Fitness lovers weigh pros and cons of home versus gym
As fitness clubs reopen in many parts of Canada, exercisers will have a decision to make
As gyms slowly reopen across Canada, exercisers are faced with a tough decision: Do they return to the gym and its membership fees, or do they stick with their home fitness routine perfected during the pandemic?
The closing of gyms uncovered a few surprises about home exercise routines, the most important of which is that they work. But while some exercisers were happy not to pack their bag and head to the fitness club, others found that working up a sweat in the basement for months on end only reaffirmed the value of their gym membership.
If you're weighing the pros and cons of heading back to the gym or increasing the size of your home workout space, here are a few points to consider.
SOLO OR SOCIAL EXERCISER?
There's no doubt the pandemic turned us all into solo exercisers, but the real question is whether it's a good fit for your personality and workout habits. Do you miss working out alongside others at the gym, or have you found unexpected satisfaction in doing your own thing, your own way, in your own home? If you're motivated by the energy of group exercise classes led by an enthusiastic instructor, or love the vibe of your small boutique gym where everyone knows your name, then you probably thrive in a fitness club atmosphere. But if you're the type of exerciser who puts in your earbuds and does a workout with little regard to what's going on around you, then you're probably just as happy exercising at home.
STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED SCHEDULE?
Without a doubt, the best thing about the switch from gym to home workouts is the ability to go from home office to home gym in the blink of an eye. If that flexibility has added some much-needed consistency to your exercise routine, then home workouts are worth keeping.
But if you prefer a more structured program that holds you accountable to show up at a specific time, are one of those people who schedule your workout into your calendar or are motivated by the idea of getting your money's worth out of your annual membership dues, the gym might be your best option.
TIGHT OR ROOMY QUARTERS?
Let's face it: apartment living and home workouts are rarely compatible. It's not just the lack of space that makes things difficult — there's the conflict between high-impact workouts and the downstairs neighbours. And even if you have the floor space for a decent workout, where do you store your weights, mat and the rest of your gear? If a shortage of square footage limits the kind of workouts you can do, you need the gym.
But if you've got the space to set up a gym with all your favourite pieces of equipment, don't have to move the couch so you can do a decent downward dog and can pump out your favourite tunes at top volume, then you never have to wait for an available machine or suffer through a cringeworthy playlist.
LOTS OF EQUIPMENT OR NO EQUIPMENT?
At the beginning of the pandemic, there wasn't a dumbbell to be found, so we learned how to make do with body weight exercises like pushups, squats and lunges. But now that the shelves are restocked, we're realizing that fitness equipment adds some much-needed variety to home workouts. How much equipment does it take to set up a home gym? The sky's the limit, but the measure of a good one is whether you have all the equipment needed to achieve your goals. If not, you're better off joining the gym, where there's a large selection of equipment designed to accommodate exercisers who like to know they have plenty of options.
PRIVACY OR NO PRIVACY?
How often is your workout interrupted by your kids, spouse, roommate or pet? And how often do you have to search for a piece of exercise equipment that was “borrowed” by another member of your household? For many people, the local gym is part workout space and part sanctuary, giving them some uninterrupted personal time during an otherwise hectic day.
But if you've never been comfortable sweating in public, or want to chug out a 5K on the treadmill without some superstar sprinting beside you while not so subtly checking out how fast you're (not) going, then home sweet home is your ideal workout space.