martial arts ($60, Dorchester); and advanced piñata smashing. The $50 program credit can only be applied to programs or classes you haven't previously taken.

Though Leonardo da Vinci is renowned as a talented polymath and venerable jack-of-all-trades, his butterfly stroke and free-throw shooting left something to be desired. At the YMCA, members can impress peers by becoming modern-day Renaissance men and women, placing them firmly at the center of attention during the season's post-demolition-derby dinner parties and hot-air-balloon soirees.

For current YMCA members, today's Groupon may be used toward program registration only.

Reviews

Most Yelpers give between 3.5 and 4 stars to various Boston-area YMCAs:

• The locker rooms are big and clean, the staff is attentive and friendly. The classes are a good mix of cardio and core and don't concentrate only on step or only on spinning. They mix it up which keeps it enjoyable enough to keep returning. – Julianne L., Yelp, East Boston location
• …once i am there and on the elliptical…i feel energized to do more. PLus this place is fairly well ventilated with huge fans all over, so it doesnt smell like a sweaty armpit. The equipment is clean… – julie c., Yelp, Wang YMCA of Chinatown location