There are only a few months left until the beach season, so it's time to think about your figure. Those who are not lazy, take out sneakers and a tracksuit from the shelf. But then the question arises: go to a fitness club or work out at home. Each option has a lot of advantages and disadvantages. Having weighed them, you can make the right decision.
Let's evaluate the fitness club and home workouts according to several criteria.
1. Professional approach.
• Fitness club
In the fitness club, you will be working with specially trained people. Trainers will select a program of exercises for you taking into account your characteristics and desires. They will tell and show you how to do the exercises correctly. Under the supervision of professionals, you can always count on the result and not be afraid for your health.
• Home workouts
Of course, if you have never done sports before, then there is no point in talking about a professional approach at home. Each exercise requires a certain technique. It happens that you deviate in the wrong direction by a centimeter, and there will be no effect from it. To avoid mistakes, download video tutorials for beginners from the Internet and do the simplest exercises, gradually complicating them.
2. Special equipment.
• Fitness club
The gym of fitness clubs is full of various equipment that will help you achieve results faster. You will be able to choose the optimal load for yourself, and increase it over time. The variety of exercise machines will allow you to pump up all muscle groups. As a rule, many exercise machines have a computer “brain”. For example, while running on the track, you will be able to track your pulse, see how many kilometers you have run, etc. In group classes, you will also be provided with everything you need: dumbbells, expanders, body bars, steps and much more. As a rule, fitness clubs have saunas where you can relax after training. By the way, you usually do not need to pay separately for such services.
• Home workouts
Exercise machines are expensive, and if they are professional, then doubly so. If you can afford them, then buy a cardio exercise machine – an exercise bike, a treadmill or an elliptical. Dumbbells, body bars and balls are suitable for strength exercises. It is good if you have a separate room for training, or at least half of it, so that your movements are not constrained.
3. Systematicity.
• Fitness club
A membership to a fitness club will be a kind of “magic kick in the pants” for you. The reason is simple: you paid money for it, so you will have to go. This means you will comply with one of the most important conditions in sports – consistency.
• Home workouts
It is very difficult to follow the principle of consistency at home. You have a million household chores that you try to do first. In this case, you will constantly put off training, and when evening comes, you simply may not have the strength for it. You will constantly start promising yourself: “I will arrange a workout tomorrow.” This “tomorrow” can go on forever. But even at home, you can follow the principle of consistency. To do this, make a workout calendar for yourself and mark in a visible place whether you managed to follow it. For each session done on time, give yourself a small present.
4. Motivation.
• Fitness club
In a fitness club, you will see dozens of people like you. You will simply be ashamed to be lazy. The rule of competition comes into play here: “That brunette ran 20 minutes on the treadmill, and then another 15 minutes on the elliptical, so I can do it too.” And seeing someone’s abs with “cubes,” you will immediately want to do 60 sit-ups.
• Home workouts
You are unlikely to be able to arrange a competition at home. However, the same training plan that we described in the previous point can motivate you. Make it a rule: exercise for at least an hour. Do not slack off, do all the tasks of the video lesson conscientiously. If your muscles ache in the following days, it means you tried hard. You can report your results on a special website or start a training diary and give yourself grades.
5. Payment.
• Fitness club
A fitness club is not a cheap pleasure. Be prepared to spend half of your salary on an annual membership. Add to that the cost of travel/gas for the car, a tracksuit and a bag.
• Home workouts
If you decide to exercise seriously and for a long time, then you will need exercise machines and sports equipment. And this, as mentioned above, seriously hits the budget. If you decide to get by with light gymnastics, squats, lunges and push-ups, then you will not need equipment. But you are unlikely to be able to improve your figure with this set of exercises. It is like a poultice for a dead person. At the same time, you will be able to save on a tracksuit. At home, you can easily dress up in an old T-shirt and shorts.
6. Time.
• Fitness club
The training itself doesn't seem to take long. It usually takes 1-2 hours. But keep in mind that you'll need time to get there and back, change clothes, and take a shower. And that's almost the entire evening.
• Home workouts
Saving time is an obvious advantage of home workouts. You don’t need to go anywhere or drive, spend a long time changing clothes or carefully braiding your hair. In short, put on your shorts, turn on the music and go!
Let's sum it up. The fitness club is the leader by most criteria. Therefore, if you are serious about exercising and getting results, it's time to buy a membership. Of course, the most important thing is that the fitness club will offer you a professional approach. After all, sports are not a joke, and home experiments can lead to negative consequences. And then, why not change the environment and say goodbye to the gray everyday life? After all, spring is here!
