Own Your Best focuses intently on the most powerful ways to live your best life. It’s critical to balance a positive mindset with physical health and wellness. This includes incorporating a solid, consistent workout routine. It’s common to think that to get or stay in shape you have to join a gym. If you’re here, you’re likely wondering, ‘Does working out at home really work?’ Especially now that social distancing is not going anywhere soon. Either way, home gyms are on the rise for good reason. So if you’re “weighing” (pun intended!) the options between a Gym Membership vs Home Gym, let’s get physical and find the answer.
Why Consider Working Out at Home
So you already know that exercise is a critical component to not only overall physical well-being like improved metabolism, healthy heart, lungs, and weight etc. but impacts mental health too. Working out at home or at a professional gym on a regular basis lowers stress, raises self-image, increases daily motivation and self-discipline, and has an overall positive, empowering impact on your life.
The regular cardio exercise and muscle building activity you get from weigh-lifting also are important in managing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease (under the guidance of your physician of course).
We’re going to talk about several important things when it comes to deciding on your future workout situation. Here are the questions that need answering: ① Gym Membership vs Home Gym, ② Does working out at home really work, ③ How much does a home gym cost, ④ What to look for in a home gym.
Now to determine which is better for you, a Gym Membership vs. Home Gym. It comes down to serval factors: it’s a matter of personal preference, financial budget, practicality, and type of impact on your quality of life.
Joining a Gym vs Working Out at Home
Here are the questions that need answers: Is it better to workout at home or at the gym? Does a home gym workout really live up to a utilizing a membership at a commercial gym?
To help you answer them, below are some quick pros and cons, followed by an at-a-glance Gym Membership vs Home Gym Comparison Chart. Start weighing your options!
Gym Membership Pros: Access to a wide variety of industry updated exercise equipment; variety of fitness machine options to allow for a full body workout.
Gym membership Cons: Ongoing financial burden with possible yearly commitments; crowded peak times impact machine waits and personal space; cleanliness, temptation for excuses not to go (tired, weather, time, self-conscious, etc.).
Hom Gym Pros: Convenience and accessibility; one-time cost; privacy for self-image as well as creative freedom; one long-term investment which can include all household members’ use; availability of today’s competitive and comprehensive home gym systems allow for a total body workout, small conveniences such as playing loud music, wearing anything you want, etc.
Home Gym Cons: Lonely if no one in the room to motivate you; possible financial impact from initial investment; assembly (depending on the system).
Here is a helpful and brief instructional video sponsored by Marcy Strength and Fitness Equipment, featuring the Marcy MWM 990 Home Gym System. The MWM 150-lb Multifunctional Home Gym has over 30 strength training exercises for total body training. This is a perfect example of a cost effective (under $500) and best home gym on the market because it has everything you would use in the professional fitness clubs. The Marcy offers many of the same exercises that work the entire body and target most major muscles. Find out more info on the Marcy and other home gyms by visiting our Best Home Gym Under $500 and Best Home Gym Under $1000 review pages:
Gym Membership vs Home Gym
| ✔️ = Highly Recommend | 🏋️♀️ = Limited / Circumstantial |
| Home Gym / Working Out at Home | Gym Membership | |
| Convenience – 24/7 | ✔️ | 🏋️♀️ |
| Affordability | ✔️ Initial investment, possible accessories | 🏋️♀️✔️Monthly membership payments, yearly fee |
| Motivational music | ✔️ | |
| Machine Availability | ✔️ | 🏋️♀️ |
| Fashion flaws, no problem | ✔️ | |
| High Quality Equipment | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Self-awareness/Shyness | ✔️ | 🏋️♀️ |
| Socializing/Support | 🏋️♀️ | ✔️ |
| Privacy | ✔️ | |
| Combine with Meditation | ✔️ | |
| Freely experiment on technique | ✔️ | 🏋️♀️ |
| Come and Go | ✔️ | 🏋️♀️ |
| No frills, no problem | ✔️ | 🏋️♀️ |
Does Working Out at Home Really Work
In order to achieve results, as with any goal, self-discipline and commitment are key. Today’s home gyms and various other types of home gym equipment such as ellipticals, rowers and free weights, are built with such professionally advanced technology, you will have no problem staying in shape. Whether that means building muscle mass, losing weight or simply incorporating a healthy lifestyle in to your routine, the price ranges for the best home gyms on the market are very accessible to any budget.
So no matter what you decide to do, we are looking at a financial commitment. Either your payments will be ongoing towards a gym membership or, generally speaking, one larger installment aka investment toward a home gym system.
How Much Does a Home Gym Cost?
If you are looking at investing in a home gym, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed with the selection. Keep in mind though that the quality of selection and competition of price on the home gym fitness market is awesome right now! Some of the leading manufacturer such as Marcy, Bowflex, Total Gym, Weider offer the highest quality home gym systems in a variety of budgets.
It’s also very helpful to research to figure out what you want in a home gym and prioritize according to your budget. In looking at what the best equipment is for a home gym, we’ve put together a home gym essentials checklist, so check that out as well.
We recently researched two popular price range budgets for home gyms with super impressive findings. If you are looking to spend under $1000 for a total workout system you will have no problem except in making a decision. Incidentally, if your home gym investment budget is under $500, you will be quite surprised at the high-end material you will get. The home gyms we researched and reviewed are the best home gyms in the fitness industry by the leading brands. Our latest review on the best elliptical under 500 dollars sheds additional light on more affordable and effective ways to get into and stay in shape at home.
What to Look for in a Home Gym
So you if you do decide that you are going to skip the gym and invest in a home gym total body workout system, before shopping around, decide what needs you want to address. We’ve listed some questions to ask yourself, examples of what to look for in a home gym, followed by a helpful list of features you will want to look for to be sure are included in your purchase.
- What is my specific budget? Have I included accessories that may or may not come with the home gym, such as floor matts, weight stacks, wrist and ankle bands, etc.?
- What room will my home gym occupy? Basement, garage, living room bedroom, spare room? Be sure to determine how much space you have available including room dimensions and even ceiling height.
- Will I have help with assembly or purchase a home gym that comes pre-assembled?
- What is my level of knowledge so I chose a home gym with workout diagrams, instructional information, customer service support
Decision Time: Gym Membership vs Home Gym – which one really works for you?
Yes, working out at home really works for the right person and/or family. One thing is for sure, the positive emotional and physical results from keeping physically fit is priceless. Maintaining a healthy self-esteem and living an empowered life requires both a strong mindset and a physically fit body. That is whether you attain these from a gym membership or your home gym system. The important thing is that you strive for the self-discipline to live a balance lifestyle and make the necessary time to workout so that you reap the benefits for the rest of your life. No matter what you decide between paying for a professional gym membership vs investing in a home gym system, you are indeed investing in yourself – and your future self will thank you.
