11 Reasons people prefer working out at home instead of a gym

First of all let’s set the stage here. I’m not a gym hater. In fact I am a former gym rat. The gym rats know what gym rat is. For those of you who do not know here is the simple definition.

The Urban Dictionary definition: gym rat
One who spends entirely too much time partaking in muscle building, strength training, cardiovascular, or aerobic activity. Specifically, one who does so at a health club or gym.
Often used derogatorily by people who do not partake in or understand this lifestyle, some self-proclaimed gym rats use the term as a status symbol or for positive reinforcement.

gym rat

For years I didn’t even have a gym membership because I knew it was a waste of my money. Then I had a membership and barely used it. Maybe 1 time a week and that was a lot. I would say I was going to get up early and go or pack a bag and go after work but it never happened. I’d always find some excuse to sleep in or go to happy hour and the gym fell to the side. After having my son I had to get into the gym. I loved using the day care so I could have 2 hours of me time. I loved using the dry sauna and getting out of the house. I still have my gym membership and go a once or twice a week but the bulk of my workouts happen at home now.
I know there are people, who will say they have to leave the house to work out or they can’t get motivated to work out at home, or they love the social interaction at the gym or that they don’t have the equipment at home. I get all of that. I do. Here is what you need to understand. If the gym is not helping you reach your goals, if you are spending more time there socializing than working out, if you are taking time away from other things to be at the gym for 2 or 3 hours then you may want to consider having a few workout programs at home to use once in a while. Not every program requires tons of equipment. Some don’t even require anything but your body weight. Now that I prefer being at home I know that I will get a great workout no matter what. It was a mindset and I changed it. I work out more now at home than I ever did at the gym. I always have it at my finger tips and don’t have to decide to go to another location.
11 reasons people prefer working out at home instead of a gym.

1) You can wear whatever you want. You don’t have to match or worry if your boobs are flopping out or turning into a uniboob. You don’t have to worry if your pants are see-through or if others can see your private business when you are stretching.
2) You don’t have to drive anywhere. Unless your gym is less than ½ block from you, you are spending 10 to 15 minutes walking or driving to it. Sometimes more. This matters more in extreme weather. It is super easy to stay in a warm, cozy, bed at 4:30 in the morning on a dark winter day. You can rationalize anything to get out of it. I used to attend a 5:45am yoga class a few times a week. That meant getting up at 4:45am to get up, get dressed, get my water and mat together, warm up the car, drive 15 minutes, park, check in, walk to the locker room, lock up my purse, head upstairs and get my spot.
3) You don’t have anyone watching you. You can jump around, sweat, look stupid, take breaks, pause things, turn up the music, rewind, try again and no one will see you. This really mattered to me when I was overweight. I didn’t want people seeing me working out. I didn’t want others judging me. All of those super fit people bouncing around all happy. I wanted to be one of them and the last thing I wanted to do was have them look at me working out.
4) You have all the space you need. I used to leave my house at 7:45am for an 8:30am class. If I wasn’t at the class at 8am to claim my turf then some other lady would get it. Not sure where you work out and what the people are like but my gym has some sassy ladies. Some think their sh*t doesn’t stink and they are the only ones in the world. They will talk on their phone during class, save 5 spots for people, or just walk in late and squeeze in behind you when there is clearly not any room.
5) You don’t have to fight for equipment in class. Pretty much the same as fighting for a spot. If you don’t get there at the right time then you don’t have what you need to do the class the way you want. I’m type A and I like to have what I want, when I want it. Getting there 5 minutes before class starts doesn’t work for me. I have to have the right supplies to do things properly.
6) You don’t have to wait for equipment. This applies to anything out there on the floor. The treadmill, any machine, free weights etc. You know you’ve dealt with waiting your turn.
7) You don’t have to deal with other people’s grossness. This is HUGE for me. People leaving gum on things, not wiping down sweat, sitting down on benches naked in the locker room, touching a machine and feeling sweat, seeing someone sneeze or cough and then pick up weights. AHHHHHH!!!!! Come on people! I know I have the flu but I have to work out today. I’m going to hit the gym and try to sweat it out. Sounds like a great plan. Go for it Gus.
8) You don’t have to deal with the loudness and distractions. At the gym you usually hear announcements, people being paged for the day care center, loud music from a class, instructors screaming, all of the machines working, people talking on their cell phones, other gym rats chatting each other up in front of your workout, other gym rats waving and saying hello to you, people trying to flirt with you while you are mid-stretch or worse. My workout time is my time. It is not social time. Talk before or after but not during. Hey Sue, let’s go to the gym and get on treadmills next to each other and talk for 45 minutes solid super loud. That way we can get in a workout, break a small sweat while we annoy everyone around us. Sounds awesome! Let’s do it.
9) You never forget your bra or other important articles. When you finish your workout you can just pop into the shower and get ready for the day. No need to pack anything. For men this may not be a big deal but for women with makeup, hair care stuff, accessories and more this is a big deal. You don’t want to leave your make up and stuff in your car all day in the freezing cold or blazing heat. Not a good plan.
10) You have total control over when you work out. You do not have to wait on an instructor to begin. You do not have to wait on a machine to be free. You don’t have to wait for a schedule to be posted. If you want to work out at 4am, 6am, or 9pm you can do the workout and know it will be great.
11) You show a positive example to your children and they join you. Dumping your kid at the child care place doesn’t show them how important it is to be healthy and exercise. I love it when my son wakes up and runs down the hall in the morning and finds us in the living room working out. He is being raised in an environment that respects exercise and discipline. He sees it in action. On many occasions he does the work out with us. That is priceless. I’m not showing my son how to make excuses for not working out. I’m not showing him he has to be at a gym to work out. I’m showing him that he is in control of his health and can do this any place, any time he wants and achieve his goals.

Do you agree with these reasons? Do you have more reasons you love working out at home? Share them with me. If you liked this article please share it and tell me your comments.