Health Clubs vs. Home Gyms

March 31, 2010, By Jeff Waddle 0 comments

OK, so you want to start working out. That’s a good thing. But, unless you’re going to jog, walk or use the neighbor’s pool, you’ve got a decision to make—join a health club or work out at home.

It’s not a decision to be made lightly because both options can cost you plenty. Every club has a monthly or annual fee and some even require a deposit or initial membership fee. Conversely, a home gym means buying equipment and making space for it.

To help you decide, we’ve presented the pros and cons of both options. Choose wisely my friend.

Joining a Health Club: Advantages

• Low up-front investment. You don’t have to fork over a big investment in equipment up front to start working out. A lot of health clubs offer low-cost deals to entice you to join, hoping it will become a long-term relationship.
• Other people can teach and motivate you. Watching other people work out can be a powerful motivator. You also can learn new exercises and techniques that help keep you out of a work out rut.
• There are more options. Unless you’re investing a small fortune in equipment, the club will offer you a lot more options for work outs than a home gym ever could. Clubs typically offer the latest weight equipment and some even have pools and indoor running tracks. And, don’t forget the benefits of an after work out sauna and whirlpool.
• You can make new friends. The social aspect of a health club can be a lot of fun. It gets you out of the house and doing something positive, and it’s a place where you can get to know new people. Who knows, connections at the club could lead to a new career opportunity.

Joining a Health Club: Disadvantages

• They can go out of business. There’s a veritable graveyard of health clubs that suddenly went out of business, leaving a gym full of unhappy folks who lost membership dues, deposits and other fees.
• You lose your privacy. There are days when you just want to get in a work out without seeing or dealing with other people, but that’s unlikely at the club.
• They may have limited hours. The club’s hours may be fine with you for now, but life has a way of altering schedules, as in a new job or family responsibilities that might require an early morning or late evening work out.
• Fees can get pricey. Health club deals run the gamut, but monthly dues can be steep and some still require an initial membership fee. The longer you keep working out, the more the total cost goes up.
• You may have to wait in line to work out. If you work out at peak times and use popular equipment, you may find yourself waiting in line to work out. That can lengthen work out times.
• You may work out less. Unless the club is next door, it’s going to take more time to work out there vs. at home when you factor in the drive, getting dressed, etc. The extra time requirement could spell less work outs over the long term, especially factoring in inclement weather days when you don’t feel like leaving the house.

Home Gym: Advantages

• It’s more convenient. Working out at home will take less time, it’s always open so it fits changing schedules and you can climb out of bed and work out in your underwear if you want. That means you’re likely to fit more work outs into your life, especially if spare time is at a premium.
• It can be less expensive. Depending on what kind of exercises you choose to do, a home gym can be a very cost effective way to work out. And, the longer you work out at home and avoid health club fees, the more you’ll save.
• You can dog it in obscurity. Work out frequently and you’re bound to have days when you feel like dogging it a bit. Go ahead, forget that extra set. Nobody’s watching.
• You’ll only compete with yourself. Be honest. As much as you say it doesn’t, it bothers you a tad when you’ve got to slide the weight machine rack up a few notches after the buff youngster just used it. At home, you’ve got no audience, so go at your own pace.

Home Gym: Disadvantages

• It can be an expensive initial investment. You can spend over a thousand bucks for a decent treadmill only to hurt your Achilles tendon and have to switch to a stationary bike. Be sure what work out routines you want out of a home gym before you purchase the equipment.
• It can get lonely. Without other people around, that work out room at home can get to be a place you dread. Seeing other people can keep your interest high.
• There are fewer options. You can spend thousands and still not come anywhere near the exercise options a good health club offers. If you’re someone who likes to mix up work outs, you may find a home gym limiting.
• A gym can take up space. If your pad is a little cramped, a home gym can take up valuable space you may need for other purposes. And, how many other homes have you walked into only to see the exercise bike or treadmill being used as a glorified clothes hanger?

Jeff Waddle is a featured contributor to ManoftheHouse.com.