Many people find working out at the gym a drag. Maybe it’s because they feel a little self conscious sweating in front of lots of strangers, or maybe it’s because gyms are becoming more and more expensive. However, we’ve been sold a marketing lie if we believe the only place we can work out at is that gym. Exercise at home is easier than you think, you don’t need a ton of equipment, and once you know a few exercises, you’ll probably find yourself working out more often than you would at a gym! Here are a few great reasons to work out where you live instead of a gym.
It’s Free
First things first, moving from the couch to a bit of floorspace doesn’t cost anything at all, other than the energy to put the TV remote down. Gyms these days are becoming more expensive, often requiring not only joining fees, but lengthy contracts and cancellation notice periods as well. Lots of studies show that paying lots of money for a membership doesn’t really encourage people to go, it just increases the guilt when they don’t. Working out at home is not only free, (barring some initial outlay if you want to splash out on some equipment) but personal trainers in the form of YouTube or a couple of DVDs are much cheaper too!
You Can Wear What You Like
Don’t want to spend lots of money on a fluorescent skin-tight lycra suit? Then don’t! At home, no-one will see you, whether you want to work out naked (watch out for friction burns) or padded up in a big hoodie and sweat pants, the only limitation is what you feel comfortable. No one will see you!
No Waiting
You ever find you want to use a weights machine or treadmill at the gym, only to find that they’re all already in use and there’s 2 other’s waiting? Well at home, you’re the only user! Forget the annoying wait that gets you out of your groove, all you need to do is pick up your own personal equipment and get lifting, rowing, or doing whatever personal favourite you have!
No Peer Pressure
I’m sure that virtually everyone, when they first went to a commercial gym felt intimidated by the stacked guys and gym bunnies sat around in the skin tight lycra, preening and purring at themselves in the mirror and occasionally lifting some weights. And lets face it, there’s generally a lot of equipment in a gym, with several daunting posters and diagrams, and without guidance, many of us don’t even know where to start. Working out at home avoids all of this – you can prepare in your own time and at your own pace, checking out videos online of how to perform exercises, all without the pressure of some muscle-bound athlete peering over your shoulder trying to offer advice or just wait impatiently to use the equipment. Shorn of the pressure to perform in front of everyone else, your exercise performance should improve and you may start to see results a lot quicker, especially if there’s no shame in letting that beer belly hangout to start with!
If you need ideas for home workout exercises, check out this Huffington Post article.
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