I haven’t been the to the gym in over 2 years (and I’m probably not going back).
Let me be clear – I liked the gym. I’m certainly not anti-gym.
But at this stage in my life, if my fitness depended on consistently making it there, I would be toast!
There’s the commute. And then there’s childcare (we have 3 kids up to 4 years old), or otherwise coordinating with my wife (who also values fitness) so that we could go in shifts. All in, we’d be looking at maybe an hour time commitment to squeeze in a 25-minute workout!
The logistical barriers to accessing home fitness are just so much lower.
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Commute: 30 seconds to the basement (or back deck)
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Childcare: our home gym adjoins the playroom
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Time commitment: Totally flexible – sometimes there’s just time for 10 or 15 sweaty minutes, and that’s ok! These sessions can really add up, and they’re much more appealing/accessible when there’s no commute or locker room involved.
Gyms can be awesome resources in terms of providing people with community, fun, competition, expert training, and specialized equipment. But they should not be our ONLY space for achieving our movement and fitness goals! I am convinced that, especially for busy parents and professionals, investing in SOME form of home fitness setup is the key to consistency, and ultimately long-term wellness.
Portable, versatile, and inexpensive options – a pair of medium-weight dumbbells, a kettlebell, a jumprope, some equalizer bars – are an awesome place to start. CONSISTENTLY using minimalist equipment will bring far superior results compared to inconsistently using fancy “fancy” equipment.
An added bonus to home fitness – our kids get to see us exercising! I can’t put a price tag on the value of our daughters watching mom lift weights, or setting a new personal best on the bike.
More and more, I am bought into the importance and impact of MODELING healthy habits!
