Gym membership vs. working at home

There's no way I can push myself as hard as I do (lifting weights) if I work out at home. I'd have to spend a lot of money to get the equipment I use at the gym. After the initiation fee, my wife & I pay $9.99 a month each & her job reimburses us $20 a month for fitness/health related expenses. During the summer, I go to the gym before work & run 3 times a week & do the stair master twice a week & I lift weights 3 times a week during my lunch hour.

Plus my kids can't bother me when I'm at the gym.

I have considered joining a gym many times, but my thing is that I enjoy exercising outside! I would rather walk or jog in the fresh air by the lake rather than run on a treadmill. I also have a work out video that I love.
But on the flip side, I do competitive cheerleading, so I have to pay for "gym" use for practices. There is no work out equipment there... but boy do I get a work out!!

I have workout DVDs, a treadmill, an elliptical machine, 5 and 8 lb. dumbbells. I can't afford a gym membership, and don't need one, especially since I'd be lucky to find the time once a month to drive into town and go to the gym.

I prefer to workout at home, but make sure I mix it up. I do have a mini home gym, but would prefer to be outside swimming, walking, running or cycling. Gotta have variety! After working all day, who wants to leave again after finally making it home plus I'm too cheap to pay the monthly dues.

I believe there are Zumba DVDs, if you'd rather do that at home.

I was going to cancel my gym membership, but so glad I didn't now.

I just wouldn't be motivated doing it from home, at least at the gym you can work out with your girlfriends, other people motivate you and it's good using a mixture or variety of machines

My gym also does lots of fun classes......I'm liking body pump at the mo

I think my gym is £55 a month, and to be fair it's soooo clean and tidy, it is worth every penny .... Especially going on the cross trainer overlooking the golf course...: )

For me I feel there is little measurable difference between the two. In both cases you are "going it alone". It will be a factor of your intrinsic motivation. I find that I need to have a couple of factors before I can truly be successful. First, I need a solidarity with another group of individuals who are seeking similar changes in their appearance, health and lifestyle. While I have always been the first to poo poo group fitness classes, I have found that the Peak 10 class (any will work if the instructor is good) I took was outstanding. I was motiviated by the instructor, my peers in the class, and my desire to be there for their support as well. My workouts were truly 60 minutes non-stop and the emphasis was as much on non-scalar victories as it was on measurements of the typical parameters we think of with weight loss. When I workout alone, be it the gym or home, I can "cheat" - rest when it gets painful or not do the last rep or two or, worse yet, not show up because no one is 'expecting' me.

The second thing I need is a goal for my work out. For me it is not enough to lift 'x' weight for 'y' repitions or get on a treadmill for some amount of time. I need to feel as though my workout is accomplishing more than just fitness. I like it to be competitive and/or social. To this end, I play basketball three times a week and I bicycle ride competitively. This is not to say I am particularly good at either but I really enjoy and look forward to both. So my $0.02, if it is a choice between those two options then you should base it on what you enjoy more and the disposable income you have. But for me personally, neither works. I need mentors and motivators beyond my desire to be "better".

I like the atmosphere of a gym filled with people who like me are trying to get fit. Being around others who are exercising motivates me to push myself harder.

I used to have a gym membership, but now I work out at home. It just fits into my schedule better and I don't have to wait for equipment. With the money I saved from my gym membership, I was able to buy a treadmill, bench with weights, a Wii with several games (including Zumba Fitness 2 which is my favorite of the Zumba games), and a variety of DVDs. I also occasionally take a Zumba class through my city's parks and rec program. I like it because there's no commitment; I pay per class, and I can go to whatever classes fit my schedule. I'm also lucky enough to have both a community pool and a high school with a pool in my area that offer open swims for very cheap, so if I feel the need to swim, I do that.

I would suggest checking with the parks and rec department in your city or the surrounding ones (you'll probably have to pay a little more outside your own community) to see if there are any classes you could take that would fit your schedule. It might end up cheaper to go through that.

Personally, I feel bad if I don't get my "moneys worth" from my gym membership, and that forces me to go even on days when I don't want to. The equipment options are also a lot more than I could ever have at home.

I feel the same way it is a motovator to go. If i was at home with videos ect, I might just not do them however knowing that Im paying for the things i do use is excelinte motivation to make me go every day even when I realy dont want to or are to tired./