Let me tell you a little story about me and the gym. Before I had my son, the gym was right down the street from my house and for $10 a month I could go in and kill some time. But let me tell you something....I HATED the gym. First, I'd spend about 10 minutes figuring out where I wanted to start. I'd usually start with cardio but then it was a game trying to figure out which piece of equipment I wanted to hop on. And of course with any cardio workout, you have to find the "perfect" piece of equipment: Is it in front of a good TV? Did I want to workout next to somebody? Oh wait, the new year crowd is here and there are no treadmills left?! Ok forget cardio....let's move on to weights.
Me trying to lift weights at the gym was a complete joke. I would jump on a machine and pretend to know what the heck I was doing. Usually one of the meat heads was eyeing me up to figure out when I was going to stop pretending to know what I was doing and get off. I always felt rushed and uncomfortable. And judgement free? Yea....right. So, I then decided to try my hand (or 2 left feet) at a class.
Let me start by saying I'm probably the first person ever in the history of zumba classes to be kicked out. I thought I was having fun, trying to keep up with the instructor and stumbling over my feet. The mirror in front of me and what I was doing were completely backwards from what everyone else was doing. So much so I kept bumping into people and the room was so crowded I was asked to leave. No joke.
So my $10 a month, turned into me coming up with excuses to why I shouldn't go to the gym anymore. Ended up canceling and moving anyway so the gym wasn't as close. And let me tell you it wasn't easy to cancel. Could I just walk up to the counter and tell them I didn't want to be a member anymore? No! I had to write a letter, send in my gym card, and they didn't even give me the right address. So it got sent back to me and then I had to figure out the new address and by the time it was finally processed 3 months went by (that I had to pay for, mind you).
So let's flash forward to getting pregnant and gaining 50 lbs, then having a baby and being completely overwhelmed, exhausted, and uncomfortable in my own skin. This is when the heavens shined down on me and I was introduced to at home workouts with Beachbody. I bought a 21 day fix challenge pack and it was like my golden ticket! I can now workout at home while my son naps, don't have to drive anywhere, and I have somebody telling me exactly what to do and what to eat!
Here are 10 reasons why at home workouts beat the gym:
1. No drive time! Even in bad weather, I don't have to worry about leaving my house to get in a workout
2. One time fee. With the purchase of a challenge pack not only do I have 30 days of a a delicious super food meal in Shakology, but I get to keep the program and workout dvds FOREVER! Plus I have access to thousands of workouts in my on demand library.
3. Personal trainer in my living room! I get direction, motivation, and guidance from some of the top celebrity trainers in the business! Plus access to meal plans.
4. Motivation and Support from others in their own fitness journey. If it weren't for the support of the accountability groups, I would have quit a long time ago. By checking in to my group every day I can see how others are progressing and keep myself accountable knowing they're waiting for me to post about my workout!
5. No judgements. I can wear whatever I want. No makeup, messy hair, and yes, I'll rock my little mermaid pants. Also, I can yell, scream, curse, and grunt as loud as I want without causing a scene.
6. No need to find a sitter. I can get my workout in while my son naps and don't have to worry about sacrificing time with him or leaving him with a stranger in a gym's child care center.
7. No fighting over equipment. Unless my dog wants to lay on my yoga mat when I'm ready to do PiYo.
8. Set time. I don't have to figure out what i'm going to do or how long i'm going to do it for. The workout time is right in front of me which helps me chose which workout I can do based on my time availability for the day and the countdown in the workout motivates me to continue.
9. No need to feel bad about my 2 left feet, or get kicked out because of them. This is especially true when it comes to CIZE. I love a good dance workout, but my uncoordinated and white girl dance moves are truly embarrassing in public. I know as long as I'm moving, I'm working!
10. I can inspire others. By sharing my experience in my own fitness journey, I have helped inspire others to start a journey of their own and gave them the support and encouragement to continue.
To find out how you can start your own health and fitness journey and lose weight without ever stepping foot in a gym, please join my next challenge group by filling out a
challenge group application.
