Getting a good workout from home... Is it for you too?
...The railroad crossing was located some twenty minutes from my old office building.
At precisely 5:19 p.m., the train would pull in to the station causing an already congested traffic situation to resemble a genuine rush-hour nightmare.
Not making it on time meant an additional ten to fifteen minutes parked in a queue waiting for the train to once again roll out of the station.
What's worse was the health club was still some distance away from the railroad crossing.
So three, often four times a week, it would be a stress driving through traffic trying to beat the train to make it to the health club on time.
If that wasn't enough, the drive home at night was even longer since my home was at least a half hour away from the club in the direction opposite from my office.
All told, from the time I left the office to the time I got home, more than three hours would elapse.
I typically spent more time in my car driving to and from the club than I did working out.
Three hours for a one hour workout. Sometimes four times a week. Every week.
This is hardly an uncommon occurrence.
Committing to fitness can be difficult enough without having to commit an additional two hours for every hour spent working out.
It was simple. The decision to workout from home was a natural one. I've been training from home now for over a decade-- and I wouldn't have it any other way.
For me, it wasn't so much about the gym membership and monthly fees I would save (although this can amount to substantial savings over time-- a very real benefit).
Nor was it about the inconvenience of waiting your turn for exercise machines to free up. Indeed, health clubs can certainly become overcrowded, especially during peak hours.
Having to constantly wait to perform your exercise is not only disruptive, but if your rest intervals between sets and exercises far exceeds accepted protocols, the quality and effectiveness of your workout diminishes.
The health club can be an intimidating place too. Especially if you're overweight or have other 'appearance' issues. For many, the privacy of home can go a long way toward adhering to a workout plan.
...And sticking to exercise over the long haul is by far, the single most important factor to successfully achieving your health and fitness goals and staying fit as you age.
No, for me it was about the travel time. The lost time driving to and from the gym represented a huge time commitment that was difficult to sustain month after month.
The other advantage that appealed to me most was the flexibility that training from home provides. I can literally workout at a moment's notice, anytime of the day or night and easily reschedule my training should something unexpectedly come up.
In a practical sense, this means my training is no longer dictated-- nor am I any longer constrained by the health club's business hours. In that sense, my home contrary to the club, is always 'open for business'.
Yet, as much as the decision to workout from home was an easy one for me, indeed, working out from home may not be for everyone.
The important issue to always keep in mind is which environment are you more likely to adhere to your training over the long term for the attainment of your fitness goals and the benefit of your overall health and well being?
You may want to start by asking yourself a few questions...
First, are you more of a self-starter or do you tend to rely on external environmental influences for your motivation?
A crowded health club filled with the energy of other people going about their workouts may be the kind of impetus you need to keep you motivated to train.
Some folks tell me that if you know that when you workout from home you'll have no one but yourself to push you to stick to your workout schedule, and you constantly need coaxing, then it can be easier to succumb to the temptation to skip a workout.
Perhaps you might want to consider hiring a personal trainer in this instance. A personal trainer will not only design an appropriate workout plan written specifically for you, but the fact that you are paying for their presence may coerce you into keeping your fitness appointments.
Secondly, what is your home environment like?
Is the phone continually ringing off the hook? Do you keep an office in your home? Do the kids or other family members prevent you from spending uninterrupted time working out?
If you have too many distractions in the home, you may be better off at a gym where you can steal some time for yourself and focus entirely on your workout.
Thirdly, do you have any previous exercise experience at all?
One of the least mentioned drawbacks to training from home is the risk you run when you don’t perform your exercises correctly.
Proper technique is vital because it will not only produce the results you want in the fastest way possible, but more importantly, it will also minimize the potential for injury.
Of course, just joining a gym doesn't guarantee perfect exercise technique either. If there's no one around to teach you, you're not really any better off.
In fact, there is so much misinformation out there, it's quite easy to fall prey to poor exercise habits.
Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to train with a personal trainer for a few sessions-- the time to learn proper exercise technique, regardless of where you train.
Finally, as a certified personal trainer, I am often asked which I think is best... workout from home with limited resources or from a health club with full amenities.
My reply is always the same.
Everyone needs to understand that exercise is voluntary, time consuming, and competes with many other daily responsibilities.
The most important thing of all is to remain active over the course of your lifetime.
I know your immediate goal is important to you. But unless you have a medical condition, realize that in the grand scheme of things, the more important objective is to stay fit throughout the decades of your life.
Therefore, many decisions you make concerning your fitness needs should revolve around convenience, ease, and practicality so that exercise fits as seamlessly as possible into your lifestyle.
For me, it's very practical to workout from home. It's easy. And it's by far the most convenient option I have.
To workout from home or not...
It's true that you can workout from home just as effectively as from a gym. It's also true that to workout from home affords you tremendous convenience and flexibility. However, it may not be for everyone.
Choose what's best for you given your temperament, your circumstances, and your personal preferences.
...The railroad crossing was located some twenty minutes from my old office building. 
