Let’s face it. Getting going with exercise can be daunting. I think we can do ourselves a favor and make it as easy as possible to get started. Saving time, money and effort expended doing this workout thing sounds good to me! That’s why I love working out at home.

I have heard a lot of people say, “I could never work out at home.” And I have heard people say, “I’d never give up the gym.” But I have also seen some of those same people get amazing results exercising at home and giving up the gym! So even if you’re skeptical, read on…

Things I Love About Working Out at Home

1. Getting to exercise without getting ready or getting in the car. For me the thought of getting ready and leaving the house and getting in the car and driving somewhere to exercise is daunting. I like the idea of rolling out of bed and not caring what my hair looks like and leaving my glasses on and just getting it done before I get ready for the day. Who has time to get “ready” twice in one day??
2. Not needing cute workout clothes. It’s easier to pick out workout clothes when no one outside the house will see them! Ratty old shirt? Sure. Opposite of flattering but super comfy shorts? Absolutely.
3. Saving time. Most people give “not having enough time” as an excuse for not exercising. Even if you live close to your gym, you save a lot of time by not having to go anywhere.
4. Staying warm. The thought of warming up the car and leaving the house on a cold winter morning is so unappealing to me. It’s hard enough to get out of a warm, cozy bed without thinking about venturing out in early morning darkness to freeze your butt off.
5. The cost. It is definitely cheaper to exercise at home. You can set yourself up for minimal initial cost and not have to pay ongoing monthly fees.
6. The time factor. In addition to saving time getting ready and getting to and from the gym, you save time by exercising on your schedule. No waiting for a class to start, no waiting for a machine or weights, no getting stuck chit chatting when you’re not in the mood.
7. Privacy and lack of embarrassment. Or the fear of embarrassment. I would like to say that I am always super confident and couldn’t care less what anyone thinks, but the truth is sometimes I feel self-conscious working out with other people. I like the privacy of doing it all by myself.
8. The germ factor. I’m sure gyms do their best to stay clean, but the thought of other sweaty people, lots of sweaty people, using the same weights or machines as me, grosses me out a little.
9. No need for childcare. When I started exercising I had 4 young children. If I wanted to leave the house to exercise it would have had to be before 4 a.m. or after 6 p.m. when dinner, homework, baths, and bedtime are the priority. Or I would have had to pay for someone to watch them. When you work out at home, you can do it whenever you want. Sometimes the kids would even join in.
10. Focus. I like the focus of a home workout program. At the gym, there is a chance for workout distraction. There might be a class starting that sounds good, you might see someone you know doing something and be tempted to do what they’re doing. There’s also the chance of spending more time socializing than actually doing what you went there to do.

And 1 more thing…

There’s one more thing that I’d add when it comes to doing a specific workout program at home: the results. When I was first talking about what I was doing (at home) to my friend (a gym person at the time) she made a great point that I would not have known or thought of myself. The programs I was doing were getting me results that she was not getting by going to the gym.

I know you can get results at the gym, but I know a lot of people who go the gym regularly and don’t really see the results they want. The science behind the at-home programs I do is used to get you results. I saw results in 60 days of Insanity that I hadn’t seen with months of running and doing a half-marathon. These programs are designed to give you visible results, which is motivation to keep going with the whole healthy lifestyle thing.

I know there are perks to working out at a gym- the classes, the trainers, the social aspect, the variety of equipment. Sometimes people need to get out of the house. Some people want the social part. I think there are definitely people who love going to a gym and have great results doing their thing there.

But if you’re not seeing results, or you feel like you’re in a rut at the gym and want to change things up, give working out at home a try!

It’s nice to have so many options for working out at home, too. I have Beachbody On Demand and it offers a ton of workout programs plus all the good stuff that goes with them- nutrition guides, progress trackers, recipes, workout calendars. It’s like Netflix for fitness. It’s a lot cheaper than a gym membership and there are several subscription options, including a free trial! I also have accountability groups that offer support and motivation. I might not be chatting with anyone, but there is a feeling of social connection. And the feeling of being in it with partners.

There are also great options on YouTube. Search for the kind of workout you want and see what’s available. You’ll be missing the benefit of a specially designed program with a calendar to follow, but Google enough and you can design your own.

Exercise has completely changed my life and I want everyone to see for themselves how life-changing it is. I don’t think I would have broken past my flat-out hatred of exercise if it weren’t for working out at home. If you don’t exercise yet or don’t love it, maybe it could work for you, too.

How do you feel about working out at home? Love it? Hate it? Never tried it? I’d love to hear from you!