With the fitness and health industries booming, people in Denver are trying to find more convenient and cost-effective ways to stay fit. Should I get a personal trainer? I could sign up for a general membership at a local gym… or just get some home gym equipment & work out at home. The possibilities are endless, which makes the decision-making process quite difficult. Here are some things to consider before you invest in home gym equipment.
While many people are self-disciplined and can get the job of working out done on their own, there is a vast majority of individuals who can barely show up to a 24hr gym even after a ridiculous chunk of money is sucked from their bank accounts month after month.
For some people, hiring/keeping a personal trainer may seem “too expensive”, so the most logical solution to that would be working out at home.
On average, each American household spends approximately $130 on sports & exercise equipment each year (this includes treadmills, exercise bikes, bands, foam rollers, exercise balls, etc.). A multipurpose gym station or single piece of (quality) cardio equipment can range anywhere from $600-$5000 dollars.
If you make this one-time investment, then your home workouts will save you loads of cash, right?
WRONG! Actual Data from Consumer Reports indicates that nearly 40% of home gym equipment is never used–even on their date of purchase and the purchasers didn’t even feel confident that they would actually use it.
Here are the three main reasons why you should NOT go the home gym equipment route
- LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – While it may seem like a good idea, initially, it can be difficult to create the ideal area in your home to workout.
This is especially true for anyone who lives in an apartment or town home. You realize that there is not adequate space for the enormous Concept2 rower, or you can’t jump around too much (with Shaun T’s Insanity video) because it will wake your neighbors. Not to mention your couch looks so appealing halfway through the workout. After a while, that workout equipment in your home turns into this expensive, space-sucking laundry rack, which eventually ends up on Craigslist as “Pristine Condition, Like New, Hardly Used”.
I know this as fact by personal experience, as I picked up a spin bike on Craigslist for only $60 bucks by someone else who NEVER used it.
Save yourself the torture of running inside your basement like a hamster on a wheel. Buy a nice pair of running shoes or a REAL bike & get outside!!! Not only will you benefit from time well-spent in nature, but you can save that space in your home for a quiet, comfy well deserved Lazy-Boy.
- LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE – When you see people moving, it will make YOU want to move. When you are with people who are working hard in the gym, it is inspiring & motivating.
As a Personal Trainer, I have heard every excuse in the book as to why people “can’t workout”, even when they have access to equipment right in their home. (My favorite being, “I had to shovel dog poop”).
Fact of the matter is, it’s quite difficult or nearly impossible to stay motivated when there is no energy/movement around you. And the proof is in the pudding. That very same spin bike that I used six months ago for rehab after ACL reconstruction is currently sitting in my office/guest room. Why, you ask? Because, it’s far more FUN to share a tortuous cardio-fest at the gym with other people who are working out just as hard as you are.
When you are training at the gym, you can focus on the task at hand with no possibility of interruptions. For me, that means I do not have to contemplate the decision-making process between completing 40 minutes of cardio or Mani-Pedi time with my daughter. Time spent with your children is priceless, and you shouldn’t have to choose.
- RESULTS – This one is the most obvious. The number one thing I hear from returning clients is “I do OK on my own but the workouts at home are not as effective because you push me much harder than I would ever push myself.
“Whenever there is any question of intensity regarding workouts, the end result will simply not be the same. Most people will instinctively try to stop during the most intense part of their workouts, and that’s why it always pays to have someone there who really challenges you.
As personal trainers, it is our JOB to push our clients to a point where they would never push themselves, and from a training perspective, THAT is where the magic happens.
High quality, effective training yields the best results, and that is what we are all working toward. The cost of hiring a personal trainer is always an important consideration, and many people feel that having home gym equipment will save them tons of cash. Just keep in mind that treadmill in your basement will not ask to see your food journal…Choose wisely!
