Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Home Gym vs. Gym Memberships

I am about 9 weeks into P90x now... so that means I have paid for 2 months of my gym membership and have not walked thru those doors in MONTHS.  We are under contract, so cancelling is not an option.  And of course, they will not allow you to 'freeze' your account temporarily.  Boo!

It got me wondering though... even if they did allow me to cancel my membership, would I want to?  P90x is just a 90 day program.  Will I be returning to the gym after my P90x sentence experience is over?  I'm not sure.  I really enjoy working out from home.  Its so much more convenient.  I don't have to pack a gym bag with me to take to work... I don't have to rush there at 5 PM with all the other 9-5ers who are anxious to get their bodies moving after having sat behind a desk ALL day.  However, I miss seeing my gym friends.  I miss the access to certain machines and equipment that I don't have.  I miss the pool/jacuzzi/sauna/steam rooms (even though I RARELY uses them!).

Oh well, cancelling my membership is not an option anyways.  But, just curious how everyone else feels about it. 

6 comments:

  1. With 2 small kids and a full time job, I ditched the gym membership a long time ago. I really love rolling out of bed, getting my workout done and not having to think about it again... let alone travel somewhere during rush hour.

    I do agree with you on the social aspect of it though.... I miss going with my girlfriends.

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  2. We have a gym right here in our apartment complex so I have never had the need for a membership. DH though started at Golds Gym by our old house and It wasnt worth it. He got roped into a contract and then no matter how much he tried couldnt get the time to go around his schedule. Total waste and we had to pay the termination fee.

    Even though we moved and there is no chain around here. They told him Your under contract your pay the $200 term fee or pay your dues and drive 50 minutes each day down here.

    Waste of money.

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  3. I prefer to workout at home anyway. I would just get different programs so you can mix things up and not get bored. I do like to get out once in a while, but I prefer me main workouts to be home. That was why I decided on something like karate over the gym. You are a little me social because you work with others and meet new people, but you get a good workout. When it's a shorter karate day I do another workout at home. I agree, the whole packing a bag to go to the gym thing is a PITA. I have to do some of that for karate, but that isn't every night. If I relied on the gym or karate alone, I would only be getting 3 days a week rather than 6 and would likely not see the results, at least not as quickly! Heck, lots of people do P90X 2 or 3 rounds!

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  4. It's such a dilemma for me, too! I love the ease and comfort of working out in my own home but I LOVE the social interaction of working out at a gym. I think that after a round or two of P90X I'm going to get a gym membership so that I can mix it up, get more of the social aspect, and prevent boredom.

    Haha, sometimes P90X does feel like a sentence that I placed on myself. Hopefully by the end of the 90 some odd days it won't feel like that anymore!

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  5. I don't miss the gym - for most of the reasons you discussed and for me also because I feel judged at the gym and not supported. That being said now that I'm more comfortable with myself after doing P90X I might feel better about joining a gym again.

    For now though I plan on following up this system with Turbo Fire or another Beach Body program. I enjoy working out at home. It doesn't matter if my workout gear doesn't fit properly or that it's ugly or doesn't match and if I get completely nasty while working out no one sees me.

    And if my form is lacking or I'm having an off day and I'm slacking ONLY I can give myself crap.

    I say keep your membership if you have every intent to get back go for it! You have to keep it anyway... Maybe stop by on an off day from P90X and do some easy cardio on a machine just to see some friends :)

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  6. Gym transport time has always been a barrier to me working out in a gym... it irritates me that I can spend two hours of my day on "working out" when less than half is actual working out. And like others I hate packing a bag.

    I solve the social aspect thing with finding other P90X:ers to workout with and by going to fit club. That way I get to be part of a community as well as not have to pay for a gym (or travel to one!)

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