Gym vs. Home Workouts: Pros and Cons

Deciding to start exercising is easy. It gets more complicated when you have to do it, the first question being: Where am I going to exercise? Joining a gym is easy but it's also easy to pay for that membership and never use it.

It's also easy to set up a home gym and even easier to find 100 other things more important than your home workout—laundry, playing on your smartphone, cleaning lint from behind your dryer, petting the dog, etc.

Whichever you decide—gym vs. home workout—the first step is committing to follow through. Then consider if you're more likely to roll out of bed and work out at home or head to the gym.

Home Workout vs. Gym Workout

Working out at home eliminates obstacles like commuting, finding gym attire, and maneuvering operating hours. However, working out at the gym provides fewer distractions, a sense of community, access to equipment like weights and cardio machines, and group fitness classes. There are pros and cons to each.

Pros and Cons of Joining a Gym

Pros of Joining a Gym

If these factors matter most to you, you have your answer.

• Amenities: Exercise can be so much easier when you have lots of options to choose from. If you're a cardio machine person, your choices at the gym abound: the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, stationary bike, rowing machine...it goes on and on. You also have options for lifting weights: machines, free weights, cable machines, bands, and more.
• Classes: Another big attraction is fitness classes. Sure, you can do online classes at home, but it's not the same as going to the gym and being around people. There may be other offerings like a swimming pool, hot tub, tennis courts, etc.—certainly good reasons to find a great gym bag to carry extras like a swimsuit or yoga mat.
• Community: There's something about sweating along with everyone else at the gym that gives you a communal boost. We often draw energy from others and it can even push us to work harder. You want to go faster than the guy next to you on the treadmill, right?
• Focus: There's not much to do at the gym but exercise, which can help you stay focused on your workouts. No chores, no kids needing attention, and no temptations to sway you from your workouts.
• Motivation: Paying for a gym membership can be motivating, but there's also the boost you get from working out among others. You can pick up on that friendly competitive vibe you won't get working out alone.

Cons of Joining a Gym

Gym membership has its advantages, but also its drawbacks.

• Cost: No matter where you go, you're going to have to pay something to join a gym. Some high-end clubs can cost more than $100 a month, while smaller clubs may only charge $10. Still, you get what you pay for.
• Hassle: Commuting to the gym includes packing your bag, filling up your water, getting dressed (you don't have to match, but you do need to wear clothing), driving there, parking, heading to the locker room, etc. Your total time commitment will be longer just because of the drive time. 
• Other people: Here's another thing about the gym: It's full of people. Sweaty, earphone-wearing exercisers who are all there to do their own thing. Sometimes that leaks over into your world in the form of talking loudly on cell phones, leaving sweat all over the machines, not putting away their weights, or choking you with too much cologne or perfume. It's a gym. It happens.

Pros and Cons of Working Out at Home

Pros of Working Out at Home

For some people, home workouts are the best option, thanks to these benefits.

• Convenience: You don't have to pack a bag, drive anywhere, or arrange for childcare. You could work out in your pajamas if you wanted to...something they frown upon at the gym. Slip into a comfy pair of slides as soon as you're done working out without having to carry a pair around in a bag. You can also work out whenever you like, which is perfect if you need to split your workouts or want to work out at non-traditional hours.
• Cost: There's no membership fee and you can outfit your home gym with a few inexpensive resistance bands and an exercise ball and be set. You could even do bodyweight workouts that require no equipment. Plus, even in a small space in the summer, cooling down can be made easier with a good fan for your home gym.
• Variety: There's a different variety when you work out at home. You can go outside; use exercise videos; stream live classes on mobile devices, fitness mirrors, or a rowing machine; play exergames; or download workout apps. Mix and match all you want—putting weights and cardio together, throwing in some yoga, whatever floats your boat. There is also versatile home gym equipment, great for more impulsive exercisers who want to mix things up.

Cons of Working Out at Home

Don't let these derail your home workout.

• Boredom: At the gym, you have lots of scenery to distract and potentially motivate you. If you don't have enough variety at home, you might become bored.
• Excuses: When you exercise at home, there are approximately 4,987 excuses to skip your workout. If you're not self-motivated, you might avoid workouts with mindless chores like filing your nails, ironing the sheets, or alphabetizing your book collection.
• Space: You don't need a ton of space to work out at home, but if you want a treadmill or other large piece of equipment like a power rack, space is obviously important.

A Word From Verywell

Whether you should join a gym or work out at home often comes down to personal preference and budget. If you're self-motivated and know you'll exercise no matter what, working out at home may be a good option. However, if you find way too many distractions (e.g., "I know I should work out, but I really need to clip my toenails"), getting out of the house may be a better choice. Whichever option you choose, it's important to have a good water bottle handy to ensure proper hydration before, during, and after workouts.