are gyms worth the money?

[Binkster]

Vigilante makes some good points, I guess it really just depends on the person.

In that case, if you just want to spend $60 bucks and have time to follow a diet, I HIGHLY recommend Slim in 6 by Beachbody.com.

I promise that if you follow it, it will work!

Also, if you really want results, get P90X. Also by Beachbody.com

[luv1another]

wow vig LOTS of info there...
the places here make you do an assesment before you use the equipment...they do heart rates and take measurements etc and then make a program for you and show you how to use the equipment you need...they then reaccess every 8 weeks and draw you up a new program.

the thing with doing it at home is...I am really unmotivated...excercise is last priority to me...always has been so I am going to have to MAKE myself do something...thats why I wanted my daughter there LOL I then have to get there.

you bring up some good points hmm it just makes things harder

[Vigilante]

Not that hard, really!

Keep in mind that a good half-body weight training session is only about 45 minutes long. Exercise is about the same, 30 to 60 minutes.
Weight training doesn't have to be every day, but usually you want at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.

The most motivating thing you can have is progress. You just have to do it, and when you see progress, that is motivating enough sometimes to keep going.

Since you have a trainer that will put a program together for you, and you want to schedule a time with your daughter to help you get there, and they can update your program for you, then the gym looks a little better. Then you can take their classes as well.

Building a home gym is kind of a guy thing, you'd have to really want this to put that kind of effort in it, do the shopping, track your progress, build your routine. So maybe a gym would be good for you. Then everybody can just tell you what to do, and you've just got to show up and do it!

[docjam]

my daughter wanted to join a gym since she is doing a phsical education course for her year 11 TEE (tertiary entrance examination) courses. so I thought yes I need to get fit we could both join and get fit and I could lose weight.

thing is I priced the 4 we have in my town and they range from around $80 joing fee with no assesment to $169 with the assesment and then from $50 off peak times to $80 anytimes a month.

is it actually worth it?

opinions....

LUV! Hey, how ya been?!!?

Here's my thoughts- for what it's worth...

it really depends on the purpose of why you want to use the gym. There are five main components of health: muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, flexibility, and cardio-respiratory enduarnce...wow, I am only a sentence into this and already off-topic! The wonderful mind of an ADD person.

Scratch that whole thing...
it depends on what is it you are wanting to accomplish. If you want to build muscular strength or enduarnce then yes, a gym is a very good means of doing this. If you are looking first and foremost to get active, lose some weight and begin exercising at a simple level, then save your money- there are many ways just as effective and nowhere near the cost.

First off just start walking. Walk around the neighborhood. Find a nice nature trail or somewhere else and walk. Walk along the beach. Not only is this just as effective as going on a treadmill, but you also get in some nice outdoor weather. On a side note, being outside can help a little bit with depression as well!

Before I go any farther, I should also say one other thing- it depends a lot on what types of things your daughter will be doing through this P.E. course but also on what's available around town to do. If she is doing a rock climbing unit, it's easier to do that in a gym. If she's doing a unit on basketball perse, you could go down to a local park and shoot around for a little bit- much cheaper than the gym.

Anyways, I've sidetracked a couple times already...hmm...but my main point is that, unless there is a specific reason to join a particular gym, you can do everything outside the gym that you can do inside the gym at a very far less rate. Even if it's cold outside, there are things you can do right in your house!

The first thing you wanna do is go out to your local Wal-Mart or whatever Australia has and buy an exercise ball (one for you and the kid) and a couple stretch bands, or often times referred to as resistance bands. You can work pretty much every muscle in the body with an exercise ball and a stretch band and it'll only cost you about $20-$25 bucks tops (American money) and they last a lot longer than your month membership at the local gym.

Here are a couple resistance band exercises, though these are typically for building muscular strength or endurance.

here's are some basic exercises that can be done on the ball


I hope this helps. The gyms are nice and can be done in a controlled atmosphere but you can workout everything you can in a gym at home with an exercise ball and a resistance band.

I will say one other thing about the gym though- if you aren't familiar with exercises and how to do them properly, even with pictures, you may want to initially join a gym just to make sure you're exercising the right way. Doing it the wrong way can cause muscle strain or pulls or tears if you do them intense enough- otherwise gyms are typically too expensive.

[nomad]

in the US, if you are in university usually you can use their facilities for free.. is this a college or HS?

Also, if you are alumni, you can sometimes get the same deal, not for free, but sometimes pretty cheap.... not sure if this applies to you or not...

[EvoUK]

Personally, I hate gyms. Not that gyms are bad in themselves, I just fully admit that I hate working out- I feel rubbish for days afterwards, and I can't be bothered with all the hassle.

The only reason I'd go to a gym is to look good nekkid (I'm sure there are health benefits, but it's mostly the nekkid thing), and I know that once I think I look buff enough, I'll stop going- and it'll all turn into fat.

I have a high metabolism anyways- meaning I can eat pretty much whatever I want and not put on an ounce, so it's not like I have to lose weight or anything...


... where was I? Oh yeah- Gyms are worth the fees if you bother to go all the time, but there are plenty of books/websites where you can work out at home (not just push ups etc, and without a home gym).

[ApologiaPhoenix]

Rayado and I are both members of the Y here and you get benefits that I don't think you get at home. We don't have a pool all year-round here, for instance, but we do at the Y. That is the main reason I go. You can find much more work-out equipment as well than what you're likely to have at home and were you to invest in a personal trainer, that would be even better.

For me, there's also the benefit of seeing beautiful ladies at the gym. Somehow, I don't think that's the draw for you though.....

[KingsGambit]

I'd never been to a gym in my life (other than going to the student rec facility in college, mostly to play basketball), but after talking with some of my friends last night about how they've gotten in shape, I decided to give a local gym here in town a try with a free trial membership, and ended up joining. Somebody earlier in this thread was very right, though.. you definitely need to go more than once or twice to get your money's worth out of it. I also like how the gym is open 24 hours, which is nice for somebody like me who has very weird sleeping hours.

[siliconwafer]

Becoming a member of a gym would be worth the money if you go to gym frequently, take classes, swim in the pool if there is one, and use a wide variety of equipment that would be too expensive for you to buy.

[siliconwafer]

If all you want to do is jog, then you don't need to join a gym. You can jog around your neighborhood or you can buy your own treadmill and jog at home.