Exercise is a part of everyday life; people need it stay healthy. With exercise, there are the activities done and the place to do them. There is the long-standing question of where to work out. Should a person purchase a gym membership or purchase home workout equipment? The answer: it is better to exercise at home, rather than at the gym.

There are many pros and cons to the different places a person can get physical. It can be seen that the pros of working out at home out-weigh the pros of working out in a gym, but first, let’s discuss the negatives of both.

Exercise at home can often get put off out of laziness, boredom, and other excuses not to do it. It can be hard to be self-motivated, and you might find yourself doing your chores or any other menial task instead. Another reason not to work out at home is simply the fact that there is not enough space. No equipment workouts would be perfect at home, however, if you purchase a machine, it might be hard to find a place to put it. Both of these cons have easy solution. When there is not enough space, sell the machine or put it in storage, while it may be useful in exercise, it is unnecessary, all you need to exercise is yourself. While it may be hard to stay motivated to exercise, when that motivation does come the results of the workout is that much more satisfying.

Gym memberships are expensive, no matter what gym you go to. There is always a price to pay in order to use those expensive machines and equipment. It can also be a bit of a hassle: not only do you have to drive there, but then you need to pack all your gym essentials, like a water bottle, exercise clothes, a change of clothes, and a towel. Then what happens when you leave those items behind in a gym? Worst case scenario: it gets taken and you never see it again, or you go days without having it because it is lost somewhere inside the huge gym. The gym is also full of people, and while that may be motivating to some people, most  find that it makes them self-conscious. There are also the quirks some people have, like sweat that stays behind on machines, too much cologne or perfume, and people obnoxiously using their devices too loudly or too frequently. It can just be annoying to deal with, especially when you are trying to focus on your own workout.

Instead of spending money at the gym, save money and time by working out at home. You can make smaller purchases, like weights and an exercise ball, or you do bodyweight workouts that don’t cost any money at all. It is much more convenient, there is no traveling to a location included and no packing up of equipment, because everything needed should already be at home. While there are exercise machines at the gym that do help with a variety of workouts, there is also a variety to choose from at home. You can go on a walk or run around the neighborhood, put weights and cardio together, stream live or recorded exercise class videos, and more. Finally, it is easier to focus because there are no other people to cause distractions.

However, despite all this information, the most important thing to consider when exercising is yourself. Chose the place that best fits your preferences of working out, and no matter what, the outcome should be satisfying.