Home gym vs membership

[BHmum1]

I'm currently weighing up either getting a gym membership of just exercising at home, leaning towards home but wanting to know how people find it!

What are the biggest challenges you find with home exercise?

Lack of space and equipment! I’m only on 5KG dumbbells at the min as not been lifting much but want to progress to a bar but they’re so expensive and not got much room for one. It’s nice to do it by yourself though and be ‘in the zone’! It would be good to do both if you can

We have just bought a water rower which about £425, great and good as its right there so don't need to motivate yourself to gym. Costwise probably effective especially if a few of you using it but if you had a few things would take up a room.

I pretty much have a full gym at home but it's still better to go to a gym. I lift better, etc.

However, it has to be the right gym, with a good atmosphere, etc.

Depends on what you want to achieve. Setting up a home gym with a decent range of equipment is not cheap. DH has a exercise bike which is used in the winter when he can't get out as much - it was £1000 (and that's relative cheap for one that has similar functions to a gym standard one). The problem with weights is that to progress you need to add weight and decent kettle bells and barbells aren't cheap. You can do a lot with just body weight - press ups, planks etc. Are you looking to achieve improved cardio fitness, gain muscle, lose weight?

I would say don't join a gym in January it will be rammed (ours is already getting busier going by what it was like tonight). I'd wait until February when a fair number will have given up.

Forgot to add, if you are using weights it's good to do so in front of a mirror so you can check your form, particularly if doing deadlifts and squats, do those wrong and you can do some serious damage.