Gym, Studio or Home Workouts, Which is Right For You?

I have always been something of a gym rat. I've had gym memberships on and off since high school. The main advantage of a gym is access to a lot of equipment. Even a small gym will have several types of cardio equipment and a variety of weight machines and free weights.  Gyms also usually offer classes, everything from circuit training to yoga.  In addition, some have child care centers and offer special activities for the kids while you workout.

I specifically chose my gym, 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport, based on the child care activities.  In addition to my gym membership fee, I pay $20/month per child for up to 2 hours of child care. The Super Sport is really nice because it has an indoor playground and ours has a sports court where the kids play can play soccer or basketball.  They also watch movies, color and play with toys.  My children actually look forward to going and refer to it as the "gym playground." 

I do a majority of my running at the gym simply because I need the child care.  I know if I had a treadmill in my home, my kids would play on it and never allow me to get a complete workout if they were awake. I also like that I have the option to take classes such as Cycle.

The major drawback to joining a gym is cost.  I pay $49/month plus the extra fees for child care.  In addition there is the cost of gas for driving to/from the gym.  My gym is on the way to my daughter's school so I don't have to make any additional trips except on the weekend.   For some the cost can be an incentive, most people don't like to waste money so it makes them go to justify the expense.

The at home workout option is easy and cost efficient.  You can get a really great workout from using a variety of DVDs and minimal equipment.  My at home gym consists of weights, resistance bands, a yoga mat and Swiss ball. Beachbody fitness DVDs are amazing and good value.  At first I was skeptical, I had worked out using a lot of home DVDs and found I always had to supplement them with other activities to get both cardio and resistance training. With Beachbody most of the programs incorporate both cardio and resistance training so you get everything you need in one program.  

After doing 10 Minute Trainer and Les Mills COMBAT, I decided to become a Team Beachbody Coach mostly so I could get a discount on these phenomenal products.  Since I still have a gym membership, I watch a lot of the trainers with their clients and was pleasantly surprised to see most of the exercises they do are incorporated into the Beachbody workouts. Trainers cost around $60/session at the gym, so buying a Beachbody program is a really cost effective way to get personal training without the price tag. 

The pros of working out at home are that it is cheaper than joining a gym and you can do it anytime you want.  The major drawback for some people is that they lack motivation to work out once they are home, there are too many distractions and the couch looks really inviting after being out of the house all day.  In my case, the major drawback is that I cannot do an at home workout if my kids are awake. They tend to jump on my back when I do pushups or think I am a human jungle gym when I do yoga.

For me a combination of gym and home workouts work best.  I go to the gym 3-4/week to run and do my strength training at home.  While my kids enjoy the gym, I really don't want them to have to go there everyday.  I sneak in my Beachbody workouts at 5 am before anyone is asking for breakfast. 

Another option for working out is a fitness studio.  Fitness studios are small and focus on one or two types of workouts.  I really enjoy Pure Barre and they have studios throughout the country. They offer a specific barre workout that target the abs, thighs and rear. Pure Barre classes are $25 a session for a 55 minute class. You can usually buy packages that bring the class price down to about $15/session.  Pure Barre also has DVDs which allow you to do a similar workout in your home with a small playground ball and a chair or counter. Since they focus on one type of class you can usually find a class time that suits your schedule. 

Classes at gyms offer more variety, but they may only offer yoga twice a week and at times that don't work for you.  If you are soley into yoga, barre-type workouts or Pilates, a studio might be your best fit.  Single classes can be very expensive, but if that is your main workout you can buy packages or monthly memberships that make it more affordable. 

Bottom line: there are a lot of options to get you in shape. It doesn't matter which you chose, you just need to commit fully to doing it.  

If you are interested in checking out any of the options from Beachbody, please check out my website: www.beachbodycoach.com/AND1678

Full Disclosure: Any purchases made through my Beachbody website result in a commission for me. 

Where is your favorite place to workout?