Wanted to circle back to give an update on the Home Gym vs. Gym Membership I originally blogged about in August 2021.
My Situation Now
Now (as of March 2022) I have the best of both worlds. All the home equipment I talked about last time: Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, pro flat bench, chin-up bar, dip bar, various exercise bands and mats.
I’d add to the home equipment the ubiquitous and usually FREE videos you can find on YouTube for exercise instruction, including Yoga classes. I’d also add my bicycle, which has always been here, which gives some cardio variety and also provides transportation, depending on the day.
In addition to all that, I now have a membership at 24 Hour Fitness (part of my Medicare plan through Silver & Fit).
So now that they’ve (at least temporarily) lifted the mask mandate indoors here in California I did go back, and it was fine, but there were also these challenges:
- I had to drive there
- I had to park there
- Every exercise station I wanted to use (except for the treadmill) was already in use, so there were waiting periods (it’s a popular gym)
- One fool did not wipe his sweat off the apparatus, so I had to do it before I could use it, which, quite frankly, disgusts me (which would be awful at any time, but doubly horrific during a pandemic)
- All of the above challenges resulted in a time challenge, in that getting the workout done took a lot longer than a home workout.
Pros to the Home Workout
Basically, it’s the opposite of everything above:
- It’s right here, no need to drive anywhere. Save on gas, save the environment.
- Ditto, no need to park anywhere
- I’m the only one using the equipment I have, so it’s always available.
- I wipe up my own bodily fluids, if there are any
- A workout takes less time — except, I notice I take longer between sets because I’m at home and can do other things, like read something on the Internet, prep food, mix in chores, etc.
A couple of other beneficial things about working out at home:
- There’s no need for gym wear that’s fashionable, clean, or even gym wear. Often I do short workouts in whatever I’m wearing because it’s usually fine for range of motion
- Honestly, I’m more consistent at home. Even if I only work one body part, say chest, it’s just so simple to do it when it’s right here.
- Creature comforts: My own bathroom is steps away and I know it’s clean. Chilled water is as close as the refrigerator.
Pros to the Gym Workout
There are advantages to the actual Gym which I can’t get at home:
- The social aspect. I mean, I think we’ve all learned over the past two years that being a hermit is probably not good, and prolonged isolation is really awful. Plus, I do like to interact with other humans (most of the time).
- Way more diversity in terms of equipment to use. There’s so much to use at the 24 Hour Fitness I’d be hard pressed to ever get bored with it. BUT – like I said above, it will probably be in use and you will have to wait for whatever it is.
- Instruction and help is available – trainers and staff galore if you have a question about equipment or exercise, there’s always someone to ask. At home there’s Trainer Google.
Conclusion
So where do I stand on the home gym vs. gym membership question?
For right now, I’ll continue to do both. I mean why not? Probably with a slight edge to home workouts, unless I find a less busy time at the gym. I really like that I’m exercising more, and I credit that to the availability of doing it at home where I’m most comfortable.
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