Why I Love The Gym

Why I Love The Gym

I started going to the gym around 3 months ago now and I love it. I've turned into a proper gym bunny, even if I do say so myself. This is the longest I've managed to keep it up and I'm still really enjoying it - I'm a changed woman. I've tried working out at home before - buying fitness DVDs, following YouTube videos and I even attempted running at one point, but those routines weren't sustainable for me. I think I've finally found my workout niche and I'm loving it, so here are a few reasons why I prefer going to a gym to working out at home/outside/etc.

1. I have to schedule it in. Because I have to go out the house and go to the gym it means I have to make time for it. If I work out at home I can easily say I'll do it later and then never get around to it, whereas if I set days to go to the gym then I'm more likely to stick to my schedule. It also helps that I go with Anthony, so I feel extra guilty if I back out of it for a silly reason, for example: I can't be arsed!

2. I work hard for the entire time. When I used to work out at home I would procrastinate so badly. The washer would finish and I'd think 'oh, I'll just have a little break and hang the washing out' or my phone would go off and I'd just give it a quick check and then an Instagram scrolling session would happen (You can follow me @hazelnutmusings - shameless plug!). Also no-one can see you lying on the floor for well over 10 minutes recovering when you're inside, whereas at the gym there are no distractions and you can concentrate on your workout. There are also plenty of people to see you slacking off which always pushes me to work that little bit harder/have a shorter break.

3. I don't have the right equipment at home. When I started going to the gym I decided that I wanted to mainly focus on building muscle. Personally I need to see improvement in order to carry on with something and I don't see a big enough change when only doing cardio. Lifting weights is something that I can easily measure and see when I'm improving. There's nothing better than being able to squat an extra 5kgs or being able to lift a heavier dumbbell and that's what motivates me the most to keep going. When I can see physical changes to my body I want to keep going and challenge myself to lift even heavier and I love a good challenge!

4. Its a social thing. I travel to the gym with Anthony. He does his workout with his friend and our brother-in-law trains in that gym too, so we all get to have a little catch up. Don't get me wrong we all focus on our workouts over anything else but it's nice to have a friendly face cheering you on when you're struggling with that last rep. I also enjoy talking to the gym manager when I go in and you also get to know the regulars in there too.

Don't get me wrong I don't think you HAVE to go to the gym to get fit at all - there are plenty of people who don't go to the gym and they have bodies to die for. I just find that going to the gym motivates me more and fits in to my lifestyle nicely, which in turn helps me to keep at it. Fitness is all about finding your own rhythm and what works for me might not be the same as what works for you. We all have our own fitness journey and we all need to find what works for us and our different lifestyles.

Do you enjoy going to the gym or do you prefer to workout at home?

Kayleigh x

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