We all reach the point when we feel we have to do something about our fitness. Be it after big family dinner holidays or a vacation with endless dinners, snacks, and drinks. But what is better, to buy a gym membership or set up your own gym at home.
Lookin For Free Gym Membership?
Setting up a gym at home will give you a free gym for a long time. High-quality equipment can though be expensive so that the initial cost can be high. But you can start small, and many great exercises can be carried out with only a few simple tools.
If you don’t feel like showing your body to others or smell the odor of other peoples sweat, a home gym is for you. You can enjoy the privacy of your home, turn the music up loud and let it all hang out. Or you can put on calming meditation music and relax your mind while doing yoga.
Gyms have private trainers who can guide you while you are learning new exercises. When working out from home, you have to rely on the material you can find online and maybe install a mirror to get a better picture of how well you are doing. The variety of online workout training material is almost endless, and everyone should be able to find something that fits his or her needs.
One other benefit of working out at home is that you don’t need to go anywhere, and if time is of the essence, the home gym is unbeatable. And btw, it’s open 24/7.
Pros and cons of a home gym
- It's open 24/7
- No wasted time on travel
- Private, you don't need to hear, smell or see other people
- Hygienic, you'll get the flu somewhere else
- You choose your music and scent
- High initial cost
- Takes space, hard to set up in an apartment
- Many distractions (spouses, children, pets, fridge, etc.)
Why pay for membership
Many people want to go to the gym because of the social contact it provides. It can be motivating to see a lot of people work hard and you can also get inspired by exercises you see others do. Access to a personal trainer can also be essential when getting started.
A good gym has a great variety of equipment and machines. You can create sophisticated programs that will help you work out every muscle group of your body. The downside is that in popular gyms, it can get pretty crowded in the mornings and after work, and it’s not uncommon that you need to wait for the most popular equipment.
Gyms are one of those businesses that hope that their customers will not use their services, as sold memberships are far beyond their capacity. This means that most people are not using their membership efficiently, and that is a waste of money right there.
Pros and cons of a gym membership
- Social contact
- Motivation from the hardworking crowd
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Wide variety of equipment
- More options for exercises
- Personal trainers
- Costly in the long run
- You might not use it as much as intended
- Crowded in the mornings and after work
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Possible waiting for machines and equipment
- Not always hygienic, body odor
Where is the best gym?
We recommend starting with a paid gym while you are getting up to speed with some essential routines and exercises. In parallel, you can begin to acquire equipment for home and start moving some part of your routine to your home gym. You can switch to your home gym fulltime, when you don’t feel you need the support or equipment variety from the gym anymore.
In case you are a social person, home gyms might not be a good idea at all. If you like to meet new people or feel more motivated being around other people while working out, forget the home gym. You will never use it.
