Gym Membership vs. Working out at home.
 

So I've been thinking about buying an exercise bike, or elliptical, or treadmill, or something so that I could exercise more, in a lower impact way then I've been trying, and so that I could exercise in the comfort of my own bedroom...

but now I'm wondering if it would be a better idea to get a gym membership...

I'm nervous that I'll pay for the membership but never go because it freaks me out going alone, and I don't have anyone else that would be interested in going with me...and I also don't know if I'd be able to motivate myself to actually GO...and I don't have a set work schedule so it's not like I can set aside specific times each week to go...BUT at the same time I would have access to all of the equipment I could possibly want...and more weights, and a pool I could swim laps in, and all that other stuff.

Do you guys think the cost of a gym membership is worth it? Oh, and how much does a gym membership even cost? lol.

from my experience, i've preferred a gym membership. I work from home, so its nice to be able to go somewhere else to do something else, if you know what I mean. Makes it more of a break. Plus I dont have to worry about family members commenting, sweating on the carpet, collapsing and not having anyone to revive me :lol: Plus at the gym there are people to make sure you are doing everything right, got the right posture etc. My gym is pretty expensive, but i think it varies a lot depending on where you go

I had a membership at golds for a couple years and LOVED it. I feel extremely limited just working out at home. It was so nice to be in that atmosphere and have access to everything a gym offers. To me it was as motivated as I could get and once you start going a while you start to meet people and know the staff and you just go.

We used to have a movie cenema with cardio equipment in replace of chairs and OMG how I miss it. It was so easy to go in and watch a movie and end up working out for over a hour! lol

I also *LOVE* doing all the classes.

If I could afford it right now I would totally have a membership again. My membership was 30 bucks a month and when I went in and they tried to get me to pay start up fees or whatever they are for like 100 bucks I told them another gym had a special for no money down and ta da I didnt have to pay anything. I would like to point out that another gym really did had a special and I didnt lie! lol

Just call around for specials though and you can get a pretty good monthly rate and play your cards. =)

oh yeah VernDern reminded me! I would definately wait and see if there are any joining specials before you go for the gym option, if you decide to. Often at this time of year they have specials, e.g. waive the joining fee etc, so you can save a bunch there

I agree- this time of year is when a lot of people join- new years time- so they usually do specials:)

I say Gym- I've bought equipment before and it always becomes a laundry rack. I like the Gym because other people there are really working hard so it motivates me and I push myself more than if I'm alone at home.

I would join somewhere close with fun classes- like ZUMBA! That's my favorite. Classes are a good way to meet fitness minded friends too!

I love having a treadmill at home because I always seem to get the urge to workout really late at night when the gym is closed/I don't feel like going out.

On the other hand, gym equipment is so stinking expensive! And the gyms usually have topnotch machines and you can try as many as you want without having to shell out the money to get them yourself.

i think it depends all on you. if you buy the equipment would you really exercise at home? And if you got the membership would you really go? i say this because i have the stationary bike, a boxing dummy, and elliptical and even with having it i found i wouldnt be motivated to actualy do it and even when i got that burst of energy to do it it wasnt for long because i knew i could end it anytime because i was at home..As for the membership i did that as well but i found myself being selfconcious of working out with alot of regular people it seemed like i was the only big person there thank god i was able to get my money back since i was there for only 2 weeks..
so my question to you is just ask your self which can you see yourself doing try to do all the pros and cons now..
i do exercise i found a good middle between home and a gym. i walk sometimes jogg around my job its exactly a mile . i do the loop when im done work so u see when i get tired i cant just go in the house and quit i must finish to get back ..lol
recently i got myself a wii fit plus its so much fun....i even sweat and i feel the burn its exercise you cant wait to do..lol

i hope this helps you....sorry i wrote so much it just sounds like a question i could have asked and this is how id want someone to answer...best of luck

i say get a membership at first i was worried about not havinga workout partner and going alone by myself but then as i start going by myself i realized i can go by msyelf and don't need someone to go with me and as a matter of fact when my mom wants to come with me i get mad because sometimes she wants to leave early and i like to stay longer so maybe its better to not have a work out partner ? =) Plus I get my alone time when i am at the gym i just blast my music and workout and not worry about anything else.

Find a gym that has classes! This has been the biggest gym motivator for me. That way, for instance, you can give yourself a clear "I have to be at the gym at 7:00 for my kickboxing class." I always go to the gym when I have a specific time that I have to be there; otherwise, I'll keep telling myself "I'll go in a half hour" until bedtime.

I definately prefer a gym membership. I had sooooo much anxiety about going alone and I went and realized that everyone else there is there for the same reason (more or less)... they're trying to take care of themselves. I belong to the YMCA and it's just such a great environment. The staff is amazing and the equipment is always in great condition. There's a real sense of community there.

I also prefer a gym membership. After the first few times going to the gym by myself it wasn't as intimidated and there are SO many machines, classes, and weights you can use. :) I agree with Iconised wait a little while until the new year so you can get a GREAT deal. :)

I prefer a gym membership, just because if I'm paying for it I know I'll go, but I've started working out at home. My schedule's kind of weird now, but I've found since I got my Wii Fit I don't have an excuse not to work out because its right in my living room.

I think it depends on what your preferences are - some gyms will let you go work out for like a week to see how you like it - they're trial period, if you will - maybe try it and see if you feel comfortable.

Also, I've belong to gyms that ranged from $30-$45 a month. The 45 was a little more on the "pricey" end - but they had free classes and their hours were pretty long, so I considered it worth it.

I also prefer going to the gym over working out at home. It's much easier for me to commit myself to getting in the car and driving to the gym than it is to pull myself away from the immediate distractions in my house and have to workout surrounded by said distractions.

I would still love a treadmill for those cold, snowy days when I don't want to go anywhere, though!

As far as cost, I always say never never never pay full price for a gym membership, or an initiation fee for that matter. I've been a member of 4 gyms and have paid the initiation fee at none of them. Memberships are always negotiable (even if they say they aren't, they can offer you something).

Ours is about $50 a month for both my DH and me, but we've paid as much as $100 a month (for both) when we lived in the city.

I think I'm the only person here that loves working out at home lol. I have 3 kids and get up right after my DH leaves for work (5:30am) and do my 5 mile run then on the treadmill. The gyms in my area want a small fortune each month :P on top of additional cash I'd have to shell out for child care...yuck!

Besides the treadmill I have an elliptical, stationary bike, bowflex, an assortment of free weights and lots of DVDs....oh yeah and a wii ;) I slowly made it to this point and most of my bigger equipment have either been given to me by friends/family that didn't use it anymore or I have found on craigslist.

You do have to be a bit more firm with yourself to stick to it since it's so much easier to say the heck with it at home :lol:

I've always been a gym girl. My sister worked at a Gold's in high school and I got to go in with her sometimes. In college I worked at the University Rec Center (and still kinda do), which is a great way to get a free membership. I no longer live near the University Rec Center so when I pay for gas, parking, and time out of my day to get there it just isn't really free anymore. So I joined the YMCA. They have a scholarship if you can't afford a membership, I pay $20/month and no start up fee or contract.

I prefer to workout at a gym or walking outside. We have a treadmil in our house and I havent use it in a year. Im more motivated in the gym, I prefer working out at the gym by myself I feel like I get more accomplished when Im at the gym without a workout buddy. My advice would be to get a MP3 or something that plays music and hit the gym it puts you in your own little world. Good luck

FYI, just came across this: Goodbye workout ruts!: Score fresh fitness DVDs for free when you trade in old ones at SwapADVD.com.

I'm always torn on this issue. I feel more motivated when I'm at the gym but at the same time sometimes getting the motivation to get out the door to the gym is nonexistent. Then again working out at home can be thwarted because of the many distractions that are in my home. I guess in general it's more of a motivation problem versus which work out option is best for me.

If it has to be one or the other I would say GYM! I love going to the gym with my husband... I try to work harder to keep up with him... plus I like it when he tells me a guy has checked me out while I was running... he he he I like being able to try out different machines but I am really into the treadmill and jogging- I like to lift weights a bit too-

I wish I had a treadmill or elliptical at home though- Sometimes I can't take the time it takes to get to the gym but could hop on for 20 minutes in between study breaks... We would get something for home too, but we don't have room for anything right now-

I think Ideally being able to do both would be the best... if you have the room in your house... :)

We pay $39 a month for both of us- (classes included) It is a college rate for a family membership- We didn't pay the start up costs because of a special.

I don't mind going by myself... There isn't much time for talking anyway- bring your ipod or whatever mp3 players and start sweating! :dizzy:

You're not the only one! I love freedom from paying for a gym :), or travelling to it, dealing with the people, the germs. And not least, freedom from the TVs. Actually, the only thing I'd like a gym for is to use a sauna.

I run and walk. I do yoga. I can do bodyweight exercises. I bought some resistance bands. I've never been to much of an exercise video kind of person, but I'd like to try some dance instruction.

from where I stand I like working out at a gym/
,

I mean I have bought an elliptical, bike, AND treadmill, and only have the treadmill left. I think seeing the other (skinny) girls work out motivates me to try harder, and go longer..

I totally prefer working out at home. I have a rower, a stationary bike, and a weight bench along with a Wii and a bunch of DVDs. I think that'll do for now, actually I think it kind of has to since I've got limited space and I have messed up feet and can't really do high impact stuff like ellipticals/treadmills even though I totally miss running/super fast walking. However, ideas for other low/non-impact cardio stuff would totally be appreciated :)

I tried the gym route twice - once at Women's Workout World (which I thought would be just women but wasn't and I really didn't like that) and once at the local park district gym (which was really nice, but a bit of a hike driving wise). A lot of the gyms in my area seem to be places to see and be seen where all the singles are mingling/oggling each other rather than working out and it's more of a status statement to belong to one so I don't think I'll be going that route again.

I have a self-consciousness issue because I have asthma and turn pretty red pretty fast while working out and I'd rather not have people betting on when I'm going to pass out (because I can assure you I won't ;) ) so that was a check minus in the gym column. Also, I commute A LOT so time is totally limited. It's a lot easier and quicker for me to just roll out of bed, throw on some clothes and hit the next room for some 4am working out than pack everything for work, drive 20 minutes to the gym, workout, fix myself up for work, drive to the train station, etc.

Also, there is a certain ick factor involved with gyms in my opinion. Who knows who has used the machine before you. AND the ladies getting naked and prancing around the locker room totally creep me out. :o

the gym memberships here range from $30-$50ish per month, per person. For me thats expensive.. but if I could afford it I would def. do it. luckily my school has a gym so i can workout there during the semester.

right now, since its intersession, i was looking into either getting a membership or a machine for my house.. those things are like $300!! on the cheap side. i figured it would be pretty high.

so i guess im sticking with DVDs until next semester. but anyway - i think you would really like a gym.. its uncomfortable at first (at least it was for me) but you'll get used to it & all the equipment would be awesome :) home workouts are really good too, but its much easier for me to plop down on the couch rather than finish whatever workout im doing.. & i cant do that very easily in the gym! ha!

:lol: i hear ya.. ive actually had women talk to me while they're standing there completely naked... awwwwkward.

I prefer the gym as well because I love the classes. I love the variety. At home I can never get into working out. My gym membership is 48 per month and you get two personal training sessions each year included childcare is also included AND its an all women gym!!!!! I love it

I priced every gym I could find in my area and almost all of them cost at least 50 bucks a month, even the YMCA near my work is 62 dollars a month. The only gym I could find that was affordable for me is about 20 mins from my house which is pretty sad considering there are 10 gyms much closer than that to me.
Anyway if I ever find on that is affordable, I will be joining for sure I think the gym atmosphere is very motivating!

I'm totally a work out at home person myself. I have a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, a stationary bike, a kickboxing bag, assorted dumbbell, a squat cage & weight bench with barbell and weight set, a yoga mat and bricks, and a jumprope. I use various workouts from online, from exercise tv, from crossfit, from other other posters here, from classe I've taken, etc. I used to have a gym membership but I find I prefer my home garage gym. I've built it up over two years. I do prefer running outside to the treadmill.

I like both, but haven't been to a gym in a long time. During med school my hours were crazy, so I bought my own elliptical. Loved it and actually used it. Now during my internship, my hours are even crazier, but my apartment is smaller and the elliptical just didn't fit. So it sits, taken apart, at my mom's house. :( I miss it. There's an Anytime Fitness nearby, and even a treadmill and elliptical in the basement of my building. But since I'm at the hospital a lot, I feel bad leaving my dog to go to a gym. When the elliptical was right there in my place I didn't feel as bad.

I've gotta work out at the gym. I've tried working out at home, and I just can't keep myself accountable. I'll do 5 sit-ups and then watch some Criminal Minds. But at the gym, I feel like if I slack off, #1 it wasn't worth my effort in driving over there, and #2 if anyone is secretly watching me, they'll think I'm a whimp (haha...that's my paranoia kickin' in). I just seem to get more accomplished at the gym...it just works better for me.

wow guys, thanks for all the responses. I don't think I was really expecting this many...lol

I'm definitely liking the idea of a gym membership more and more...and maybe eventually if I can afford it, I'll buy a machine for home.

Gym, Gym, Gym.

I have always tried the working out at home thing, something always comes up, the phone rings, kids need attention, dinner needs to be made, cleaning needs to be done.... something.

Many gyms have specials this time of year. I just recently joined planet fitness and I love going there because 95% of their members are people who have not been a member to a gym before. At my planet fitness location they are open 24 hrs a day M- Th and 7-9 on F, S, S. I love going there because they stress no lurking (grunting, dropping weights, ect). Pretty much, no showing off. They just want to promote overall health and fitness. Everything in there is easy to use (and fun!) They even have free personal and group training (but in small groups). And a plus for planet fitness if you get the black card membership which is 19.99/mo you also get free guest access (which means you can bring people with you if you know of someone who wants to work out with you.) plus half price sports drinks, free use of massage chairs and free tanning (once you get that A+ body, that could really be an incentive.... at least it is for me.)

You'd think i'm promoting Planet fitness or work for them, but I really dont, i just love them because how affordable they are. Their memberships range from $10 - $20 a month.

Kim

I just joined golds and love it! I got 2 free personal training sessions, which helped get me going. I had to pay a onetime large enrollment fee, but I only pay $20 a month which is payroll deducted. Each golds is a bit different as far as all that goes. I have a stack of dvds and stuff but never use them. I enjoy getting out of the house!

This could go either way for anyone. You can either way a couple hundred of so on excercise equiptment and never use it, or put money towards a gym membership and hardly go.

It's totally up to you and how committed you are for either. I hate gyms but lately i'm starting to reconsider just because there is more varity to go by at a gym then at home with workout video's or a tredmill or whatever you buy.

Try and go for a 3 month pass if you can if they have something like that at a gym (kind of like a trail run) and if you see yourself going then great, if you don't end up going no real big loss! Either way the choice is up to you and your commitment.

I love having my gym membership! I belong to 24hr fitness. Paid for one year up front when I signed up 2 years ago and now only pay $12 a month. The thing I love is that it gives me something to go do and I never get bored! I can run one day, row the next, maybe a spin class. Once I got over the fear of being judged I really enjoyed it. Now I just laugh at the girls who put on their make up and do their hair to go stand by the weights. Or the ones who really work out are great motivation....nothing beats staring at a super athletic girl to get me motivated!

I love the gym! It has everything I need, and people who are there to help! You can get a complete full body workout way better than you would be able to get at home. I reccomend it.

I have a membership at the Y and I love it. There is a "kidzone" so I can drop the kids off and have a little me time. And since my husband and I were both in school, we were able to get financial aid so it is really cheap.

I think having the option of both is great. I am more motivated when I go to the gym but last night my husband pulled out the dance dance revolution game and me and him went to town on it. The game said that we burned 3000+ cals on it. We weren't doing it for the workout but we kept competing for hours and today we woke up sore. He lost 4 lbs and I lost 1 lbs but we had so much fun and we sweated a lot. I might start using it more when I don't feel like going to the gym. I could barely walk up the stairs.

I would say get a gym membership just incase you feel like going to the gym but i know a lot of people who enjoy working out at home.

During those cold winter weeks I never want to go to the gym or when I get home from work and I have to cook too I have no energy to venture out. This year instead of wasting money on a membership i invested in a Wii fit to track my weight and help me exercise and a treadmill. I am doing better than I did before. My trick is I tivo my favorite shows and then when I am sitting around that treadmill is staring me in the face so I know instead of sitting I can get some exercise in and walk and watch my shows. it is working out great!

I'm motivated more at the gym even though I do some work outs at home. if I pay the money for the gym, I'm definitely going to get my moneys worth :D.

Try to get specials. SOme gyms may offer special rates for people working with a certain company or maybe even student rates. I pay $25 a month with no contract. There aren't many gyms here but I'm sure you wil have better luck. Also, try a trainer for a month that way you can learn how to use the machines and that way you can be even more motivated. Good luck!!!

I have a full home gym, with like every piece of equipment you can imagine. But, I've had it for the past 5 years, and only used it a few times. Now I have a gym membership, and I work out every day! I love the gym atmosphere, so I recommend a gym membership :)