Home vs Gym

Over the years I've tried out different ways of exercising that suit me.

I don't like team games - joining a netball or football team is my idea of hell. As I said last night, I'm an introverted person and I really don't enjoy team pursuits. Well, not sporty ones anyway. Possibly a throwback from the days of school PE, the feeling of being the worst person on the team and letting everyone down. I don't need that as an adult and I'm grateful I'm now in a position to choose not to do that stuff.

Aside from team sports, there's the things like British Military Fitness which a few people I know enjoy. My brother loves Crossfit (that's a link to his box) and there are lots of other ways to work out as a "group". Frankly, the very thought of it gives me the creeps. It seems to be quite fashionable for your exercise/fitness method of choice to be all about making friends, creating a lifestyle or "family" atmosphere. I am not fashionable and anything promoting itself as a way to make friends instantly puts me off.

I like being on my own and the thought of sweating and puffing my way through any sort of exercise is really not the time for me to be attempting to make new friends.

So, it's solitary exercise all the way for me and I'm very happy with that.

Over the years I've tried working out at the gym and I've tried working out at home.

The gym obviously has a full suite of cardio and weight training facilities, classes, nice changing rooms, all that sort of stuff. It's nice and dry and air-conditioned so you stay dry in the rain and cool in the heat. You often get free personal training so a programme is made up for you to reach your fitness/weight loss targets. In the past I have managed to go to the gym regularly but it always falls away. This is because I find it to be a massive hassle - packing up your bag the night before, having to carry all your stuff around with you. I used to go in the morning and then had to dry my towel in the office, and hide my trainers under the desk. There's little worse than looking for some crucial item of gym wear then finding it lurking in the bottom of an unopened gym bag stinking and unwearable. Or forgetting a crucial item of day wear and having to do a dash to the shops before work. Ugh! Perhaps it's me, the hater of routine, who just can't get on with the organisational skills required to make the gym work. But I've learned, many hundreds of pounds later, the gym is not for me.

And what of working out at home? Well, it's definitely convenient, you just get your kit on, slap on the DVD or get out of the house and get moving. You're at home so no need to lug all that kit around, or worry about forgetting something you need - it's all there.  The home fitness kit and DVD market is huge so there is a lot of choice as to how you work out. There's something for everyone and it's just a matter of trying something out and seeing how it works for you. That's part of the problem for me. It's pretty easy to buy a DVD, put it on the shelf and never even put it on. I've caught myself doing this and somehow kidding myself that the purchase of a DVD will make me do it and get me fitter. At least with a gym membership the money going out on a monthly basis is some sort of motivation to get down there and spend your money wisely. Some DVDs can be pretty cheap and they can accumulate on your shelves all too easily along with the dust on top of them.

I don't really have an answer to any of it. After signing up for the Bristol 10K I considered joining a gym and then decided against it. I would just have to get on with at home, and save my money. So far it's working for me but with the cold weather not going anywhere and finding myself easily demotivated by the difficulties in running on the road as a beginner, I'm thinking about getting a few day memberships to a local gym and getting on the treadmill. I think running for a longer time on a treadmill will be a great boost for my self-belief, and will help me to keep going when I get back outside. I see it as complementing my training, rather than replacing any road runs. We'll see how it goes. It's another busy week so hoping to find some time next week to give this a go.