5 Benefits of Working Out at Home
My gym closed sometime ago now, thanks to the pandemic. That’s all well and good, however, I found myself without a place to workout. Sure, I’m free to go for bike rides, jog around the block, and go cow-tipping. But there’s something about a morning workout at the gym and an intense sauna session that can’t be replaced. So I built a home gym. And I realized in the process that there are a lot of benefits to working out at home. But is it better than working out at the gym? Here are the pros and cons of working out at home vs working out at the gym.
Home Workouts Are Always Within Reach
Okay, so this is only if you for some reason find yourself home a lot. During the pandemic, that’s a lot of us. Before the pandemic, I was already working remotely from home. But I didn’t have a home gym. Now, however, I realize how helpful it is to have a home gym. I mean, when I was younger and did independent study for home, I worked out around the house all the time. I had a punching bag and some weights in the garage. And that was great. Now I’m getting back in touch with those roots with a new training bag, some exercise mats, and a few kettlebells. It’s great to get a quick break from the work day, go outside to your garage, and get a good round on the punching bag in.
Home Workouts Require Less Mental Buy-In
UGGHH – I want to go to the gym but I also want to lie on the couch! That’s what most of my friends say when I ask if they wanna go with me to the gym. So either it’s just a lot of mental buy-in to go to the gym or my friends hate me. Could be either one. Regardless, I also sometimes feel this way. After a hard day, when you start getting that sleepy feeling, sometimes the last thing you want to do is get dressed, drive down to the gym, and be around a bunch of strangers making funny sounds who also smell funny. Well, with a home gym, you don’t have to do that. You can just hop over to your gym in your underwear if you want to and do some lifts.
Home Workouts Can Be More Comfortable
One of the major problems I’ve noticed new gym-goers have with the gym is overcoming the feeling that they are being judged. It can be tough. Sometimes the most fit people all gather at the gym, making you feel like a noob. They also might appear to be awesome at working out, and you’re just learning what a squat is. I always tell people to not worry about it, nobody is really watching you, and just workout. Still, there’s an added level of comfort involved with working out at home. I even notice that there’s a chill feeling to it, and I don’t overly think about being judged at the gym. So there’s a lower entry bar to working out at home.
More Tailored Workouts
When you workout at home, you can basically invest in any equipment you want. One thing that really bugs me about the gyms in town is that none of them have heavy bags or kick boxing equipment. If I want to train with that stuff I have to sign up for a martial arts dojo. Ain’t nobody got time for that at 26! What’s awesome about my home gym is that I can purchase the equipment I want and need, and just that. All the superfluous stuff at the gym that I don’t use, don’t need!
Home Workouts Save You Money
Sure, building out your home gym might seem like a lot of investment up-front, but as the years go by, you’ll save money. I probably pay something like 600 bucks a year on my family’s gym membership. That’s a lot. You might invest that kind of money in one sitting getting the equipment you need to workout from home. But that’s it. No recurring fees, not cancellation fees. Nada.
Additionally, it can suck to workout at the gym all the time. Naturally you want to mix your workouts up. Otherwise it gets boring and repetitive. Working out at home frees you up to not always feel obligated to go to the gym. Going for hikes, walks and playing sports don’t cost money. Neither should your workout.
Obviously, there are advantages to going to a gym. Gyms give you access to classes, lots of different kinds of equipment. Mine also has a pool, a sauna, and a tennis court. Plus, it’s a great place to meet up with friends. All-in-all, however, I think I’m liking this workout from home life. What do you like best? Comment below how you make working out at home work for you!
