Clothes hanger

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to talk to you about the importance of joining a gym.  Many people hold off on joining a gym because they look at the cost of a monthly membership and feel that it is too expensive.  Then, what many of these will people do is purchase a piece of exercise equipment for their home.  But although they might have the best intentions of using this equipment, the equipment usually becomes nothing more than a fancy clothes hanger.  When someone buys equipment for home use, they usually do so both to save money and to squeeze in work outs in a timely manner.  However, the equipment usually gets neglected, and the workouts never happen.  On the other hand, if you invest in your health by joining a gym, there is usually a greater chance you will continue to workout, and you will get your money’s worth.

Nancy is a mother of three, employed full-time, and an avid shopper on Craigslist.  Because of her busy schedule, Nancy bought a gym-quality elliptical machine to use at home.  When she bought it, she had the best intentions of using it.  Her and her husband even bought a small flat screen television specifically for the space with the elliptical.  Shortly after she bought it, I asked her if she had been using it, and unfortunately, she wasn’t.  There were a number of excuses of why the machine wasn’t being used, one being that the machine was too big for the room they had it in.  Then, they replaced the machine with a recumbent bike…but that also never was used as often as intended.  The machines wound up taking up space, and being nothing more than places to hang their clothes.

One of the major hold ups with trying to work out at home is that there is no separation from life’s interruptions.  There are many people who can find the time and focus to work and / or work out at home.  But, for most people, trying to work out at home is difficult because of the many distractions that come up.  From the door bell or phone ringing, to someone else in the house needing something, many things can pop up that require attending to.  Instead of finding the extra time to work out at home, your time becomes interrupted.  Conversely, if you make an effort to leave your home and go to a gym, you eliminate those distractions.  While it does take time and energy to get out of the house, and get to the gym, once you are there, you will spend the time working out.  It actually becomes easier to put the time in. 

Major gym chains have become very competitive and their monthly fees have become very affordable because of that.  It is quite easy to find a gym membership for around $20 a month.  Although continuing a gym membership might seem more expensive then buying a second-hand piece of equipment off of Craigslist, the cost should be considered as an investment in your health.  Plus, the more you go to the gym, the more cost effective that membership becomes…you might even have it cost only a dollar or so per gym use.  That will be a very worthwhile investment in you.

When people purchase gym equipment for home use, they usually do have the best intentions of using it.  However, these machines usually become nothing more than glorified coat hangers.  For most people, trying to work out at home becomes difficult due to many distractions that pop up.  On the other hand, spending a few dollars a month for a gym membership actually becomes much more cost effective.  The money spent should be looked at as an investment in your own health.  A gym membership doesn’t have to be expensive, and there is a much greater chance you will actually use it.  Joining a gym is a worthwhile way to reach a fit new you!