The Gym?

[rockeTree]

Agreeing with everyone who is saying that whatever gets and keeps you moving, you should do.  My household does not have a gym membership but we do pay for Apple Fitness and use it a good bit.  I pay for the odd drop-in yoga class to keep my form from falling apart; for just keeping the aging body stretched and moving Apple yoga and moderate level strength training is great, and in the colder/wetter times of year the HIIT and cycling workouts (with a bike trainer I got for free that holds my regular commuter bike) are a reasonable way to keep going - which is essential for both mental and physical health for me.

[slappy]

You know that FIRE is not about cutting every single "avoidable" expense, right?

I don't have a gym membership, but I do have a fully outfitted home gym that I use every day. Actually I do have a membership, I guess, because I train jiu jitsu and I pay for that. When I look at my expenses, it's probably one of my highest annual expenses, and I'm glad, because it shows that I am spending according to my values. (It's about $300 a month for me, my husband and my son.)

[Metalcat]

You know that FIRE is not about cutting every single "avoidable" expense, right?

I don't have a gym membership, but I do have a fully outfitted home gym that I use every day. Actually I do have a membership, I guess, because I train jiu jitsu and I pay for that. When I look at my expenses, it's probably one of my highest annual expenses, and I'm glad, because it shows that I am spending according to my values. (It's about $300 a month for me, my husband and my son.)

OP isn't ultra frugal and isn't even much of a fan of early retirement, he just likes to start threads and ask people's opinions on various FIRE-related things. He sometimes participates and sometimes doesn't. He's just one of our more prolific thread-starters.

[ixtap]

Gyms are for pools and classes. I don't get paying for a gym to go work out by yourself. But then, I did own a Wii and now a Switch to help with ideas for working out at home.

For now, we belong to a yoga studio. The Y would be cheaper and have a pool, but this studio is less than two blocks away. We usually walk the scenic route to get there and back and we are there six days a week.

Sure...if you have zero need for gym equipment, then I can see having that opinion. But for a lot of us the pool and classes are the useless part of the gym.

I absolutely need gym equipment, and if I live in a place where square footage is expensive, it makes no sense to keep that equipment in my home when there are piles of gyms around that will rent it to me for a much lower fee than what an extra room would cost to house it.

Yet again, it all comes down to individual needs and preferences.

You don't understand why someone would pay to exercise alone at a gym, and I would rather be punched in the face than be made to take a class at a gym.

This. I live in a condo, and I don’t have any room for gym equipment. I have to put my coffee table on my sofa if I want to do yoga. So if I want to use equipment, I need a gym.

We didn't get a coffee table for this very reason in our last condo. Almost didn't get a couch, but I am sure glad we had that through COVID.

And yes, @Metalcat , I meant my opinions as ruminations, not judgement on others. As I pointed out, we are now spending a lot more than your average gym at a yoga studio. I think it is the noise of random music, huffing, grunting and especially weights being dropped that put me on edge in the public areas of most gyms.

[Metalcat]

Gyms are for pools and classes. I don't get paying for a gym to go work out by yourself. But then, I did own a Wii and now a Switch to help with ideas for working out at home.

For now, we belong to a yoga studio. The Y would be cheaper and have a pool, but this studio is less than two blocks away. We usually walk the scenic route to get there and back and we are there six days a week.

Sure...if you have zero need for gym equipment, then I can see having that opinion. But for a lot of us the pool and classes are the useless part of the gym.

I absolutely need gym equipment, and if I live in a place where square footage is expensive, it makes no sense to keep that equipment in my home when there are piles of gyms around that will rent it to me for a much lower fee than what an extra room would cost to house it.

Yet again, it all comes down to individual needs and preferences.

You don't understand why someone would pay to exercise alone at a gym, and I would rather be punched in the face than be made to take a class at a gym.

This. I live in a condo, and I don’t have any room for gym equipment. I have to put my coffee table on my sofa if I want to do yoga. So if I want to use equipment, I need a gym.

We didn't get a coffee table for this very reason in our last condo. Almost didn't get a couch, but I am sure glad we had that through COVID.

And yes, @Metalcat , I meant my opinions as ruminations, not judgement on others. As I pointed out, we are now spending a lot more than your average gym at a yoga studio. I think it is the noise of random music, huffing, grunting and especially weights being dropped that put me on edge in the public areas of most gyms.

Ah, thanks for the clarification. Yeah, the way you phrased that gyms are for pools and classes made it sounds like you think the rest of the facilities are universally useless, when for people like me who need rehab, they're absolutely critical.

But yeah, if you're not into weights, then gym sounds can be noxious. For those of us who love gums though, those very sounds can be soothing. I was a body builder in a past life and those sounds feel deeply nostalgic for me because I used to spend 4+ hrs/day in the gym.

[jrhampt]

I love the Y.  I go 5-6 times a week for classes, pickleball, and occasionally with my spouse on rainy days.  I discontinued gym membership for a while when I was paying off the house and we re-evaluated all our subscriptions, but decided it was totally worth it and reinstated it.  I missed it during covid.  I ran outdoors every day and sporadically lifted weights at home, but I am in much better shape with more muscle when I am taking my regular class schedule at the Y.

I think I found my Y doppelganger! LOL.

On bad weather days when I can't for a long bike ride, the Y's a great substitute. On some days, I just wanna whack a ball to relieve a mental block, so racquetball it is. But lifting weights is my zen, my me-time. I can't run on treadmills, so I leave that for morning/evening runs at home. My kids are on the Y's swim team and train daily, hence I'm there too, working out. Wife is in master's swim plus pays from some PT sessions. There are a lot of classes to pick from when I want to do something different, like power yoga or a HIIT workout. I'm in there 5-7 days/week.

The best part is the gym support structure. I've been a member since 2006-ish, so there's always a friendly face around irrespective of time of day, and always someone to push me harder. Working out at home during COVID for 2 months using borrowed equipment wasn't just the same; I lost strength and motivation, plus having to also be the kids' teacher's aide, PE teacher, etc. while working FT was time-sucking.

This year we're going to donate a sum that would put our name on a banner in the weight room. (That's a different MPP - we don't want our name anywhere, but the Y insists as publicity draws in more donations. Plus my Y's been bugging me to join their board, which I would love to but don't have the time for.)

I grew up playing outside every evening or in organized racquet sports or martial arts; we never spent late afternoons/early evenings at home. My dad wanted my siblings and I to be active and fit, grades weren't everything. My dad and his siblings grew up the same way, my grandpa too (he was a youth wrestler, and exercised for years until his early 80s). That philosophy of "study/work but don't forget to play and enjoy life" is being passed onto my kids.

Yesssss!!!  That's awesome that you're a donor.  There are a couple of community organizations that I'm fanatical enough about that I want to leave money to in my will - the Y and the library are most definitely two of them.  HUGE benefit to the community. Love, love, love.  I've also met a group of ladies that like to get together sometimes outside of the Y for fitness activities like hiking and runs with great food afterwards.  The social aspect of it is great for when you want to develop a friend group that doesn't just revolve around expensive dinners and drinks.  Great low cost healthy fun.

[Fomerly known as something]

I’m on again off again at the gym.  Mostly it’s for things I don’t have at my house but will use if it’s close enough.  Sauna, heavier weights, a swimming pool etc.  Right now I have access to some of these things at a work provided gym, while most of my exercise is outside in the hills.

[jeninco]

And yes, @Metalcat , I meant my opinions as ruminations, not judgement on others. As I pointed out, we are now spending a lot more than your average gym at a yoga studio. I think it is the noise of random music, huffing, grunting and especially weights being dropped that put me on edge in the public areas of most gyms.

Whereas I was so jazzed the day that my trainer showed me various ways she WANTED me to drop weights and made me practice them! (I was starting to learn overhead lifts with free weights, and -- trust me on this -- if you're off balance on a jerk, the best thing to do is get the weights away from over your head ASAP.) As a female-presenting person of a certain age, the idea that I'm SUPPOSED to be tossing a bar loaded with weights on the floor in certain circumstances is a revelation!

[theninthwall]

Heating a house in winter is an avoidable, recurring expense too. Just cover yourself in a blanket!

I am wary of being critical of anybody paying for something that keeps them healthier. I believe millenials and following generations have placed a far greater personal emphasis on fitness than those before them and it is going to be a handsome investment (literally) later in life.

Perhaps an argument could be made about memberships to places like Orange Theory, but again, if it works for the individual I do not begrudge that expense.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I belong to a gym that has classes I like (Orange Theory). It's pretty nuts expensive, but my employer reimburses me for a sizable chunk. I also run, and have a treadmill & an elliptical at home. Why the gym? It pushes me, consistently, and I really enjoy the "peer pressure", form correction, consistently changing templates, mix of workout types (running, rower & strength). I'd definitely be doing cardio regularly without it, but I get a much better & more well rounded workout with it, and I'm getting in harder (more calories burned, more muscle types used, etc) with the gym.

[sonofsven]

I never paid for a gym until very recently; in fact, I always joked about folks who constantly went to the gym, as I do construction and "get paid for working out". Ha. In reality, it just teaches one how to suffer.
Joke's on me now as forty plus years of labor has left my body slightly wrecked.
I'm paying $70/mo for our small town pool, hot tub, and gym.
Money well spent. I go six days per week.

[Metalcat]

Heating a house in winter is an avoidable, recurring expense too. Just cover yourself in a blanket!

I am wary of being critical of anybody paying for something that keeps them healthier. I believe millenials and following generations have placed a far greater personal emphasis on fitness than those before them and it is going to be a handsome investment (literally) later in life.

Perhaps an argument could be made about memberships to places like Orange Theory, but again, if it works for the individual I do not begrudge that expense.

Interestingly, satistically millennials are considered the "unhealthiest generation,"  with the highest obesity rates ever, older millennials have a major binge drinking problem, and both Millennials and Gen Z have extremely high levels of chronic stress. They're also being taken out by opioid addiction at alarming rates. Young people are projected to die younger than previous generations for the first time in a looong time.

Young people might like gyms, but they are not healthy folks on average.

[Metalcat]

I never paid for a gym until very recently; in fact, I always joked about folks who constantly went to the gym, as I do construction and "get paid for working out". Ha. In reality, it just teaches one how to suffer.
Joke's on me now as forty plus years of labor has left my body slightly wrecked.
I'm paying $70/mo for our small town pool, hot tub, and gym.
Money well spent. I go six days per week.

Yup, I spend a lot of time in the gym trying to repair the damage from my physically demanding job. Work that keeps you active isn't necessarily work that keeps your body functioning optimally.

But it doesn't start hurting until you're older and it's too late to realize what you were doing to yourself all along. So that's fun.

[GuitarStv]

Heating a house in winter is an avoidable, recurring expense too. Just cover yourself in a blanket!

I am wary of being critical of anybody paying for something that keeps them healthier. I believe millenials and following generations have placed a far greater personal emphasis on fitness than those before them and it is going to be a handsome investment (literally) later in life.

Perhaps an argument could be made about memberships to places like Orange Theory, but again, if it works for the individual I do not begrudge that expense.

Interestingly, satistically millennials are considered the "unhealthiest generation,"  with the highest obesity rates ever, older millennials have a major binge drinking problem, and both Millennials and Gen Z have extremely high levels of chronic stress. They're also being taken out by opioid addiction at alarming rates. Young people are projected to die younger than previous generations for the first time in a looong time.

Young people might like gyms, but they are not healthy folks on average.

They also will have to contend with far higher levels of pollution than most of us did.  And the environmental fallout of the climate apocalypse that we continue to push for while pretending that electric cars will magically save the day.  A few more seasons of choking wildfire smoke and we'll have a whole generation of what are effectively young smokers.

[Cranky]

Heating a house in winter is an avoidable, recurring expense too. Just cover yourself in a blanket!

I am wary of being critical of anybody paying for something that keeps them healthier. I believe millenials and following generations have placed a far greater personal emphasis on fitness than those before them and it is going to be a handsome investment (literally) later in life.

Perhaps an argument could be made about memberships to places like Orange Theory, but again, if it works for the individual I do not begrudge that expense.

Interestingly, satistically millennials are considered the "unhealthiest generation,"  with the highest obesity rates ever, older millennials have a major binge drinking problem, and both Millennials and Gen Z have extremely high levels of chronic stress. They're also being taken out by opioid addiction at alarming rates. Young people are projected to die younger than previous generations for the first time in a looong time.

Young people might like gyms, but they are not healthy folks on average.

I was startled to read that about 70% of US citizens of an age to join the military are ineligible for medical reasons, mostly weight, so I am skeptical that there has been a giant wave of healthiness over the last couple of decades.

[jinga nation]

Heating a house in winter is an avoidable, recurring expense too. Just cover yourself in a blanket!

I am wary of being critical of anybody paying for something that keeps them healthier. I believe millenials and following generations have placed a far greater personal emphasis on fitness than those before them and it is going to be a handsome investment (literally) later in life.

Perhaps an argument could be made about memberships to places like Orange Theory, but again, if it works for the individual I do not begrudge that expense.

Interestingly, satistically millennials are considered the "unhealthiest generation,"  with the highest obesity rates ever, older millennials have a major binge drinking problem, and both Millennials and Gen Z have extremely high levels of chronic stress. They're also being taken out by opioid addiction at alarming rates. Young people are projected to die younger than previous generations for the first time in a looong time.

Young people might like gyms, but they are not healthy folks on average.

I was startled to read that about 70% of US citizens of an age to join the military are ineligible for medical reasons, mostly weight, so I am skeptical that there has been a giant wave of healthiness over the last couple of decades.

Waves.
Which have crests and troughs.
As they ebb and flow.

I'm seeing more middle-aged folks in the weight room, and I too am spending more time in there. Low-moderate intensity workouts, gaining muscle, because that future osteoporosis mofo is lurking. For my runs and bike rides, I try to target heart rate zones 2-3.

[stoaX]

During the past 15 years, the number of gyms in the United States has increased by about 40%, as more and more people opted to pay money to exercise inside.

I don’t think I ever paid to belong to a gym, although I might’ve had an inexpensive three month starter membership years ago. I stay fit by biking, walking, stretching, and light lifting at home.

I’m interested in what the FIRE crowd thinks about an avoidable, recurring expense like this.

I belong to a gym that is included in my homeowners association fees and use it regularly.  If I had to pay for it I wouldn't join for the reasons you cite above.

[Laura33]

As a female-presenting person of a certain age, the idea that I'm SUPPOSED to be tossing a bar loaded with weights on the floor in certain circumstances is a revelation!

Right?!?!?!

[jeninco]

As a female-presenting person of a certain age, the idea that I'm SUPPOSED to be tossing a bar loaded with weights on the floor in certain circumstances is a revelation!

Right?!?!?!

Yeah, it's not that I TRY to get off balance, but every now and then I drop a loaded bar on the floor (which is padded, and meant for such things) and when someone looks over in the direction of the rack and weights to see who just did that,  ... it's just me. Smiling!

[theninthwall]

Heating a house in winter is an avoidable, recurring expense too. Just cover yourself in a blanket!

I am wary of being critical of anybody paying for something that keeps them healthier. I believe millenials and following generations have placed a far greater personal emphasis on fitness than those before them and it is going to be a handsome investment (literally) later in life.

Perhaps an argument could be made about memberships to places like Orange Theory, but again, if it works for the individual I do not begrudge that expense.

Interestingly, satistically millennials are considered the "unhealthiest generation,"  with the highest obesity rates ever, older millennials have a major binge drinking problem, and both Millennials and Gen Z have extremely high levels of chronic stress. They're also being taken out by opioid addiction at alarming rates. Young people are projected to die younger than previous generations for the first time in a looong time.

Young people might like gyms, but they are not healthy folks on average.

Interesting! Do you think that the obesity of millenials is rising in line with overall population rates? I've had a quick look for obesity among seniors graphed by year but haven't had any luck finding anything so far.
I agree that binge drinking is a problem with my generation (particularly in my home country). I shudder to think of some of my nights out 15-20 years ago. Could chronic stress be related to better diagnosis than in decades past?

[Metalcat]

Heating a house in winter is an avoidable, recurring expense too. Just cover yourself in a blanket!

I am wary of being critical of anybody paying for something that keeps them healthier. I believe millenials and following generations have placed a far greater personal emphasis on fitness than those before them and it is going to be a handsome investment (literally) later in life.

Perhaps an argument could be made about memberships to places like Orange Theory, but again, if it works for the individual I do not begrudge that expense.

Interestingly, satistically millennials are considered the "unhealthiest generation,"  with the highest obesity rates ever, older millennials have a major binge drinking problem, and both Millennials and Gen Z have extremely high levels of chronic stress. They're also being taken out by opioid addiction at alarming rates. Young people are projected to die younger than previous generations for the first time in a looong time.

Young people might like gyms, but they are not healthy folks on average.

Interesting! Do you think that the obesity of millenials is rising in line with overall population rates? I've had a quick look for obesity among seniors graphed by year but haven't had any luck finding anything so far.
I agree that binge drinking is a problem with my generation (particularly in my home country). I shudder to think of some of my nights out 15-20 years ago. Could chronic stress be related to better diagnosis than in decades past?

It's hard to say exactly why millenials are so stressed and sick, it's difficult to study beyond self-reports, which mostly indicate that they are very aware of financial stress.

[markpst]

I have not paid for a gym since COVID, but absolutely I will in the future. I'll save the space and let someone else maintain and replace the equipment. And also have more variety and better equipment than I could keep for myself. I have some dumbbells I need to get around putting on Facebook Marketplace. I'm keeping the workout bands and the pull up bar. I already run and walk outside often in all four seasons of midwest weather.

Two things happened with COVID
1 - Started working from home (still do now).
2 - Gym closed due to COVID. It reopened, but it was the municipal rec center/gym for city I worked in. After COVID my work from home taxes now go to my home city so I am no longer eligible to join.

Then I randomly found out (poorly advertised) that I can use the weight room (also some cardio equipment) two nights at a week at my local high school as part of community nights. At times there have been more people, but now it is mostly just me and the guy who opens it working out.

[sailorscooby]

My workplace completely covers gym and other similar health benefits (like massages too), so the cost is not a barrier for me thankfully. I love the gym, and while living in smaller apartments, it has been easier to walk the ~300meters to get to the gym and lift than rearranging the furniture in my home would be. But I dream of having the space to have a squat rack, a bench, and some weights at home like MMM does.
What I do make the effort to rearrange the furniture for is a walking pad treadmill. I'm completely WFH Remote, with a desk job, so being able to stay active and moving while working has been a game changer for me in times when I haven't been able to get to the gym.

The thing I have had really mixed results with... personal trainers. I am someone who would like to lose a substantial amount of weight, and ideally get quite strong. I've worked with 3 different PTs over the years, and have reached the point where I don't think the cost is worth it. A freebie session the gym usually provides when just getting started, to have someone IRL correct form? Good. But the ROI on my PTs hasn't held up under the mustachian magnifying glass.

[Metalcat]

My workplace completely covers gym and other similar health benefits (like massages too), so the cost is not a barrier for me thankfully. I love the gym, and while living in smaller apartments, it has been easier to walk the ~300meters to get to the gym and lift than rearranging the furniture in my home would be. But I dream of having the space to have a squat rack, a bench, and some weights at home like MMM does.
What I do make the effort to rearrange the furniture for is a walking pad treadmill. I'm completely WFH Remote, with a desk job, so being able to stay active and moving while working has been a game changer for me in times when I haven't been able to get to the gym.

The thing I have had really mixed results with... personal trainers. I am someone who would like to lose a substantial amount of weight, and ideally get quite strong. I've worked with 3 different PTs over the years, and have reached the point where I don't think the cost is worth it. A freebie session the gym usually provides when just getting started, to have someone IRL correct form? Good. But the ROI on my PTs hasn't held up under the mustachian magnifying glass.

Personally trainers range from yahoos to highly qualified. A personal trainer who works for a gun isn't likely to be the latter.

That said, if you know how to use the weights and machines you want properly, you shouldn't need a trainer. A trainer is more when you have a very specific fitness goal and don't know how to accomplish it yourself.

For example, I know a trainer who works primarily with pregnant and post-partum women, for example, to help them prevent/repair diastasis recti. It helps for them to have someone see their results and responsively adapt their routines based on them. I also have some senior lady friends who have trainers who have expertise working with older bodies and keeping them safe while lifting weights.

But for general strengthening and health on a generally healthy body, you just need to know how to safely use weights. Then you can essentially just train yourself. A trainer is more for when you have specific goals and need your performance and outcome monitored.

A personal trainer is like hiring a coach. If you wanted to start swimming laps for cardio, you might hire a swimming instructor to teach you proper form and technique if you don't actually know front crawl, but you wouldn't hire a swim coach to watch you swim, analyze your performance, and constantly adjust what you are doing to shave as much time as possible off of your lap times.

Most people hire gym personal trainers to essentially be really expensive cheerleaders, they don't actually need them to be there watching them exercise exactly how the trainer told them to in the first session, but they hire them because they feel like it will force them to go.

Your best bet would actually probably be a training app and a really good PT who can monitor if anything is getting over strained, and who can give you complimentary PT exercises for your stabilizers to keep your whole system strong while you build your larger muscles.

[jeninco]

My workplace completely covers gym and other similar health benefits (like massages too), so the cost is not a barrier for me thankfully. I love the gym, and while living in smaller apartments, it has been easier to walk the ~300meters to get to the gym and lift than rearranging the furniture in my home would be. But I dream of having the space to have a squat rack, a bench, and some weights at home like MMM does.
What I do make the effort to rearrange the furniture for is a walking pad treadmill. I'm completely WFH Remote, with a desk job, so being able to stay active and moving while working has been a game changer for me in times when I haven't been able to get to the gym.

The thing I have had really mixed results with... personal trainers. I am someone who would like to lose a substantial amount of weight, and ideally get quite strong. I've worked with 3 different PTs over the years, and have reached the point where I don't think the cost is worth it. A freebie session the gym usually provides when just getting started, to have someone IRL correct form? Good. But the ROI on my PTs hasn't held up under the mustachian magnifying glass.

Personally trainers range from yahoos to highly qualified. A personal trainer who works for a gun isn't likely to be the latter.

That said, if you know how to use the weights and machines you want properly, you shouldn't need a trainer. A trainer is more when you have a very specific fitness goal and don't know how to accomplish it yourself.

For example, I know a trainer who works primarily with pregnant and post-partum women, for example, to help them prevent/repair diastasis recti. It helps for them to have someone see their results and responsively adapt their routines based on them. I also have some senior lady friends who have trainers who have expertise working with older bodies and keeping them safe while lifting weights.

But for general strengthening and health on a generally healthy body, you just need to know how to safely use weights. Then you can essentially just train yourself. A trainer is more for when you have specific goals and need your performance and outcome monitored.

A personal trainer is like hiring a coach. If you wanted to start swimming laps for cardio, you might hire a swimming instructor to teach you proper form and technique if you don't actually know front crawl, but you wouldn't hire a swim coach to watch you swim, analyze your performance, and constantly adjust what you are doing to shave as much time as possible off of your lap times.

Most people hire gym personal trainers to essentially be really expensive cheerleaders, they don't actually need them to be there watching them exercise exactly how the trainer told them to in the first session, but they hire them because they feel like it will force them to go.

Your best bet would actually probably be a training app and a really good PT who can monitor if anything is getting over strained, and who can give you complimentary PT exercises for your stabilizers to keep your whole system strong while you build your larger muscles.

Not that I need to pile on here, but FURTHERMORE, my experience is that most gym-related "trainers" give terrible dietary advice. Like, really, really bad.

I've seen loads of people using a trainer to be an expensive cheerleader, and if that works for them, whatever. Mine writes my training program and I go in and do it 3-4 days/week. When I write it for myself, I struggle to get periodization mixed in in a reasonable way: I didn't start paying someone for this until I was well over 50 (and thus starting to get over-training injuries occasionally) and wanted to learn to do olympic lifting. (She's still got me doing stretching/mobility/partway exercises for doing snatches, but I get to do cleans and jerks now, occasionally.) It's helpful to have someone walk through, stare piercingly at my back, and find that I have "band pulls" in my training program for the next week because I was moving in a way that telegraphed my weak mid-back, for instance.

(Also, well-taught postpartum pilates classes are the bomb. Some even let you bring infants!)

But yeah -- I've definitely met more good physical therapists than really good trainers.

[LiveLean]

Sad that we've created massive, air-conditioned boxes to help people simulate manual labor. For years people moved their bodies as nature intended in daily life without having to do ridiculous moves that don't occur in real life - upright rows, tricep pushdowns, eliptical machines, etc.

Oh, and they got something done in the process.

I belong to a gym, but only to use the swimming pool in months where it's too cold to swim outside. Costs $25/month.

[nereo]

Sad that we've created massive, air-conditioned boxes to help people simulate manual labor. For years people moved their bodies as nature intended in daily life without having to do ridiculous moves that don't occur in real life - upright rows, tricep pushdowns, eliptical machines, etc.

Oh, and they got something done in the process.

I belong to a gym, but only to use the swimming pool in months where it's too cold to swim outside. Costs $25/month.

You location says central Florida, is that correct? I was in the ocean last week… in Maine.

I don’t find gums to be “sad” because so much of that manual labor you seem wistful for was absolutely terrible on our bodies. Like crippling RSI, bent over crooked before 60. You can of course do a great many good things “naturally” but it wasn’t the reality for most.

[Metalcat]

Sad that we've created massive, air-conditioned boxes to help people simulate manual labor. For years people moved their bodies as nature intended in daily life without having to do ridiculous moves that don't occur in real life - upright rows, tricep pushdowns, eliptical machines, etc.

Oh, and they got something done in the process.

I belong to a gym, but only to use the swimming pool in months where it's too cold to swim outside. Costs $25/month.

You location says central Florida, is that correct? I was in the ocean last week… in Maine.

I don’t find gums to be “sad” because so much of that manual labor you seem wistful for was absolutely terrible on our bodies. Like crippling RSI, bent over crooked before 60. You can of course do a great many good things “naturally” but it wasn’t the reality for most.

I had a physical job...

I've now lost virtually all grip strength in both of my hands thanks to spinal damage. So that's fun.

[NotJen]

Sad that we've created massive, air-conditioned boxes to help people simulate manual labor. For years people moved their bodies as nature intended in daily life without having to do ridiculous moves that don't occur in real life - upright rows, tricep pushdowns, eliptical machines, etc.

Oh, and they got something done in the process.

I belong to a gym, but only to use the swimming pool in months where it's too cold to swim outside. Costs $25/month.

Got it.  Heating = good, Cooling = bad.  Just as our ancestors who died at 30 intended.

(But seriously, WTAF with this comment?)

[neo von retorch]

It's thoroughly ridiculous that anyone makes money through the use of machines or technology, reducing the physical strains and burdens on their body.

It's also perfectly reasonable to waste heat on an indoor pool so I can swim because I wanna.

[Cranky]

Honestly, when I was going to PT, there were basically three groups of people -
- old people recovering from joint replacements
- guys who fell off a roof at work
- people who got hurt playing a sport or at the gym.

[wenchsenior]

I think for me it's 100% worth it to pay a lot (sometimes clearly overpaying) to get access to the things that I need that I can't easily get at home. For me that's the pool mainly and some weight machines. Having the option to take classes is nice, as well. 

[LD_TAndK]

Nope, love saving that money. I exercise 6 days a week at home. Barrier to working out is ultra low because all I have to do is change clothes.

I have a rock climbing finger board I can do pull ups on or grip strengthening. I have a two 30lb dumbbells, two 15lb dumbbells, and a yoga mat. I'll hold all 90lbs doing squats and lunges. I grew up lifting high weight and really don't think it's necessary for good fitness. The whole package is compact and cheap and easily moveable.

I run all the time. Running in the cold rain is good for you.

[Thrallama]

I pay for a membership to my local private gym, primarily for the pool (and the hot tub as after-workout reward).

Growing up, my hometown had fantastic public pools so I never paid for a membership, just punch cards with 10 entries at a time (cheaper than paying 10 individual entry fees). My college town was the same - public rec centers with world-class pools, and single-digit entry fees. I was also on swim teams the majority of the time, so I/my parents paid team dues which covered pool rental.

After graduating and moving out of state for my job, my new town has no public pool at all (there used to be one, but it closed before I moved here). I resisted the gym membership for about a year, thinking I'd go hiking and do yoga and workouts at home. While I do love hiking and yoga, I just don't do them consistently enough to stay in shape and prevent injury from overdoing it weekend-warrior style. Swimming is the only type of exercise I will do regularly without a class or team to hold me accountable. It's also quite important for my mental health, as I realized during the year or so when I didn't swim. Something about being under the water is very grounding (pun intended).

[wenchsenior]

I pay for a membership to my local private gym, primarily for the pool (and the hot tub as after-workout reward).

Growing up, my hometown had fantastic public pools so I never paid for a membership, just punch cards with 10 entries at a time (cheaper than paying 10 individual entry fees). My college town was the same - public rec centers with world-class pools, and single-digit entry fees. I was also on swim teams the majority of the time, so I/my parents paid team dues which covered pool rental.

After graduating and moving out of state for my job, my new town has no public pool at all (there used to be one, but it closed before I moved here). I resisted the gym membership for about a year, thinking I'd go hiking and do yoga and workouts at home. While I do love hiking and yoga, I just don't do them consistently enough to stay in shape and prevent injury from overdoing it weekend-warrior style. Swimming is the only type of exercise I will do regularly without a class or team to hold me accountable. It's also quite important for my mental health, as I realized during the year or so when I didn't swim. Something about being under the water is very grounding (pun intended).

Are you me?

[G-String]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area. 

[nereo]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

[afuera]

I love the Y.  I go 5-6 times a week for classes, pickleball, and occasionally with my spouse on rainy days.  I discontinued gym membership for a while when I was paying off the house and we re-evaluated all our subscriptions, but decided it was totally worth it and reinstated it.  I missed it during covid.  I ran outdoors every day and sporadically lifted weights at home, but I am in much better shape with more muscle when I am taking my regular class schedule at the Y.

I think I found my Y doppelganger! LOL.

On bad weather days when I can't for a long bike ride, the Y's a great substitute. On some days, I just wanna whack a ball to relieve a mental block, so racquetball it is. But lifting weights is my zen, my me-time. I can't run on treadmills, so I leave that for morning/evening runs at home. My kids are on the Y's swim team and train daily, hence I'm there too, working out. Wife is in master's swim plus pays from some PT sessions. There are a lot of classes to pick from when I want to do something different, like power yoga or a HIIT workout. I'm in there 5-7 days/week.

The best part is the gym support structure. I've been a member since 2006-ish, so there's always a friendly face around irrespective of time of day, and always someone to push me harder. Working out at home during COVID for 2 months using borrowed equipment wasn't just the same; I lost strength and motivation, plus having to also be the kids' teacher's aide, PE teacher, etc. while working FT was time-sucking.

This year we're going to donate a sum that would put our name on a banner in the weight room. (That's a different MPP - we don't want our name anywhere, but the Y insists as publicity draws in more donations. Plus my Y's been bugging me to join their board, which I would love to but don't have the time for.)

I grew up playing outside every evening or in organized racquet sports or martial arts; we never spent late afternoons/early evenings at home. My dad wanted my siblings and I to be active and fit, grades weren't everything. My dad and his siblings grew up the same way, my grandpa too (he was a youth wrestler, and exercised for years until his early 80s). That philosophy of "study/work but don't forget to play and enjoy life" is being passed onto my kids.

Also part of the Y club.  The main reason we have it is for the daycare.  Monthly membership pays for itself in about two visits since we have two toddlers. 1000% worth it and the exercise amenities is just gravy.

[GuitarStv]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

You can do a home gym that's mostly portable and can be stowed away pretty easily though.  I use the same small space to do boxing and wrestling drills as well as lift weight so everything needs to be able to move:



About 60$ of wood and another 15$ of concrete (with buckets found on the side of the road) for the movable squat / bench rack.  30$ for the safeties - collapsible saw horses that can easily be stowed away.  Another 40-50$ worth of wood (although I used mostly scrap and a solid door that I found on the side of the road) for the bench - which again is movable.

I did buy 3/4 inch rubber horse stall mats to put under everything since it's waterproof and will eat most of the damage if weights get dropped.  At about 80 lbs each they're the least portable thing - but if you carpet a room with 'em it's not all that expensive and works fine for walking around on like a regular room.

[stoaX]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

You can do a home gym that's mostly portable and can be stowed away pretty easily though.  I use the same small space to do boxing and wrestling drills as well as lift weight so everything needs to be able to move:



About 60$ of wood and another 15$ of concrete (with buckets found on the side of the road) for the movable squat / bench rack.  30$ for the safeties - collapsible saw horses that can easily be stowed away.  Another 40-50$ worth of wood (although I used mostly scrap and a solid door that I found on the side of the road) for the bench - which again is movable.

I did buy 3/4 inch rubber horse stall mats to put under everything since it's waterproof and will eat most of the damage if weights get dropped.  At about 80 lbs each they're the least portable thing - but if you carpet a room with 'em it's not all that expensive and works fine for walking around on like a regular room.

Wow, that's a clever setup!

[GuitarStv]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

You can do a home gym that's mostly portable and can be stowed away pretty easily though.  I use the same small space to do boxing and wrestling drills as well as lift weight so everything needs to be able to move:



About 60$ of wood and another 15$ of concrete (with buckets found on the side of the road) for the movable squat / bench rack.  30$ for the safeties - collapsible saw horses that can easily be stowed away.  Another 40-50$ worth of wood (although I used mostly scrap and a solid door that I found on the side of the road) for the bench - which again is movable.

I did buy 3/4 inch rubber horse stall mats to put under everything since it's waterproof and will eat most of the damage if weights get dropped.  At about 80 lbs each they're the least portable thing - but if you carpet a room with 'em it's not all that expensive and works fine for walking around on like a regular room.

Wow, that's a clever setup!

Thanks!  It has been working well for me for more than a decade now.

[use2betrix]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

Hmm… living somewhere with finished spaces around $300/sqft sounds 1000x more expensive than having space for a home gym in most of the country..

[kite]

I belong to two (gasp!) no-frills gyms.  I enjoy the group fitness classes at one.  All they do is group classes and we're a tight group, it's something of a mix between a Cross-fit type space & a running club. The per/class price is less than a latte. 

The other is a total bro-gym with weights, saunas & personal training but very little cardio equipment. It's not a place with rows of treadmills & ellipticals facing a bank of TV's.

I've twice had better luck with personal training over physical therapy.  With my insurance, the PT prescribed by my doc cost me $70/session with the physical therapist seeing 4 other patients simultaneously.  For half that price, I had genuine 1:1 support in my gym.  I don't discount the quality of the training in a good Physical Therapist program or the value that they can add.  I've had good ones in the past.  But my trainer was paying attention to me. The therapist flitted around from person to person in a very crowded space where 3 therapists were treating 15 patients. Everyone was masked, but it was ridiculously dense. So I switched to a trainer. No regrets.

Also, my trainer's nutritional advice has the full support of my Doc. towards meeting my objectives.

Sometimes I think of ditching one or both memberships and getting a rower, but I don't have the space for one at the moment and I like the social aspect of both places.

[Metalcat]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

Hmm… living somewhere with finished spaces around $300/sqft sounds 1000x more expensive than having space for a home gym in most of the country..

That's the cost per sqft of my apartment and it's a very, very inexpensive and unusually large apartment for this city. I have a home gym in my rural summer home where space is much cheaper.

So yeah, it depends heavily on location.

[Metalcat]

I belong to two (gasp!) no-frills gyms.  I enjoy the group fitness classes at one.  All they do is group classes and we're a tight group, it's something of a mix between a Cross-fit type space & a running club. The per/class price is less than a latte. 

The other is a total bro-gym with weights, saunas & personal training but very little cardio equipment. It's not a place with rows of treadmills & ellipticals facing a bank of TV's.

I've twice had better luck with personal training over physical therapy.  With my insurance, the PT prescribed by my doc cost me $70/session with the physical therapist seeing 4 other patients simultaneously.  For half that price, I had genuine 1:1 support in my gym.  I don't discount the quality of the training in a good Physical Therapist program or the value that they can add.  I've had good ones in the past.  But my trainer was paying attention to me. The therapist flitted around from person to person in a very crowded space where 3 therapists were treating 15 patients. Everyone was masked, but it was ridiculously dense. So I switched to a trainer. No regrets.

Also, my trainer's nutritional advice has the full support of my Doc. towards meeting my objectives.

Sometimes I think of ditching one or both memberships and getting a rower, but I don't have the space for one at the moment and I like the social aspect of both places.

This description of PT in the US always blows my mind. I have never had PT like that, it's always been dedicated one on one and WAY MORE thorough an evaluation than I've ever had from any personal trainer. Granted, it also costs me a lot more than $70/session

[FINate]

We love the Y! For our family of four it's around $80/month and we're there a lot. Weight room, classes, pool, swim lessons, team sports. It's about a mile from our house so we ride bikes there. Instead of trying to cram a bunch of stuff into our house, we choose to live in a city where we can walk/bike to stuff. I don't want workout equipment taking space in our house, and I get a lot more variety of machines and weights at a gym.

[use2betrix]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

Hmm… living somewhere with finished spaces around $300/sqft sounds 1000x more expensive than having space for a home gym in most of the country..

That's the cost per sqft of my apartment and it's a very, very inexpensive and unusually large apartment for this city. I have a home gym in my rural summer home where space is much cheaper.

So yeah, it depends heavily on location.

No doubt - my point was more-so that the $300/sq ft argument doesn’t really apply to the other 95% of North American homes, so not the best example as to why a home gym isn’t practical.

The space needed for a pretty adequate home gym (even at $300/sq ft) is honestly about 4’x8’ when in use, and stored around 2’x4’, using a single adjustable bench, adjustable dumbbells, and various resistance bands/attachments.

[Metalcat]

I used to pay for a gym membership, but instead, just before COVID hit, I invested around $1200 in a home gym in my basement.  Nothing fancy, but it has all the essentials like a bench, power rack/cage, free weights, bench press, leg machine, and an elliptical.  After 2 years it paid for itself, compared to paying $50/month for a gym membership, which is the going rate in my area.

I understand these “paid for itself” equations and applaud you for your setup, but what I find lacking is any consideration of the cost of used space. In my area a finished space averages around $300/sqft. To have the setup you describe is need to semi-permanently assign at least 120 square feet of space towards “home gym”… pans probably more like 200+. That’s a lot of space, and a lot of cost for a bigger home.

Hmm… living somewhere with finished spaces around $300/sqft sounds 1000x more expensive than having space for a home gym in most of the country..

That's the cost per sqft of my apartment and it's a very, very inexpensive and unusually large apartment for this city. I have a home gym in my rural summer home where space is much cheaper.

So yeah, it depends heavily on location.

No doubt - my point was more-so that the $300/sq ft argument doesn’t really apply to the other 95% of North American homes, so not the best example as to why a home gym isn’t practical.

The space needed for a pretty adequate home gym (even at $300/sq ft) is honestly about 4’x8’ when in use, and stored around 2’x4’, using a single adjustable bench, adjustable dumbbells, and various resistance bands/attachments.

That is pretty close to the average sqft price in Canada though (price of a "typical" home in Canada is around 750K), and a number of us in this thread are in Canada.

[aloevera1]

I am going to be a minority here but I hate gyms. I hate gyms.

I don't like the environment, sweat stains on the machines, the additional friction of having to go somewhere to exercise. Once I had a subscription to a fancy gym. I thought the sheer beauty of it will entice me. Well, that lasted about 4 months and I just couldn't justify the cost (although I was very fit at the time).

I do enjoy
1) yoga classes
2) swimming pools
3) dancing classes

So for that I would go to some facilities...

The rest of time I prefer to exercise at home. Though this year I've been horrible at exercising regularly. I had an unpleasant back issue last spring and that took me out of routine. Switched to PT for a bit. Now I am not doing anything... Have to find mental space for it again. Urgh.

[Metalcat]

I am going to be a minority here but I hate gyms. I hate gyms.

I don't like the environment, sweat stains on the machines, the additional friction of having to go somewhere to exercise. Once I had a subscription to a fancy gym. I thought the sheer beauty of it will entice me. Well, that lasted about 4 months and I just couldn't justify the cost (although I was very fit at the time).

I do enjoy
1) yoga classes
2) swimming pools
3) dancing classes

So for that I would go to some facilities...

The rest of time I prefer to exercise at home. Though this year I've been horrible at exercising regularly. I had an unpleasant back issue last spring and that took me out of routine. Switched to PT for a bit. Now I am not doing anything... Have to find mental space for it again. Urgh.

The key is to focus on building the routine of doing it, not getting the exercises done. By that I mean that you need to have an "easy" version that takes no discipline to do and do it every day for 2-6 weeks. No matter how much you don't feel like doing exercise/PT, have a few of the nicer exercises/stretches that you do no matter what.

Doing exercise/PT isn't hard, getting yourself to start exercise/PT is what's hard. So have a routine that if you are truly not feeling it once you start, you can stop after the easy things and check it off your list for the day.

You are much more likely to actually do your full routine if you are already lying on a mat doing it than if you are on your sofa watching tv/looking at your phone.

For PT I have 2 stretches that mostly involve me lying down with a ball under a given joint. It's like taking a nap for a few minutes. If I don't feel like doing the rest after that, I don't, but 80-90% of the time I do. For the gym I do 5 minutes of exercise bike because my knee always feels better afterwards. If I don't feel like lifting some weight after that, I don't, but again, 80-90% of the time I do.

Knowing that I can bail after the easy things means I never talk myself out of starting, which is where the routine always fails if I have it in my head that I'm about to go do an hour of PT. That will NEVER sound like an appealing prospect when I could do literally anything else, but after a few minutes of nap exercises where my joints feel really nice, and I'm already lying on the mat, a few more exercises sounds like a GREAT idea, plus then I don't actually have to get up off of the floor.