Reasons I Avoid the Gym

“I can’t lose weight without a gym!”  I used to have that same mentality.  I had my most success with weight loss when I had a gym membership or lived somewhere that had access to one.  In 2007, I lost 20 pounds just because I lived at an apartment complex with a little fitness center.

However, with a house to run and kids to raise, I’ve had to learn otherwise.  With the brief gym membership I did have back in December, I’m actually kind of glad I don’t have one.  Here are a few reasons why:

• Money.   This is a big one. When I had a gym membership, I was paying over $20 a month. This didn’t include the annual or semi-annual $15 fee I had to pay to help with “updating the equipment”. Even those $10 month-to-month deals at some deals have an annual or biannual fee (and these don’t even offer the reason I would like join a gym, such as classes or a pool).  Not to mention childcare costs, gas to drive to/from, personal trainer fees, etc. I save a lot of money by working out at home.

• Schedule. I seriously considered getting a membership in December.  The more I looked at the gym schedules, though, the more it wouldn’t work.  I was interested in joining for the equipment, but also for classes (especially Zumba).  However, every class I wanted to take didn’t match with my schedule.   It’s hard to plan your schedule around someone else’s, especially when you have a weird schedule. If I can’t get to the gym before Josh heads to work, then I need someone to watch the kids.  And by the time we eat dinner and wait for my food to digest a little, the day cares were usually closed.  It’s so much easier to plan my workouts around my schedule!

• No “intimidation”. If you are overweight, it can be intimidating to walk into a gym.  I’m not just talking about the way some people workout, but also some people’s appearance!   I swear that some of the women there would put make up on or something just before going to the gym.  It’s embarrassing seeing all these skinny girls in beautiful workout clothes proving how fit they are, while I sit there in a pair of old workout shorts (that don’t match my worn-out t-shirt,) just trying to figure out how to operate the machine!  I wasn’t looking for a husband – I was looking for a workout!  Working out at home or outside, I don’t care so much what I or my workout clothes look like.

• Variety. There is so much you can do outside of the gym! You can go for a run or walk around the neighborhood.  You can go swimming at the local pool, rec center, or lake. There is a plethora of different workout DVDs. If you don’t have a workout DVD, there are free workout channels on the Roku, or even workout videos you can watch on Youtube.  Pinterest and many other places are chockfull of at-home workouts that can be done.  The sky is the limit on what you can do!

• Creating my own gym. To be honest, you probably do need to invest some money when it comes to working out.  However, I can take $25 and pay for a gym membership that I may not use every day, or I can take that money and buy some hand weights that I can use at home. They weights are mine that I don’t have to worry about anyone else using. There are so many other things you could buy: treadmills, jump ropes, trampolines, workout DVDs, running shoes, bicycles, etc.  I prefer to take my money and put it towards my own personal “gym”.

• Convenience. When I went to the gym for a week, there was so much that I had to take! If Josh wasn’t home to watch the kids, I had to pack the kids, a diaper bag, and my own bag. If I workout at home, I don’t have to worry about any of that.  If I workout while the kids are awake, they have places that they can play. The shower and all of my clothes are just down the hall when I’m done.  My kitchen is right off of where I work out should I need a quick boost.  Everything I need is right there.   It is so much less of a hassle!

• Keeps front room clean. This might seem like an odd reason, but it’s true!  Living in a small apartment, I do the majority of my workouts in my front room. Whether I am following along with a Mom’s Into Fitness workout, or trying to get a higher score on my Zumba World Party, I need the room to move around. So, though the majority of my house may become a mess, working out at home at least keeps my living room (somewhat) clean.

I’ve had to learn how to do without a gym, and I have had success without it.  So don’t let the excuse “I don’t have a gym membership” keep you from reaching your health goals.  Just remember all the reasons it’s ok not to have one!