Should You Work Out at Home?
By Sara Butler
Many people want to start exercising on a regular basis but face one very important question in that pursuit: Should they join a gym or work out at home? There are pros and cons to each situation and which one is best is really a personal decision only you can make. Here are some of the things you should think about when deciding if you should join a gym or create your own right at home.
Cost
Probably the biggest motivator behind working out at home is the savings. Joining a gym costs money. You can easily stream workouts at home, buy a workout game for your video game system, or buy a used treadmill and still come out ahead money-wise. A gym is a fixed expense many people simply try to avoid.
Quality of Equipment
One of the things a gym has going for it is that they probably have a larger array of equipment as well as higher quality equipment than most people can afford for their home gym. Especially when it comes to cardio equipment such as treadmills, rowing machines, and ellipticals, a gym is usually a better option.
Accountability
The cold, hard truth is that signing up for a fitness class at your local gym or simply making friends at your local gym to work out with creates accountability for you -- and that's something that is hard to come by at your home gym. If you're new to the world of working out, a gym may be the better choice simply because the other people around you often help you feel as if you belong as well as make you accountable.
Comfort
Perhaps one of the biggest roadblocks many people have to joining a gym is their comfort level. It may simply feel intimidating to join a gym, especially for beginners. You may choose to work out at home for this reason. If that's the case, start working out regularly at home and then build up some confidence that makes it a little easier for you to join a gym and explore all it has to offer.
Your Schedule
Time is precious to many people and it's yet another roadblock to working out. Who wants to go out of their way to the gym on their way home from work? If this sounds like you, then you should try working out at home so that it's simply easier to fit into your schedule.
You can be successful working out at home, but make sure you stop to reassess every know and then if it's fitting your fitness needs.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Sterling, Va.