To Gym or Not To Gym?

I was reading a blog recently where a blogger was debating whether or not to get a gym membership. The whole issue of exercise, and 'to gym or not to gym' is a very complex and personal one. Some people become dedicated gym-goers and absolutely love gym sessions, some, like myself, hate the gym.

That's not to say I haven't tried...I've tried being a gym bunny...four separate times with four separate gym memberships. It's just not for me. I don't particularly enjoy having to wait for equipment, spray it down after I use it, and if you are in a co-ed gym the smell can be quite appalling. I don't like lugging my gear around until I can go to the gym. But that's me. There are definite benefits to getting a gym membership, but ONLY if you are going to make a concerted effort to turn up!

When I got down to my goal weight, I did it without the benefit of a gym membership. It's all the other years that I got a gym membership and didn't use it that I didn't make progress. Your personality, likes and dislikes can determine how effective your workout plan is. For me, I found that going on long power walks and doing aqua aerobics and then progressing to harder workouts at home on DVD worked miracles. But you may find that the gym is ideal for you, especially if you have trouble getting a workout in at home. I know that for many mums an hour at the gym is a perfect chance at 'me time', and it may be easier for you to go straight from work to the gym before you go home for the evening.

For beginners to exercise, I recommend the 'cheap-as-chips' home gym option. No, I'm not talking expensive machines. If you have access to a local park or if you are even luckier and have access to the beach, you have a great place for a power walk. Stairs can provide a great platform for a range of different toning and cardio exercises.

My home gym is a bit more expensive but I have found it invaluable. I have a swiss ball, which is excellent for advanced crunches and other exercises. I have a pair of 1lb and 5lb weights, and a resistance band which is excellent. And finally in my arsenal I have a range of different workout DVDs because I can chop and change and do workouts I want to do when I want to do them, and change them up if I get bored. I love the 10-Minute-Solutions and Quick-Fix range of DVDs because you get a range of 10-minute workouts that you can either do all at once, or in effective 10 minute segments. This is great if you have little snippets of time in the day instead of a big chunk of time.

Also, sometimes you can get some excellent freebies from magazines! Twice I have gotten free workout DVDs from fitness magazines. Keep your eyes peeled for these occasional freebies when you do your weekly grocery shop.

But most importantly...incidental exercise! Stairs, walking, all that functional fitness we should be doing every day anyway. All the incidental exercise adds up, and believe me, when I stopped taking the stairs and walking short distances I packed on the pounds. Every bit of exercise helps in the long run!