| Many times people
ask which is better, training in a gym or at home? Well, the answer
depends upon the individual. What works well for one person may
be a disaster for another. Both have their pros and cons, but
it is important to identify which you are best suited for before
making a commitment to either purchase equipment or to join a
gym.
To begin, you should ask yourself some basic questions to get
some idea of what will work before delving into which equipment
to buy or which gym to join. Listed below are some questions to
ask yourself to help get you thinking along the right lines:
· Do you find it difficult getting motivated to workout?
· Are you embarrassed to workout in front of others?
· Is your schedule very limited?
· Can you dedicate enough time to drive to a gym and still have
time to exercise?
· Do you have children to young to be left alone?
· Is there a gym near you that is convenient?
· What is your budget?
Starting out by asking yourself these basis questions should
help you to identify which would work better for you. For starters,
if it is difficult for you to get motivated to exercise, you may
want to consider joining a gym. From personal experience I have
found that it can be very motivating to be around other people
who are exercising. On the other hand, if you can find a training
partner outside of a gym, you and your partner can motivate one
another.
Secondly, if you often feel embarrassed or self-conscious exercising
in front of others, then I would highly suggest starting out by
training at home, and maybe later, after you are more comfortable
with the idea, move into a gym environment if you still feel strongly
about it.
Third, if your schedule is very limited, you may find it easier
to train at home. That way you are eliminating the time allocated
to driving to and from the gym, as well as the time that you may
have to wait to use a particular machine if you choose to join
a busy gym, or train at their peak hours.
Fourth, be sure and take into consideration your home environment.
If you have small children that require watching, it may simply
be easier to train at home where you can keep an eye on your children,
while saving yourself the money that you have spent on a baby-sitter.
On the other hand, getting away for your own sanity may be just
what you need—some gyms even offer daycare facilities.
Fifth, don’t forget location. Is there even a gym near your home
or work that is convenient for you? Remember to figure what time
of day you will be exercising and if it is before work, will you
be showering at the gym and then proceeding straight to work?
In that case, make sure the facility you choose has showers. You
should also consider training on you lunch break. You may work
for a company that provides a corporate gym on site or offers
a corporate package to a gym outside of the company.
And last, what does your budget allow? If you choose to join
a gym, do your research. Gym memberships can be almost as complicated
as buying a new car. Make sure you are getting exactly what you
need and are not paying for additional benefits that you will
not use. Nowadays, excellent home gyms are available that offer
a variety of exercises. Fitness Warehouse (Busy Body Home Fitness)
offers excellent customer service and if you are planning to train
from home and are in the market for a home gym, I highly recommend
checking them out.
Hopefully this has shed some light on the dilemma between joining
a gym and training at home. Obviously, the questions I discussed
were only a few of a possible many, and so I encourage each individual
to do his or her own research and evaluation of their particular
situation before making any hasty decisions one way or the other.
Make your decision carefully!
©Melissa Allen is a certified personal trainer, Blackbelt & fitness
consultant, as well as the owner of Optimum Condition— personal
fitness training and kickboxing instruction. She is a self-syndicated
columnist and a member of the San Diego Press Club and the National
Society of Newspaper Columnists. She welcomes input from her readers,
so please contact her with any questions or comments that you
may have by calling (619) 252-4993, email her at Opticondit@aol.com,
or visit her website at www.optimumcondition.com.
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