The Advantages Of Home Gyms

Gyms have become very popular in the past twenty years as places to go to get in shape or stay in shape. Part of this popularity has been due to the efforts of the clubs' sales representatives and their ongoing "special" deals. Gyms can be a great way to go, especially for those who want to get out of the house, meet people, or use specialized equipment. However, even though gyms have been repackaged as "health clubs" and even "spas," in order to appeal to a broader clientele, membership has been declining. Part of this decline may be due to improvements in home exercise equipment that have made working out at home an increasingly attractive option.

An important reason people give for not working out at home has been that they just don't have the room. The big clubs have enough space for the big equipment, while people usually don't have that much room at home. The advent of fold-up, movable treadmills and compact multi-exercise gyms make this reason much less compelling.

Other advantages of working out at home include that there is no need for spotter when lifting heavy weights. The home gyms generally don't require this and are thus safer in that way.

A little-mentioned reason for working out at home is privacy. Often people don't want to go the gym out of self-conciousness. "I'll go when I look better" is a handy excuse that explains why the people you see in gyms tend to be the people who seem to need to be there the least.

Perhaps the most compelling reason for working out at home is the cost. Gym memberships typically run from several hundred dollars per year to thousands. Maybe you go; maybe you don't. However, the outlay for home equipment, perhaps less than $1,000, generally occurs just once. The total cost estimate must include how much your time is worth in traveling back and forth to the gym.

There is one reason for going to a gym that cannot be overcome by buying home equipment. Many gym-goers believe that, once they get to the gym they will work out, whereas if they are at home with TV and refrigerator handy, they may not. Ah, discipline! How do you prevent that nice equipment you just bought from becoming a clothes hangar? Many people do this successfully by setting aside specific time each day, locking the door, and turning off the phone.