I love to workout at home. I absolutely love it.
The fact is that many of us go to gyms to exercise. A beginner like you probably thinks that since everyone is signing up for gym memberships, you should too!
If you want my honest opinion, it does not matter where you are.
You could have a gym membership at the best gym, but if you are not disciplined, nothing comes from it. Or you choose to workout at home, but if you don’t stick to your schedule, you’re bound to be disappointed.
My Personal Experience At A Nearby Gym
I could count the number of times I have set foot in a gym. Since I was 14 (which was the first time I entered a gym), I have been to a gym 10 times in total.
I went twice when I was 14, 3 times when I was 15, training for pull-ups and a remaining 5 when I was 18!
I did not like gyms because they made me feel uncomfortable.
I remember my first time clearly. I entered the gym and received stares, probably because of my small build. I took a deep breath and tried doing a few repetitions on the bicep curl machine.
A male with dark curly hair stepped to the machine next to me and smirked at the amount of weights that I’ve set on my machine. He then set twice the amount of weights for himself and did repetitions that were so rushed, I got worried for his safety.
All in all, I felt as though I was on another person’s turf. He should have peed all over the gym equipment to mark his territory! (Giggles)
Choose What You Are Comfortable With
Whether you choose to workout at home or at a gym, make sure you are comfortable with your choice.
Take a look at gyms close to you. There are gyms with a great environment, one where you can make more friends and join engaging lessons.
Perhaps it was a stroke of bad luck that my first time at a gym was so overwhelming and unfriendly.
Do you like being in at home while exercising? If you prefer to stay within your own personal space to exercise and not have to travel, that’s fine! You can keep fit in your living room.
A Gym Has Everything!
… True.
But that does not mean that you are not able to workout at home. While a gym has a lot of equipment – which you might not even know how to use – you can use everyday items for your exercises as well!
Since you are starting out, you will not need heavy-duty weights that gyms offer. You could use a dictionary or a reference book to do bicep curls! Improvise!
Final Words
At the end of the day, I think privacy is the most important factor to me. Maybe that is why I love to workout at home.
I might decide to dance to Beyonce for my aerobic exercise that day. I can groove and make up all the moves as I go along! No one would care.
You know that I did not have a good first experience at a gym, so my argument might be slightly biased. But what I will suggest is for you to follow your heart.
Suppose you can’t make up your mind, ask yourself the following questions.
Exercising at a gym
Think you can benefit from regular trips to a gym? Do you want to learn all the “how-to’s” to complicated gym equipment? Will you mind travelling 2-4 times a week to your gym? Will you feel conscious about being a beginner?
Exercising at home
Will you be able to stick to an exercise plan at home? Will you let home distractions get to you? Does your environment play a part in motivating you?
The two paragraphs above should get your mind jogging. No matter what your choice is, I will show you great workouts that you can do both at home and at the gym.