What’s better, home workouts or gym workouts. Yes. I could argue for both. Ultimately you have to weigh in on the weight training location that makes the most sense for you.
How a Gym Workout Can Sabotage Your Results
Aside from commute time, possible prep time you don’t do to get a sweat sesh in the basement, and another change of clothes and gym bag that needs to be packed there are a few things to consider. When we’re talking about gym workouts, I’m not talking about the lines and lines of cardio equipment. I’m talking about weight training. You can dance or box in your living room put your bike on a trainer or find plenty of cardio options anywhere. The weight training difference is bigger.
At the gym you’re more likely to:
Wait for equipment
Use random equipment
Check your iPod or Cell phone
Socialize with other members
Get unsolicited “help” from others
Avoid equipment or spaces that feel intimidating
Lack control of your rest between exercises
Experience comparison syndrome
Feel guilty about not being at home
Then again, there are two sides to every story.
Why Gym Might Be Best:
You can work heavier safely
You may gain confidence from other strong women
You’re in parallel play with no laundry in site
It’s a break if you have a home office
It’s a better “me time” if you’ve got house-mates (furry or otherwise) who interrupt you
Perks may be there that you don’t have at home (sauna, steam, whirlpool, massage)
Home Workouts or Gym Workouts: What’s Your Vote?
There’s no right or wrong answer. Even if you choose the gym, you may want a few weights at home. Convenience home workouts increase your options and decrease your need to bail. That will increase the odds you’ll be consistent. You may want to get to the gym twice a week to lift. But if you just can’t, 10 minutes in your pajamas before an early flight or conference calls is better than nothing. (trust me on this)
What’s the most important home equipment? Most people start looking at a treadmill or elliptical first. I say weight training equipment is your best investment. No matter what else I do I will ALWAYS lift weights.
It dons on me that not every woman has embraced this yet. She should. You should.
Weight training is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FITNESS ACTIVITY
you and I can do.
It makes me:
Stronger, safer, and more stable for every other physical activity
Bone healthy so I’m not limited in activity choices sooner or later in my life
More confidant sleeveless than my peers who are grabbing Spanx for arms
Happier naked – no I don’t spend a lot of time looking naked into the mirror but I don’t avoid mirrors like they were the devil (and too many clients and friends do)
More inspired for intimacy – let’s face it intimate relationships are an important part of wellness and before you have a happy intimate relationship with someone else you need to have a good relationship with your own body
Intimacy plummets for women in their 50s and 60s. You aren’t talking about it with your doctor, your friends, and unfortunately not even your partner. You probably wouldn’t be surprised at the percent of Flipping50tv.com applications I’ve received that include a mention of “tanking libido.”
Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to change your body as quickly as strength training.
It’s also going to change your mind.
Weight training decreases anxiety and depression. Anxiety is at an all-time high. Women are more susceptible to depression than men.
Hitting the weights – whether for home workouts or gym – will also increase your neural connections. That is, you’re going to be more productive, more creative, and a better problem solver if you strength train.
Weight training appeals to a lot of women who hate to sweat. Not that you can’t sweat with weight training, but you can avoid the hot sweaty mess that cardio and breathlessness creates. If you’ve never felt successful in exercise due to a lack of coordination, strength training is more forgiving. You have machine options to use and while you’re lifting, your coordination may improve because your brain is spending a little more time having intimate conversations with your muscles.
For longevity, better bone health, strength, endurance, and stamina whether in other sports or for your life, weight training is THE answer. So the question is, will you do it at home or at the gym?
What’s my answer? Both. I shoot for two strength training sessions at a gym a week. Even if it’s 10 minutes it gives me access to heavy weights that I just can’t get at home. I need that for bone density and for metabolism boosting just like any other woman. But I do have weights for home workouts for days when I’m buried under 2 feet of snow or 2 inches of paperwork. Then there’s days when a functional workout with light weights is just what I need and I’ve got all I need at home.
Will you share your weight workout routine? Home workouts or gym for you? I’d love your input on an informal poll about this here!
Home Workouts or Gym Workouts: What’s Your Vote?
Home Workouts or Gym Workouts: What’s Your Vote?
Weight training appeals to a lot of women who hate to sweat. Not that you can’t sweat with weight training, but you can avoid the hot sweaty mess that cardio and breathlessness creates. If you’ve never felt successful in exercise due to a lack of coordination, strength training is more forgiving. You have machine options to use and while you’re lifting, your coordination may improve because your brain is spending a little more time having intimate conversations with your muscles.