Should You do your Exercise at Home or at the Gym ?

This is an important decision for you to make. Do you join a gym or fitness center, or do try to get all your exercise at home? And you have to answer this question right at the beginning. But don't let it boggle your mind so much that you put off deciding, you have to begin somewhere. So let's work this out. We'll help you make the right decision of what's best for you.

A big part of the decision depends on what kind of exercise you decide to do.  If your choice includes expensive, heavy, or specialized equipment like a series of exercise stations or a swimming pool, then the obvious solution is the health club or fitness center. But if you choose the type of exercises that can be done at home, then your options are still open. Let us consider a few reasons for either side:

There are many advantages to exercising at home. Number one is the amount of money you will save from not paying the membership fees. Also you save money in transportation costs of getting to the club, including your gas, and parking fees, and don't forget a certain amount for wear and tear on your car.  Plus a big savings is not so much the money but the time you save by not commuting to the spa or fitness center. Another financial cost you will be saving will come from avoiding the cost of a whole new exercise wardrobe, at home you don't care so much what others think, you don't have to stock up on stylish exercise clothes. Consider these costs when you are trying to decide whether to do your exercise at home or at the gym.

But you are not quite "home free" when you choose to workout at home. If you need some sort of exercise machine such as a treadmill or a universal exercise machine, or a stationary exercise bike, you have to purchase your own, you won't have the advantage of all the equipment you could use at the gym. Just about any exercise you do at home will require some purchase, even joggers need running shoes and sweats. So consider those costs, and how about this one, where are you going to put the equipment and do you need a special workout area? How much will it cost to modify a room, or the garage or the basement for the exercise room?

Besides the savings, here is an important consideration for many beginners, by working out at home they can avoid having other people watch them as they struggle to get in shape.  Many beginners are really unhappy with the way they look in exercise clothing, and they are also concerned with looking like complete fools as they try to do moves and gyrations their out-of-shape body just will not do with style and grace.  In the privacy of your own home, where there's no one watching or judging you, you'll likely feel more comfortable doing your workouts.

But of course, it is not all weighted towards the home workout solution, there are good reasons to chose to do your exercise at the spa or fitness center. The main reason to go to the gym to workout is all the specialized equipment they have there. A second reason to consider is the expert advice and help you can get from the trainers and instructors they provide. Another good reason to chose the gym is the fact that you DO have other people around. You will be motivated by working out with others for two reasons, one, it's good to see others struggling with the same problems you have and seeing them conquer them with dedication. It makes feel you can do the same. And another motivation you get from working out with others is that once they get to know you, they will be looking for you to show up on certain days and they will often ask why you missed such and such. This simple fact will help you be more motivated to actually go even on days you don't really feel like it.

Plus, consider the financial motivation. Once you have signed the contract and paid for your membership, you had better go regularly to get your money's worth, you already paid for it, better get your butt in gear and get down there or you are just wasting money. Now that will likely help you be more motivated.

But then again, just because you decided to do your work outs at home doesn't mean you can't use the motivation of others to help you do your exercise, just get a friend or neighbor to join you for the workouts. Then since you know your exercise buddy is expecting you show at a certain time, you will be motivated to actually show up for the workout. Plus you will have the added incentive of knowing you can't avoid them, you'll be seeing them a few hours later, and then what are you going tell them? Now that is incentive. What will they say?

The main consideration in choosing to do exercises at home or at the gym is choosing the one that will help you do your exercise regularly. Many out of shape people decide to do their workouts at home at first so they have a chance to get enough in shape so they won't be so embarrassed to go to the fitness center which puts them in more of a public view. After they get a bit more in shape, then they try the gym. That is often a good choice.

And consider this, you can always change your workout place later. In fact, you can try different gyms or fitness centers by trying a sample trial membership that many offer, or by going with a friend on a special guest pass that some spas and fitness centers offer. Try the different machines, see if you can find something that helps you get your exercise, something you will enjoy.

Don't keep putting your decision off, you better do SOMETHING, get off your fat butt and exercise! Flip a coin if you have to, but decide, and then get going!