“I don’t need to join a gym; I work out at home.”
“I have videos I watch when I want to work out.”
Do these things sound familiar? I hear it from people I talk to all the time. There is a place for everybody at the gym; and in fact, there are many good reasons that you should join one! I am here to give you the top six reasons why you should join a gym or fitness center.
1. Community
When you join a gym and you go at the same time each day and each week, you start to see some familiar faces. The gym has one of the best communities around that you can be a part of. Everyone is welcoming and working toward the same goals: to get fit in some way or another. It is an encouraging and motivating place to exercise. And I know from personal experience; some of the individuals I have worked with have met lifelong friends at the gym.
2. No Distractions
At home, there can be many distractions to interrupt your workout. Your dog licking you in the face while doing pushups, the laundry buzzer going off in the middle of your yoga, or someone knocking on your door in the middle of your squats can all be frustrating and get you out of your workout groove. Luckily, the gym doesn’t have any of those distractions (sadly, no dogs). You can get your workout accomplished in peace without the potential of having 100 other things get in the way.
3. Accountability
As I mentioned in the “Community” section, when you join a gym and go at the same time every day, you usually start to see some familiar faces. If you do not come for a while, they will question where you have been, and possibly will even call you to check in and see if everything is going okay. The gym environment, from personal training to small group training, helps to hold you accountable for coming into the gym. No one wants to hear, “Hey, I haven’t seen you lately,” when they walk into the gym. The relationships you build with other members and the staff help hold you accountable for your health and fitness goals.
4. Friendships
Some of the best friendships start in the gym. This is something that you won’t encounter if you stay at home for your exercise. Asking someone for a spot or joining a class is a great way to kindle a friendship that may end up lasting a very long time. Good workout buddies are hard to find, but a good place to look for one is in the gym.
5. Trainers
At home, you may have a video telling you what to do and taking you through a workout, but at the gym, you get the real thing. Whether you are in a personal training session, a group fitness class, or just taking advantage of the trainers walking the floor, there are fitness experts around who can answer your questions.
6. Fun
The gym is a fun place to work out. Who doesn’t want a little more fun in their life? Some people claim that exercise is not fun; I totally disagree with that statement. There are plenty of ways to make exercise fun. Come into the gym and find out for yourself! This is not to mention the fact that the plethora of equipment available to use at the gym is much more than what you typically have at home.
Come try the gym today. We’d love to have you experience all of the six things listed above. Try us for free for 7 days! Click here to find out more.
This blog was written by Kaci Lierman, Personal Trainer and Health Fitness Instructor. To read more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.