GYM or outside walking for exercise. What's your vote!!

I'm not sure if I should waste the money or could benefit from the discipline of going to a gym and getting motivated by other people that are working out. I've done this in the past for only up to 6 months. I'm not sure how to develop a routine that's entire doable for the rest of my life.

How would you decide??

Fees: 41 per month/$55 join up fee.

What's your goal with exercise? If you just want to exercise to burn some more calories and improve your general level of fitness, walking is a great way to go -- just step out your front door and your workout begins. OTOH, if you have other goals, the gym might be a better choice. For example, my wife and I want to get back into ballroom dancing, and strengthening my ab, back, shoulder, and chest muscles will help with dance position, so I want an upper-body workout that I can't get by walking.

I like gym. I like the weights, I like the variety offered by equipment, and I save my walking for nice days when its just a fun thing.

I would think in Balitimore, the weather would be pretty chancy for a fully outdoor work out program.

Bat,

You made a good point. If the weather is bad, that's a perfect excuse not to exercise.

oh boy do i sympathize with you on this one...i love walking, swimming, and doing anything that doesn't include being indoors but since our weather here has been in the negatives lately there's no chance. i have a family membership to our local ymca for only 36 dollars a month. you might want to check out your ymca in your area since i think you get more bang for your buck than a regular old gym.

our y probably is much nicer than many since it's huge and many new sections and it offers ethnic dance classes, kickboxing, aerobics, and many powercut classes for toning with weights. 2 state of the art gyms with all of the new machines (i have yet to do on a regular basis). also y's have a pool, sauna, and whirlpool which i like to swim for a change of pace that most gyms don't have. im no gym rat but know it's time to face the must dreaded daily routine of exercise for overall health and to lose the weight. good luck to you

I couldn't decide between the 2 b/c they're not the same.

For sure a gym offers lots of choices for cardio and strength training, but you have to actually go there, which I don't want to do.

I prefer to exercise at home, doing weights and either walking dvd's or walking outside. But I have never gotten the same results working out at home as working out at the gym, but that's OK at this stage of my life. Maybe when all my kids are in school all day then I'll consider joining a gym again.

So depending on your time, your goals, your needs would be what you choose.

I don't see that poor weather is an excuse. Everywhere I have ever lived, there have been alternative locations for assessed for walking. Malls are often open for walking. I lived in an area where the middle school allowed walkers after school was out. One thing nice about the mall is you can walk for an hour without noticing the time flying by. However, exercise such as weight lifting is more important because building muscle primes the metabolism which becomes more important as we get older.

I do both. My mom died 2 years ago and I inherited a little doggie who won't potty outside on a chain. I have to walk her 3-4 times a day. I also go to the gym 5 days a week. I've gotten in with a really great group of people and I thoroughly enjoy my time there. I do have a weight bench, weights and an exercise bicycle for those days when I can't get to they gym, but I tend to become distracted when working out at home. I also have some DVD's that I use on occassion, but mostly every morning at 5:30 am you'll find me at the gym.

I have a gym membership but I never go. I walk 5 miles a day outside and I cannot do that in the gym. Something about the air and the uneven pavement that just does it for me I guess. It brings me a lot of pleasure to walk outside and helps me destress. Working out at a gym is more stressful than pleasurable for me, it is like a chore that needs to be done and I feel like some kind of caged animal in there. That isnt to say that I dont enjoy working out at the gym or the feeling I get when I am done, but even when I did workout at the gym I always went for my walks outside. I have wrist weights and ankle weights that I use 2.5 lbs each that I use when I want more of a workout while walking outside. I walk in the rain and snow and ice. It has never stopped me. When I lived in NJ and there was snow everywhere I would still walk and now in CA when its pouring rain outside I go for my walks. I make excuses not to go to the gym but not for not walking. I usually take multiple short walks instead of one very long walk. My first walk is 2 miles and then I take 2 shorter 1.5 mile walks throughout the rest of the day. Its the only way for me.

I think it depends on your preferences and your finances. I like doing outdoor stuff in good weather. Hiking, biking, walking, I even do my yoga outside in the summer. However, because I live in Alaska and it is cold/dark alot, I have a gym membership for the winter/bad weather months/days. Although even in the summer, I do go to my gym for steam, lukewarm shower, sauna, cold shower, hot tub, luke warm shower ritual that I have. There are cold weather activities that I like but I won't/don't do them everyday, like cross country skiing and downhill skiing. So it is financially worth it to me to have a gym membership all year round. My kids also use our gym all year long for karate and swimming which adds another factor to whay it makes sense for me.

Gosh guys,

Thanks for your input. It looks like a have some decisons to make about my committment level, goals and finances. I love the feeling after a good workout whether it be in a gym or outside. Tell you what, I think walking and indoor training might be a good start. That probably would be easiest to develop a routine.

I would agree with some, it is work deciding when and how you will make it to the gym with a busy schedule. Thinking back on the past, it's been somewhat of a burden to think about daily.

Thanks for your input and I really enjoy this site. It has helped me tremendously with many topics.

"The rest of my life?" I sure hope that's a good long while!! I can commit to exercising as much as I can today, doing the things that interest me today, and probably, that will be roughly true for a couple of years. However, I'm 'tween ops in knee surgery, and that knocked the heck out of this year's exercise-ability. On to a rowing machine, which I hate, but only for two months and then it goes back to the thrift shop from whence it came, out $14.50 and that will be tax-deductable on the return trip.

So--back off a bit on the "rest of my life," maybe?? How about, "Until I get to goal?" Or even, "Until summer?" Or something. Do they need a year's commitment? You could do worse than a gym for six months and an outdoor program the rest of the year.

For me and where I live today, a gym is an expenditure of time, gas, and money I don't choose to spend. But my favorite movement is hoop dance and dog walking, and I can do that here. I've belonged to gyms in the past. May buy a bowflex if I decide to re-purpose one of the rooms in the house. Maybe not.

The solution is much richer with more options than you may be letting yourself see.

Good luck.

I was debating that too. Becuz I hate the heat! So I rather go to the gym. But I really dont want to pay that money and dont go. But i am really determin to lose this weight though. So I am going to the gym. I am going to the YMCA because it cheaper. Just pray I go!

I'd say it depends on you since going to a gym means dedication. I used to own and operate a fitness/tanning salon and I'm all for them but some people tend to join yet not get around to going... At this point I'm getting my workouts here at home by going outside and working. People tend to be more faithful at gyms during the cold months from my experience!