Starting on your fitness journey is already a hard row to hoe– deciding to finally change your habits and daily routine can be tough. On the other hand, staying committed is an entirely different story as much as it’s a vital part of your fitness success. You’ll be needing a total change in lifestyle and self-discipline that most people, even the professionals, still struggle with.
To be able to be successful in your fitness journey, it’s necessary to know and understand your own preferences. While self-discipline and pushing limits are key, knowing what your own preferences tell you helps a lot during the days you feel uninspired.
Now, this big question arises— in starting your fitness journey, should you get a gym membership or just workout from home? Let’s answer that with these four things you must weigh in before deciding which fitness route to take.
1. Workout Conditions
Which part of the day will your fitness routine fit? Do you have ample space at home? What kind of workouts are you planning to do? You should be able to identify these workout conditions first and foremost before finally deciding on anything. While identifying these, allow yourself to choose the most fitting one that you can work on a daily basis.
Say, if you choose to workout every morning, you’ll be needing a gym that’s close to your workplace or your home for this to feasible. If you choose to work out in your home to fit your morning routine, you must also know how to fight the challenges of working out in a place that’s very comfortable for you. Same goes if you pick a later schedule.
If you’re living in an apartment with limited space, would you be able to at home effectively? Take note that proper space is essential for cardiovascular workouts and exercises, which are highly needed if your desired goal is weight loss. If you plan on doing these, heading to a gym is highly suggested.
2. The Costs
We hear you– gym memberships can be extremely costly. But have you ever thought that buying your own equipment for your home workouts may match these fees too?
For a certain monthly rate and annual membership, you can have full access to all gym equipment and features. Some gyms may even have trainers included in the fees. It’s simply getting what you’ve paid for.
Though it’s obviously a lot cheaper to workout from home, with the absence of equipment and machines, you may need to buy them on your own. That means cutting a large chunk out of your savings, especially if you opt to buy machines. Both have pros and cons that you must decide on.
3. Motivations and Distractions
Considering these factors can help a lot during your typical ‘meh’ days. To most people, simply getting up for a workout can be the biggest struggle of all.
A lot would agree that working out from home falls low in the motivations section, while high in the distractions part. Seeing your comfy couch or soft bed might be red flags for distractions already. Though there are also people who find that strong motivation and self-discipline to workout at home more effective. That’s why it is highly important to know how you’ll be reacting towards these distractions.
Working out in a gym may have bigger motivating factors– the big monthly and annual fees, a good trainer, or even a highly committed gym buddy. But these may not always be the case for everyone. To some, getting intimidated by seeing buffs around while they’re only starting out is demotivating already, some may also find socializing not useful while working out.
Identifying which factors will motivate you the most is just as important as taking note of what will distract you along the way.
4. Learning it yourself vs. Getting Professional Help
With all the fitness enthusiasts and experts sharing workout advice all over the internet, working out from home is more attainable nowadays. But you must know that you will need to study which fitness programs will help you achieve your goals. Hiring a professional to help you through the grind definitely has its advantages. Matt from Rec Xpress, a local gym in Clayton, highlights “not every gym requires a lock-in contract, do your research and find one that offers a month to month membership in case you ever want to stop”.
Limited knowledge of fitness may result to slow progress or worst, unforeseen injuries. If you decide to DIY your workout programs, be prepared to go on a trial-and-error method– it might be a long and tedious one, but will definitely be worth it for the long haul.
Hiring a trainer is a much more sensible option for beginners. Professional trainers got the proper education and training to help people achieve their goals more effectively. Plus, trainers are great motivators and pushers too– someone everyone needs during tough times. With this, staying committed to your goals can be a lot more achievable.
It’s Definitely your Call
Whatever you decide on, know that the success of your workouts all boils down to your commitment. A dedicated person who works out from home every day will surely achieve more results than someone who pays for a gym membership he rarely even use.
Working out from home and at the gym have varying factors that can either motivate or distract your workout routines. Learning to push your limits while keeping your eyes on your goal is something you should work on every single day, no matter where your workout location may be.
