Eve Davies
The past year has sabotaged so many daily rituals and habits, one of which is our gym routines. While there are many people thrilled to be back training in gyms (a UK petition for gyms to reopen did get 600,00 signatures in October 2020 after all), others say they will not be returning. After such a long period in which gyms have been closed, people have adapted to different, more economical and time efficient ways of keeping active, or lost motivation and interest all together.
There are various advantages and disadvantages to both home and gym workouts. I have weighed these up to consider which way of exercising works best for people across different lifestyles.
Home Workouts
Home workouts are practical timewise. They cut out the journey to and from the gym, making it accessible for those who are time-poor. Parents of young children have found it easier to work out from home as they do not need to arrange childcare in advance. They can let the children run around them or encourage them to join in to burn off the bountiful energy that most children seem to have.
Working out from home allows people to fit their exercise around busy daily schedules. Instead of being tied to class timetables, people are able to fit in their workout whenever suits them, be it lunchtime, 5am, or 9pm. Work outs can be more time efficient at home as you do not have to wait around for other people to finish using equipment you want to use, meaning it is easier to just ‘get it done’.
Throughout the pandemic, fitness trainers have adapted their businesses to social climates and offered content online or through social media to help their clients and audiences make progress whilst swimming uncertain pandemic waters. Well-respected trainers in the fitness industry, such as Courtney Black, Alice Living, Bradley Simmonds, and Meggan Grubb, have offered free live workouts for their followings on their Instagram platforms, which proved extremely popular.
Courtney Black –– aka the home workout queen –– has said that she will not step foot in a conventional gym again, after years of face-to-face personal training on the gym floor. She has helped hundreds of thousands of people get fit and lose weight through her smart phone app, Instagram content, and live workouts. She has showed people that it is possible to adopt a healthy, happy, and non-restrictive lifestyle, while in the best physical and mental, without entering a gym. The incredible results her ‘warriors’ have achieved has put a whole new perspective on home workouts.
Courtney admitted that before the pandemic even she turned her nose up to home workouts. She said, “I’d rather not workout at all than put myself through a home workout”. Through hard work she has found a way to create fun and effective workouts that can be done with limited space and equipment. These workouts have completely transformed her outlook and her new-found passion has inspired hundreds of thousands.
Many people suffer with anxiety and find going to a gym very intimidating, therefore, home workouts offer the opportunity to improve confidence, physical and mental health without the feeling that everyone in the room is starring at you. Although it is important to remember that even in a gym everybody is focussed on their own workouts and not likely bothered about what you are doing.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been a popular training style while access to heavy weights has been limited. HIIT involves intense bursts of energetic movement, which helps to build cardiovascular fitness. It also involves body weight exercises that aid strength. HIIT workouts are a great way to get a quick sweat on and are proven to release endorphins that instantly boost your mood. They are an amazing strategy to kick start your morning on a positive note or to shake off stress built up throughout the day.
“Restrictions in society and changes in lifestyle over the past year have meant that exercise has been one of our few personal liberties.”
Without access to heavy weights, it is possible to progressively overload at home to make strength gains. Performing exercises for more reps or sets, adding a pause or half rep, or taking less rest are all ways to make your workout that little bit harder each week to ensure you are progressing.
Restrictions in society and changes in lifestyle over the past year have meant that exercise has been one of our few personal liberties. With more free time, many people have considered new hobbies and opportunities to get fit. Fitness apps, such as Strava and Couch to 5K, have recorded significant increases in users. More people are out running and cycling than ever before and have enjoyed the sense of personal progression and achievement these activities provide. I can’t imagine that many people will swap an outdoor run or cycle to pay over £20 a month to run on a treadmill starring at the wall.
Gym Workouts
Working out at the gym brings a multitude of benefits. Gyms offer more advanced and expensive equipment; even if you were one of the lucky few who managed to get hold of a barbell during lock down, you’d need to re-mortgage your house to equip a home gym with half the machines and weights available at most gyms. The equipment available at the gym allows gym-goers to make serious strength gains!
There are also professionals in the gym who can help with technique to ensure you perform exercises correctly. Using the correct form prevents injury and allows you to get the most out of your session. Most gyms provide fitness classes that are structured and led by professionals. These are useful as participants do not have to plan their gym session ahead of getting there. Simply following the instructors plan ensures they get a good workout without too much thought – the only thing they must put in is effort.
“It is a place where you can meet people with similar interests and workout with friends, which can be motivating as you spur each other on.”
Many people also enjoy the social aspect of the gym. It is a place where you can meet people with similar interests and workout with friends, which can be motivating as you spur each other on. For those working from home, getting to the gym everyday means they can escape their working environment and have the chance to chat to people face-to-face rather than over zoom meetings. Additionally, some people living in small homes and flats simply don’t have adequate space to work out. As many people have learnt over the past year, having separate spaces for working, exercising, and relaxing is hugely mentally beneficial. It can be had to switch off and relax in the evening when your living room has become your office, gym, and place of rest.
Overall, I think there will be an even split between gym-goers and those who will stick to working out at home. I think younger generations will return to the gym for its social benefits and advanced equipment. While parents of young children and adults with busy daily schedules are more likely to reap the benefits of working out at home.
Personally, going against my demographic, I’ve decided to cancel my gym membership and invest the money I would be paying monthly into my own equipment. I am thankful of my ‘gym shed’ as I can’t imagine I’d taking this route if I had been doing burpees and squats in my living room for over a year. I have enjoyed working out in my own space as it is convenient, and I feel like I can focus better without other people around.
Featured image courtesy of Rick Barrett on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
evedaviess
Eve is 22 years old and lives in Swansea. She has recently graduated from Cardiff University with a BA in English Literature. Eve's main interest is in lifestyle writing, particularly health, food, and travel.