Gym membership or buy a treadmill?

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Replies

  • cobaltis
    cobaltis Posts: 191 Member
    I prefer the gym, I make sure I go on my way home or its way to east to get comfortable after a tiring day and say nah tomorrow ill do it.

    I tried running around home and p90x and just couldnt stick to it long term. Gym has always worked better for me. Plus for motivation I like to be reminded what I am after so seeing those who are where I want to be inspire me to push myself harder. Far too often we get comfortable with a routine, never upping the treadmill speed thinking im sweating, this is tough, I dont need to go harder, but your not doing much for your body at that point other than shed a few extra calories but it becomes minimal when our bodies get used to it.
  • bearinthebigbluehouse
    bearinthebigbluehouse Posts: 43 Member
    TY for all of your advice!! I was a member of La fitness about 13 years ago and I hated it! The classes were so full, lines to wait for the machines and this was at 9am.
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
    I used to have a membership at 24 and I LOVED it. Not so much for the machines though those were great but because of the classes like yoga and ab work outs pilates and there were tons of other classes and swimming is a great cardio I actually really hate cardio but can swim laps for an hour and be happy. But like you said your schedule can be a problem so that is a hard one.....

    Oh and the only reason I dont have 24 anymore is cuz there is a local gym chain here that is like 24 only SO MUCH better called Las Vegas Athletic club so I switched.
  • juicygurl1
    juicygurl1 Posts: 195 Member
    i have a membership to 24hr fitness, got it a while back, infact i purchased and paid off the best one they offered at the time for a lifetime membership. here is how they a cheating people, they improved some of their facilites but expect all fully paid members to pay an addtional 524.00 yearly in order to use these facilities. i am so upset with them, i don't feel like renewing my 50.00 a year membership card. I went out and got myself an indoor spin bike, with hard core trainnig DVD's and a bowflex. now any one visiting me can use the equipment and i have been making an effort to workout. just a thought
  • jamesdelong
    jamesdelong Posts: 177 Member
    I say go for the gym membership and buy one or two workout dvds for the days you can't make it.
    I do both but the gym is on my way home from work so I know I don't miss out on going but if I do, then I have
    something else to fall back on or I would simply go outside to run.
  • DaFrogRibbit
    DaFrogRibbit Posts: 127 Member
    I vote gym. Really depends on u. If big gym isn't for u perhaps try Curves. I personally would make a home treadmill furniture.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    Well I see it as buying vs. renting property, really :)

    And then with the issue of your child and daycare...I say buy!

    Make sure you are doing strength training though, so get some weights/resistance bands/ketllebells because just cardio isn't going to make you fit/strong!
  • mike_littlerock
    mike_littlerock Posts: 296 Member
    I have a home weight machine, and a nice elliptical trainer, the latter was really great as a clothes rack! I bought the elliptical and was on it every day for awhile, but it started to bother my knee and i have not used it since.

    Joking aside, I think it depends on your personality. I found a really neat small gym, very basic, but the trainers are great and they keep the training varied and focus on keeping me (and my joints) healthy. I also feel that I get more out of my workouts because I am a competitive person and would push hard, especially in the beginning, to keep up with others. I train on my own now, in the same gym, but I feel almost like I am letting others down when I skip a workout as much as letting myself down. There have been plenty of days where I wanted to skip, but it gave me the motivation to go. I think its based on personality, as I am a pretty social person, and competitive, so my gym is a great fit. I will also note that we have several box gyms and some very high end athletic clubs. I actually belong to a box gym, and go there on the weekends, and used to belong to the fancy athletic club. I see each of the different types of facilities as having a "personality" of its own, and you need to find one that fits into your goals in terms of expense, workout choices, how congested the gym is at the hour you would choose to go, location, etc.

    working out at home CAN be great, but you really need to be a disciplined person to keep up those habits. Its easy to say "screw it" if I am working out at home, but if I am meeting others I personally will tend to push myself to meet the obligation.

    bottom line, either the gym or the treadmill can be a BIG waste of money, or a fantastic value.. which one would you be more likely to use consistently over a period of years?

    BTW. if you choose the treadmill path, you might want to check craigslist or other sites. you can sometimes get a great deal on one that has been serving as a coat rack.
  • Choirgirl37
    Choirgirl37 Posts: 255
    Treadmill!!! The treadmill is certainly the better choice for you financially because you will own something after paying out your money and also you will not have the burden of having to find a babysitter.

    I was lucky enough to get one of these(see link below) and it comes with IFIT LIVE built into it which means I can enjoy a satelite view of where ever I want to run! Plus, the incline or decline on the machine will adjust as I run so I get the feel of being on the hills. The satelite view is great. It's so clear, I can see the trees, people, cars etc. So far, I've run in Hawaii, Paris, California, Arizona, Colorado...I've run across the Golden Gate Bridge and even the Big Sur Trail. With so many options, you will not get bored with it. I love my treadmill :-) Moreover, I have the option of using it at my convenience which is often at 2 or 3am :-)

    http://www.nordictrack.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_-1_10301_12401_59002_167853
  • Humphrizzle
    Humphrizzle Posts: 60 Member
    I love the gym but I also want a treadmill. The gym is a great place to find help from trainers who will give you advice and encouragement. I am on a free week trial at a few gyms deciding which one to choose for the membership. Great way to get to know what you're signing up for before you do it.
  • Bellyroll
    Bellyroll Posts: 316
    I have had a bad experience with gyms also. I would not suggest a gym because of the bad experience I have had with them. I say that buy a treadmill. Its always there and there aren't PT that try to get you into contracting them, or the sales lady always running your credit card twice. Or giving excuses for the extra charges that are pretty lame. To all you guys that have good experiances with gyms way to go :) I wish I was one of you.
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    do you like the treadmill. Are you sure youd use it? I thought id use mine all the time but i use it less than i thought, in favour of running outside, although itll probably come into its own over the winter.
    With the children situation, id probably say treadmill out of those two options, but i cant use mine when my kids are around anyway as my youngest is fascinated and keeps trying to get on at the same time, which is dangerous and its stressful, and if theyre not around, i always think i may as well run outside
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    I have spent thousands on gym equipment over the years............and i never use it, for me there is nothing like walking into a gym. Everyone is different though.........
    i suggest try the gym (the cheaper option)
    then if you dont like it, get a treadmill or something for home
  • twentysixpointtwo
    twentysixpointtwo Posts: 30
    I've had both... While I loved having a treadmill, the cost for a decent one is usually more than membership at a gym. When you own, you really need to consider the cost of replacement or service and who will provide that service. Can they come to the house or do you have to take it somewhere?

    After my treadmill gave out I went with a gym membership. More options to choose from and I don't have to fix anything. It is actually the cheaper option for me.

    If all you want to do is walk or run, you can't beat going outside for free :)

    If the childcare is your main decision factor you may want to get a sitter for an hour a few times a week because kids rarely leave you alone when you are on a treadmill (or on the phone, or in the bathroom) and it is not safe for them to be near it when you are on it... Also if you have that time specifically carved out you will be more likely to work out--at least that's how it works for me :)

    Good luck!
  • ninpiggy
    ninpiggy Posts: 228 Member
    If my significant other gave me this option, I would choose an elliptical. ;)
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    I'd have fun bonding with my family, playing and running outside, with the slower ones on bikes, or the infants in a buggy
  • MissMom3
    MissMom3 Posts: 101 Member
    I love my gym!! It's an all ladies gym with free daycare, tanning, and any kind of class you can think of including Mommy and Me Zumba, which is fun and the kids love it. I have a treadmill at home too, and once I got my gym membership I think I've used it once in the last six months. It's a great place to meet people. I like that it's only ladies at my gym, I feel more comfortable talking to women, especially about losing weight. Also, most gyms have a 30 day free membership so you can try it out and decide before you sign that contract. Good luck to you!!!
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
    I am 52 and weighed 230, so going to the gym was a traumatic experience....at first. Now I LOVE IT! I am into strength training as well as cardio, my favorite is the elliptical. Their machines have TVs. I paid for a year in advance with a check, no credit card for them to charge up. If they go out of business, there are 2 other franchises available to me. I feel no need for a trainer with all the books and youtubes out there.

    But then I don't have any kids to think about.
  • taytay2593
    taytay2593 Posts: 3
    The gym keeps you accountable and you might make a few new friends who have the same workout/weight loss goals as you!
  • AlexandraR2011
    AlexandraR2011 Posts: 114 Member
    I never went to my gym because it always seemed a hassle to get off work and drag myself over there, plus it was a small gym so it would be high volume time with all the machines taken up. I have a treadmill at home and i love it. I have learned to love to run because it's not hard anymore once you get into better shape. I run and use 30 day shred and it seems to be working. Plus I love to run in my pj's sometimes :) couldn't do that at the gym!
  • milehighcritic
    milehighcritic Posts: 199
    Choose a gym with a trial membership before making the decision. I would choose the gym membership over the treadmill. Just a treadmill could lead to boredom in your workout routing. Besides depending on where you live there is always running outdoors.
  • JosieMomGramma
    JosieMomGramma Posts: 727 Member
    Because you have little ones at home it probably makes sense to have equipment at home to work out on. As far as the gym I don't know if they have it where you live , but most of our gyms have a walk in fee where you do not have to have a membership. You could always work out once a week or so at the gym & the rest at home.
  • bbbbb33333
    bbbbb33333 Posts: 1,107 Member
    If you buy a treadmill, at least it will make a good clothes hanger for ironing if you don't use it. Or at least that's what happend to ours. I work out better when I intentionally decide to go to a gym. You would think the treadmill is available whenever you want it, but that is the reason for procastinating too.
  • stc74
    stc74 Posts: 297 Member
    Second hand sports stores have great prices on used treadmills.

    Can you get a good used one for less than half the cost of a new one and have the gym membership for classes? There are a lot of barely used pieces of equipment out there :)
  • crazynay96
    crazynay96 Posts: 99
    If you are questioning it you should do the free trial. I knew, especially in this heat and humidity and with my asthma, I wasn't going to get out everyday to work out. So I elected to purchase a bike and a elliptical off craigslist. Not only was this more convenient for me it was more economical because the gym is a monthly fee and often you are locked into it and I paid $150 for both pieces of equipment (used) off craigslist but where both in like new condition.
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