Making the decision to start working out seems reasonably easy. However, when it comes down to it, many women struggle to choose between working out at home and the gym. Some of us cannot get enough of the gym energy, while others love the convenience of working out at home. It’s easy to join a gym, but you also have to pay for a membership and ensure that you stick to your routine. On the other hand, it’s convenient to exercise at home for women, but you have to remain motivated and not slack off.
So, which is better – at-home workouts or sweating it out at the gym?
Let’s explore the pros and cons of both exercising at the gym and working out at home so that you can decide which one you like more!
Pros of Exercising at a Gym
For some women, working out at the gym is the only way to become healthier, and they prefer it over exercising at home. Here are some benefits of exercising at the gym:
1. Amenities
Working out can be a lot easier when you have so many machines and varied equipment to help you. A gym provides you all of these amenities, including stationary bikes, treadmills, stair steppers, elliptical trainers, rowing machines, and more. It also offers you weighted equipment, such as barbells, dumbbells, cable machines, free weights, and more.
All of this equipment opens up the possibility to choose between so many types of workouts. If you are looking to build your strength, you can use weighted equipment to build your muscles. If you want to become fitter with cardio, you can use the treadmill for a sweaty workout. You can also work with multiple machines and equipment to create a unique workout circuit that works for your body.
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A major attraction of working out at the gym as opposed to choosing to exercise at home for women is the facility of a trainer and professional classes. Sure, you can take online classes at home. However, it’s not the same as taking a professional class at the gym with the trainer right in front of you, correcting your stance and motivating you to complete the workout.
3. Sense of Belonging
Joining a gym to work on your health and fitness provides you with an unmatched sense of community and inclusiveness. If you go in with a positive mindset, working at the gym allows you to draw from other people’s positive energy and feel like a part of a larger, meaningful community of like-minded individuals who want to work hard on their bodies and attain holistic wellness. It also instills a sense of healthy competition, which pushes you to work harder.
4. Focus and Routine
If you need a consistent routine to exercise, heading to the gym might be in your best interest. After all, the gym environment allows you to stay focused on your goals and remain on track. Plus, it’s so much easier to stay focused when going to the gym and exercising there becomes a part of your routine.
5. Motivation
When you pay for the gym membership, it provides you with the motivation to put that money to good use and exercise. Being surrounded by other fitness enthusiasts also acts as a motivating factor. You also feel accountable to your trainer, which motivates you to push harder.
Plus, when you have access to so many machines, equipment, and trainers, you feel motivated to work even harder. It encourages you to perform the workouts that you are most comfortable with and then branch out and experiment with new equipment to challenge yourself.
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A gym membership has its fair share of advantages over exercise at home for women, but working out at the gym also comes with the following drawbacks:
1. Exorbitant Costs
Regardless of the sort of gym you choose, you will have to pay a membership fee. High-end clubs with state-of-the-art equipment charge more than $100 per month, while smaller gyms might charge a minimal $10 per month. However, those clubs don’t offer any good facilities or amenities either. Additionally, once you sign up for the membership, the gym will charge you for it even if you were too busy to use your slot and exercise at the facility.
2. Inconvenience
A significant drawback of exercising at the gym is just how inconvenient it can be, particularly for someone who has a busy schedule. You have to take out a designated time for it from your packed schedule and be there at the gym at any cost since you don’t have the convenience to head there anytime you want. You will also have to get dressed properly, pack a bag, drive to the gym, etc., which will take up more of your time. It requires the kind of commitment that most people cannot afford to make.
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When you’re working out at the gym, you will have to get used to sweaty strangers exercising alongside you. When there are so many people working out in a confined space, it leads to various issues, such as noise pollution in the form of people talking loudly on their phones or to each other. Additionally, some people don’t care about their hygiene or cleanliness in general, which means that you will have to deal with sweaty gym equipment and machines.
4. Negative thought Process
At times, working out at the gym can negatively affect your self-esteem. It happens when you start noticing how strong and healthy the people around you are and start comparing yourself to them. It will take your focus away from what truly matters and send you down a self-deprecating spiral.
5. Wait Time
If you have joined a smaller gym with limited pieces of equipment, you might have to wait your turn on a busy day as the machine might already be occupied by the time you go to the gym. It can be quite frustrating, especially if you have a packed schedule and you cannot spare more than an hour at the gym. You might not be able to perform the exercise that you wanted to perform if the equipment used for that workout remains occupied while you’re at the gym.
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For some women, home workouts are the best option, and they don’t even feel the need to head to the gym. Here are some reasons why it can be an incredible, convenient, and easy to exercise at home for women:
1. Convenience
Convenience is inarguably the biggest factor that motivates people to stick to at-home workouts. Working you at home doesn’t demand you to drive anywhere, arrange for daycare, pack a bag, schedule a time, etc.
It provides you with the convenience to work out whenever you have the time, which is ideal for someone who has a busy or unpredictable schedule. It also allows you to split your workout to make it easier. You can squeeze in a quick HIIT workout during lunch breaks and perform some cardio during the evening. It allows you to stay healthy and fit despite your hectic schedule.
2. No Membership Fee
Another significant benefit of working out from home is that you don’t have to pay an exorbitant membership fee for an hour of exercising that you might or might not be able to avail. Plus, if you’re worried about the lack of equipment at home, such as weights, barbells, etc., you can always rely on weighted water bottles and gym bags to perform your workouts.
Alternatively, you can perform workouts that don’t require any equipment. Look up cardio, HIIT, Pilates trainers online and follow their training sessions or workout circuits for at-home workouts. You can even take your yoga mat out on a bright and sunny day and exercise in your garden.
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When you workout at home, you are not surrounded by unimaginably fit strangers who are performing strenuous workouts without breaking into a sweat. You don’t feel bad about your body or your slow progress as you are not unfairly comparing yourself with people who have been working out for longer than you have. It allows you to maintain a positive attitude and focus on exercising to become healthier rather than focusing on how you are not as good at it as someone else.
4. Privacy
The lack of strangers also ensures that you have complete privacy. It’s great for anyone who detests the idea of working out in front of people. Often, individuals don’t feel comfortable heading to the gym until they have gotten the hang of their workout or until they are comfortable with their bodies and have enough confidence in their endurance and skills to venture to an exercise class. Either way, working out at home offers you the opportunity to be you without feeling uncomfortable or facing a crippling fear of judgment.
5. No Pressure to Exceed Expectations
When you exercise at home, you don’t have to face the mental pressure of performing well in front of your trainer. You don’t feel the need to push yourself beyond your limits, which can result in an injury. You have the freedom to exercise at your own pace and do what you love to do. After all, a huge part of becoming healthier and fitter is enjoying the process and discovering what works best for your mind and body.
Cons of Working Out at Home
Here are some reasons why it can be a bit difficult to exercise at home for women:
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When you are working out at the gym, the knowledge that you have paid for your time there motivates you to make the best of it and to not let your hard-earned money down the drain. You don’t have any such motivation when working out at home.
You also don’t feel any pressure to look your best because, unlike the gym, you aren’t surrounded by motivated peers and strangers who are giving it their all to power through their workouts and remain fit. That is why it’s relatively easy to lose your steam and motivation when working out at home.
2. Innumerable Distractions and Excuses
Another downside of working out at home is that there are numerous excuses that you can come up with to skip your workout. If you struggle with motivating yourself, you might end up avoiding at-home workouts and wasting your time and energy on other tasks that can wait, such as doing the laundry, completing pending work, fixing up your bookshelf, sending out emails, or even filing your nails.
3. Laziness
A major hurdle that people struggle with when working out at home is plain, old laziness. If you tend to become too lazy and laid back at home, you might struggle with working out. You might prefer to spend your time lazing around in your bed and watching some TV instead of powering through a workout.
4. No Routine
When you’re exercising at home, it can be a bit challenging to set a routine for yourself. You might not be able to stick to your routine and might not even feel motivated to stick to it and keep putting the workout off by thinking that you will do it in the afternoon, evening, or the next day, and so on.
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Even though you don’t need a lot of space to workout at home, you might need some space if you plan to get a treadmill or any other large equipment for working out. Most often, small apartments don’t have that kind of space, especially if you have a large family. In such an instance, lack of space can certainly hamper your motivation to workout.
6. Lack of Equipment
Oftentimes, people are unable to invest in gym equipment to workout at home. The lack of equipment and the comfortable ambiance of your home can discourage you from working out. It’s especially true if you prefer to exercise with equipment. You can try cardio or any exercise that doesn’t require any equipment, but since you’re already demotivated, it will be that much harder to try something different.
The Bottom Line
As you now know, both at-home workouts and working out at the gym have their unique benefits. Exercising at home is convenient and does not cost you anything while working out at the gym provides you with some much-needed sense of accountability, which keeps you motivated. At the end of the day, you should do whatever floats your boat and suits your life. As long as you’re staying healthy and incorporating routine workouts into your life, you’re good to go!
