How important is a gym membership?

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this question has been asked before, but how necessary is a gym really?
I ask because I’m trying to save to buy a house and want to cut costs wherever possible. The gym membership fees, fuel for driving to the gym, it all adds up. Plus I’d like to do my bit for the planet and reduce my carbon footprint.

My goals are simply to be more healthy and to lose some bodyfat. My job and my studies mean that I sit at a desk all day so I need to be active. Currently I’m going for a 4-5 mile walk 4 times a week. I’m also doing kettlebell/clubbell/bodyweight circuits at home twice a week or so. I don’t have space for a bench or rack unfortunately.

I mainly go to the gym for cardio (bike, crosstrainer, swimming) but perhaps I could get the same benefits from a home gym.
Diet wise, I eat fairly well but there’s definitely things I can improve on. I’m also vegetarian.

What’s everybody else’s thoughts on this?

Thanks

Roughly how long do you exercise each day? Because if you get the amount you need and it’s enough too then you won’t really need the gym membership.

It varies. The walk normally takes me 90 minutes, but that's at a low-mid intensity.
When I do my weights circuits, that's a lot more intense. I'm doing it interval style, 30 seconds on and 30seconds off for 20 minutes. I do aim to increase the duration to about 25 and then 30 minutes.
I walk 3-4 times a week, and do my weights circuit 2 days a week

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this question has been asked before, but how necessary is a gym really?
I ask because I’m trying to save to buy a house and want to cut costs wherever possible. The gym membership fees, fuel for driving to the gym, it all adds up. Plus I’d like to do my bit for the planet and reduce my carbon footprint.

My goals are simply to be more healthy and to lose some bodyfat. My job and my studies mean that I sit at a desk all day so I need to be active. Currently I’m going for a 4-5 mile walk 4 times a week. I’m also doing kettlebell/clubbell/bodyweight circuits at home twice a week or so. I don’t have space for a bench or rack unfortunately.

I mainly go to the gym for cardio (bike, crosstrainer, swimming) but perhaps I could get the same benefits from a home gym.
Diet wise, I eat fairly well but there’s definitely things I can improve on. I’m also vegetarian.

What’s everybody else’s thoughts on this?

Thanks

I see, you use the gym membership a lot too. Are there any other payment plans at your gym that could be cheaper? If you cancel your membership, I suppose you would have to workout at home and maybe get equipment? Sorry hope that helps.

Stop driving to the gym and save on fuel for starters.

Can pay per session be cheaper? You can take up running to get your cardio and maybe go swimming 1-2x per week?

The gyms 6 miles away. Not exactly within walking distance

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this question has been asked before, but how necessary is a gym really?
I ask because I’m trying to save to buy a house and want to cut costs wherever possible. The gym membership fees, fuel for driving to the gym, it all adds up. Plus I’d like to do my bit for the planet and reduce my carbon footprint.

My goals are simply to be more healthy and to lose some bodyfat. My job and my studies mean that I sit at a desk all day so I need to be active. Currently I’m going for a 4-5 mile walk 4 times a week. I’m also doing kettlebell/clubbell/bodyweight circuits at home twice a week or so. I don’t have space for a bench or rack unfortunately.

I mainly go to the gym for cardio (bike, crosstrainer, swimming) but perhaps I could get the same benefits from a home gym.
Diet wise, I eat fairly well but there’s definitely things I can improve on. I’m also vegetarian.

What’s everybody else’s thoughts on this?

Thanks

I should have been more clear. I paid for my membership up front a while back, but because of the pandemic my membership still valid until June of next year. It would be around £300 a year if I pay up front. I have weights here that I can use.. I'd need to reinvest every now and then to make sure I'm still making progress but I'm sure that would be cheaper than a gym membership

You could try getting a bike?

Gym membership is very important to me.

I despise this lockdown. Before it I was going 5 nights a week.

I don't have the space nor equipment to get the same workout at home.
I am very pleased gyms will be reopening in a few days time..

That sucks

Do you feel there's a social aspect to being in the gym?

A gym is only really "essential" for heavy lifting.

Anything else can be done from home imo.

Especially cardio, just go for run / cycle / walk. Or just find some workout routine on the internet and follow that.

Yeah but at home people get lazy and keep pushing it back. At least when you go to the gym, you'll actually do something.