Maybe you’re now wanting to incorporate exercise into your everyday life, or maybe you already exercise at home or at the gym but are thinking of changing things up. Either way, you need to weigh the potential positive and negative aspects of exercising either at home or at the gym.
Exercising at Home: The Ultimate Convenience
Pros
The most obvious benefit is that you don’t have to drive anywhere! But maybe your gym is just a 5-minute drive away; that’s still 50 minutes of sitting in your car if you work out five times a week! Who wants that? Especially when it’s freezing cold (or boiling hot) outside.
And while many gyms are open 24 hours each day, plenty of them aren’t. When your home is your gym, any time can be a workout time—right after you get up, right when you get home from work, or even late in the evening. Your home is ready when you are!
Working out at home is also usually more cost effective. Some gym memberships can be pricey. Save the money and exercise in your living room, or use that money to get your own exercise equipment! And if machines and weights aren’t your thing, then a gym probably isn’t for you anyway! Bodyweight exercises at home, perhaps coupled with a few budget-friendly accessories, are often all anyone needs to achieve a healthy level of fitness.
Doing home-based workouts also allows you a lot of variety, if you’re going for that. Online classes, workout apps, workout DVDs, and endless exercise regimens you can find online—it’s surprising just how much you really can do in your own home with a little creativity.
Cons
But of course, home workouts aren’t without their drawbacks. For some people, exercising in their living room can quickly become monotonous and boring. If you’re the kind of person that can’t stand sticking to a routine, then you’ll want to consider all your options and try a bit of everything.
Temptations can also abound at home. The fridge is just a few feet away, and so is the television or the computer. If you are easily distracted, working out at home can be a challenge.
If you’re not sure about your form or what exercises are the best for you individually, you’ll have to rely on your own research skills. Unless you’re willing to pay for a personal trainer, no one is going to be there to correct your bad form or give you other instruction.
And finally, space can sometimes be an issue. If you live in a small apartment, for instance, certain exercises may just not be a possibility for you. Or maybe you live with multiple roommates who wouldn’t appreciate you taking over the whole living room for 30 minutes every day. The fact is that not every home environment is conducive to exercise.
The Gym: Where Community and Equipment Are Plentiful
Pros
We’ll start with the most obvious benefit for any gym: equipment. Rowing machines, ellipticals, treadmills, cycling machines, dumbbells, medicine balls, ropes, running tracks, weight racks, and on and on. Not all gyms have the fancy stuff, of course, but many do offer a mind-boggling amount of equipment and other perks, like showers, pools, and saunas.
For those who want to go all in on their fitness, and are willing to pay for it, then the gym will help them achieve enormous success in their fitness goals.
Many gyms also offer classes, bringing a whole new level of energy and camaraderie as well as professional instruction. Yoga, Zumba, spin classes, kickboxing, and many other fun activities are offered at many gyms. And this brings us to the next biggest perk: the community.
A lot of people are social exercisers, and surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals can certainly be a powerful way to motivate yourself, especially if you join a gym that has a high focus on community, like many CrossFit gyms. Sharing the fitness journey can be a great way to keep yourself accountable to your goals.
Cons
Gym memberships aren’t free, and some are really not free. If you want a smorgasbord of fancy equipment or the wisdom of an instructor, prepare to pay for it. And monthly payments can really add up.
And then on top of that, you need to get your gym bag ready and drive to the gym, taking away precious time in which you could be working out. For some, this isn’t a big deal. But for others, such as moms and dads, every minute counts (and leaving children at home might not be a realistic option).
And finally, sharing gym space with fellow gym-goers isn’t always ideal, especially if you can’t get to the gym when attendance is low. This means sharing equipment and potentially dealing with less-than-ideal gym etiquette. The fact is, you never know who you might have to interact with. You never know who will not properly clean the equipment after using it. And you also never know who is going to the gym while sick. Going to the gym can potentially expose you to whatever illnesses are spreading throughout your community.
Your Fitness, Your Rules
In the end, the decision comes down to your personal preferences and lifestyle factors. Perhaps you thrive in the solitude of your living room or draw upon the energy of the gym environment. Consider your fitness goals, your budget, your schedule, and what motivates you. Go ahead and experiment. There’s nothing wrong with getting a membership for a month and trying out a gym, or getting a medicine ball or a workout DVD and seeing how a home regimen can work out.
The important thing is that you get moving and keep moving!
Namaste
