Why Train at Home?

We all know the benefits of training at a gym, and it’s true - there are many. Very few people have the range of equipment at home of even a small gym. For some, the gym environment is inspiring, and the separateness from the rest of life makes it easier to focus on their workout. Many people love the social connection of group fitness classes.

But also…

Gyms have their downsides too, starting with location. Before you can work out you’ve got to travel there and back again, using significant time allotted for exercise. For many, gyms are intimidating. From the complicated equipment, to the other people in the room, to the roaming trainers trying to sell you supplements along with their services, which are above-and-beyond the gym fees you’re already paying.

And for others, gyms can be straight-up hostile. While changes are underway in the fitness industry, historically these spaces have been uninviting at best to huge swaths of the population. If you’re thin and fit and straight and young and white and cis and disability-free and have disposable income for socially acceptable activewear and membership fees, and you’re either male or fine with being hit on by males, then you’re all good! Everyone else, well, it’s another story.

There are many reasons why working out at home instead of the gym is a wonderful option, but the one I find most compelling is that by exercising in your living space, fitness and movement can more easily be woven into the fabric of your life. Even for folks who use the gym, I recommend intentionally folding in some exercise at home. If exercise is only a ‘gym thing,’ then your fitness is wrapped up in a singular place and time separate from the rest of your life. If being healthy is truly a lifestyle, it makes sense to move your body wherever you are. And when you are comfortable exercising at home, you are more likely to do it and to keep doing it as you age into a longer, healthier life.

To get the most out of a home workout, hire an in-home personal trainer (like me!). I can help you adapt your space for exercise and design programs that use basic, inexpensive equipment to support a complete workout, customized for your goals.