Say No to Gym Fees & Yes To Home Workouts
We all find our motivation from different sources and just because joining the gym seems like a logical thing to do when you are deciding to turn over a new leaf, make a fresh start at fitness or take your training to the next level, it isn’t going to work for everyone. So what are the benefits of saying no to signing a contract at a local gym and opting to workout at home instead?
Money
Number one and perhaps the most obvious, saying no to the gym will prevent that monthly direct debit being taken from your bank account. Yes, you may need to invest in some basic or minimal equipment to get your home set up and ready to use, but ultimately you will be saving a great deal of money if you do some research and invest wisely.
Time
Perhaps the most precious factor on this list and something we could all use more of – minutes in the day! By cutting out the time needed to pack your gym bag, the journey to and from the gym, time to change in and out of your gym gear etc, you are freeing up more time in your day to complete a greater workout, or even just have more time after and do those important cool down stretches we are all quick to sacrifice when we are in a rush.
Flexibility
Working out at home is also flexible within our schedule and we can work out at anytime that works for our day to day life, including around those unexpected spanner in the work moments or when your babysitter cancels. Whereas, if you miss the gym class because the train home from work was delayed, your workout plans are ruined!
No People
Now don’t get me wrong I am all for making friends and socialising, but sometimes when I exercise it is more about me having down time away from work and the stresses life can pile on. I like to zone out and turn off from the world around for a short amount of time each day and focus on me. This can become quite difficult in busy gyms, when you have to be spatially aware of others at all times, or waiting for people to finish using the equipment you are wanting to work with. And that is without mentioning the gym egos that are flying around and those that don’t follow simple gym etiquette that can be off putting to the best of us.
At home we can exercise without judgement, take things at our own pace without fear of losing a piece of equipment or the fear of holding someone else up. We can relax and enjoy our workout, focus on ourselves and have no pressure of what others think about how we look or what we are wearing.
Speaking of Etiquette
There is nothing worse than people who don’t clean and put away the equipment they have been using correctly, making life more difficult and not particularly hygienic for the rest of us. In fact, according to a recent test carried out by Fitrated website, after testing a treadmill, an exercise bike and some free weights at 3 different gyms who are part of major chains, they found over 1 million germs per square inch, on every piece of equipment! And if that isn’t enough to make you think twice, up to 70% of the bacteria discovered was known to be harmful and cause both skin infections and illnesses.
Tailor Made Training
Once you know your training goals, you can really focus and create concise workouts that are working towards that, without getting distracted by 100s of different machines which are in essence no more effective. And ultimately, if you are working on your resistance training and mainly lifting weights, why are you paying for a gym that offers spin classes, zumba and a swimming pool if you aren’t making use of them at all?
