How Far Do You/Would You Drive To Go To The Gym?

JustJennie1
JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm curious because I see a lot of posts where people won't go to a gym that's between 15-30 minutes away because it's "too far". How far is too far for you?

I suppose my perspective is a little skewed since I live out in the middle of no where so I have to drive far no matter what so my 20 minute drive to the gym is nothing for me. Any place worth going is about an hour away and a grocery shopping trip -- there, shopping, home -- can take me 2+ hours.

So how far is too far for you to drive to go to a gym?
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Replies

  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    I have a 2 minute drive (tops). I have in the past driven 20 minutes to get to my gym but they had crappy dappy hours and that drove me away much much more than the distance. My current gym is ALWAYS open that's the big draw for me, but the distace is excellent too,
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    ten minutes would be my maximum.
  • NZhellkat
    NZhellkat Posts: 355 Member
    Drive to the gym? Oh I biked and used that as my warm up and cool down.
  • Lalouse
    Lalouse Posts: 221 Member
    I live in New York City and for a long time, I wouldn't go to a gym if I couldn't get there using public transportation and/or if my public transportation was going to take more than 20 minutes. Now, we have a car, but I wouldn't sign up for a gym more than 15 minutes away by car (and that's how far mine is now) or if it didn't have parking!
  • tinak33
    tinak33 Posts: 9,883 Member
    Everything is super close to me, so I wouldn't want to drive more than 10-15 min away for a gym... and it would have to be a really good one for me to drive that much.
    I would prefer 5-10 min. or less.
  • Dani_wants_to_be_fit
    Dani_wants_to_be_fit Posts: 550 Member
    Unless I lived pretty far away from the gym I would never get on a bus or get a ride (I can't drive ha ha) I just think it goes against the whole point for me, but I do have a lot of spare time right now and can understand those who are in a bit of a rush to get there. Takes me about 30 minutes
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    I think it depends upon the individual's work situation...free time, etc etc. For me, I have a pretty open schedule so I could do 15 tops. But my gym is about 7 minutes away with traffic. I prefer closer because I factor that time into scheduling how long I can workout. I don't want to drive more than I do now to only be able to workout for 30 minutes. I want to be able to workout for at least 45-90 minutes. Being closer just allows me to squeeze in quicker workouts vs not doing them altogether.
  • Retrofitnessmike
    Retrofitnessmike Posts: 6
    10 min is the farthest
  • hborn
    hborn Posts: 12
    I am the same and live in the middle of no where. It takes me 40 minutes to commute to work and such so driving 25 mins to the gym is the only option. I go to a place that is open 24/7 though so it's nice to be able to fit it in when I am out and about but I don't come home and then leave again to make a special trip for it.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    For me, it is not so much the drive to the gym. I have a gym centre that is en-route to home from work. However, it is the parking up, getting changed and the workout itself, shower and getting changed after and then driving home that eats into three evenings a week when there are other things in my life I would rather be doing like spending time with my wife, tending to 100 square feet of fruit and vegetables for our yearly supply, walking our dog, playing my didgeridoo, watching the birds in my garden, doing my yoga, well - you get the idea.

    Better things to do with my time than running on a hamster wheel staring at a wall or even worse - staring at myself in a mirror while humping loads of iron around!
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
    My gym is fairly close, about 2-5 minutes, but I also travel to another gym usually once a week or once every 2 weeks that is about 20-25 mins away. It would suck to have to do that 3-4 times a week, but I would becuase I need too. I won't work out at home religously, I can't workout outside all year round, so it's a sacriifice I make.
  • tidesong
    tidesong Posts: 451 Member
    Right now, my drive is about 5 minutes. I could walk it if I were desperate. I wouldn't join a gym that was more than 10 minutes away. I'd be coming up with too many excuses about how I didn't want to go that far.

    ETA: I live in a major metropolitan area, and the gym I go to is affiliated with a local hospital. I do have to find street parking, or pay to park, which sucks. But the Big Box Gyms (i.e. Planet Fitness) are all out in the suburbs and are just way too far, and I know I wouldn't keep going!
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    most of the time I walk about fifteen minutes but with snow it's to cold!
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    most of the time I walk about fifteen minutes but with snow it's to cold!

    I would love to walk or ride my bike to my gym.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,334 Member
    I can walk to my gym, if I want to. Its about a 15 minute walk. I dont need to go far....there are gyms popping up all over the place around here.
  • nunep
    nunep Posts: 21
    About 10 minutes or 15 with traffic. Would not drive farther.
  • deb3690
    deb3690 Posts: 59 Member
    Driving time is a big issue to me....I don't want to fight traffic or hit worse traffic later because I am delayed at the gym....I think i have things arranged now so that I can avoid any traffic or freeways ....choosing a place closer to home. I think it becomes another rationalization why I don't want to go to the gym in the first place....that's the deeper truth. Everything else is a complete excuse right? Im going to the gym this afternoon.....for real....Im going! Im determined! at 25 degrees outside its too cold to walk very far for me anyways!
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    My gym is only 6 or 7 minutes away which I love. I think 10-15 minutes would be as far as I would consider going and it would need to be a pretty fantastic gym.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I live rurally. I am a YMCA member, and there are 2 branches that are both within a 10-15 min drive from my house.
  • kuntry_navy
    kuntry_navy Posts: 677 Member
    the gym in my home town doesn't open until 530. problem was, i had to work in a town 65 miles away at 7. so, i got a month to month membership in the town where i was working. i'd leave my house at about 4, so i could hit it for an hour and shower before 7. i think 100 miles would be my limit before i'd break down and buy a squat rack and some olympic weights
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I choose to drive as minimally as possible. For dancing I will walk and take the train. Depending on where I am dancing it can be anywhere from a train ride that is 35, 45, or an hour.

    But, the gym is not a place I will travel for. That needs to be convenient walking distance. I walk to and from my gym and that takes me about 20 minutes each way (of walking, I would not drive that long for the gym). I would also not go to a gym if I had to take the train or bus to get there (in the past I was fine with that). When I was choosing where to live the school and gym and train station location were most important to me.

    But, of course it makes a difference for you since you live far away from everything. I like to live in a location that works for walking and public transit. I do have a car. I just choose to drive as minimally as possible.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    every gym i've belonged to has been in walking distance and that's how i prefer it.

    my current gym is 4 short blocks away
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    It really depends on the culture where you live- the last place I lived, a 30 min drive was no big deal. Where I live now, there is literally nothing in the area farther than 15-20 minutes away, and farther than 1 or 2 miles feels very inconvenient.
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    10-15 minute drive. If it's more than that, I'll just make up excuses not to go. I know myself well enough to know that's what I would do. It has to be convenient for me otherwise I won't go.

    The gym I go to now is about 10 minutes from my house so the distance is perfect. What I dislike about it is that it closes at 8 pm. I often prefer to workout at night and I wish they'd stay open until 10 p.m.
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    I used to drive 20+ minutes to get there, and I think that would be my max. Otherwise it's 1 hour of driving and 1 hour of working out.

    Now, I just walk across the street.
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
    Home gym in my basement. AND I still don't go there often enough.
  • DebraYvonne
    DebraYvonne Posts: 632 Member
    more than 10 min would be too many!
  • stargazer008
    stargazer008 Posts: 531
    Driving to the gym seems wrong
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    My gym is a 30 minute walk each way. It would be ideal if it was about 10 minutes closer, but it's fine. That walk is a nice warm up/cool down for me.

    I don't go to the gym every day. I go two or three days per week to lift, and work out at home on the other days with kettlebells and bodyweight exercises.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Let's put it this way... if my gym wasn't in my house, I'm not sure that I would ever go.

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