Big City Gym Or Home Work Out - Which Is Better?

When anyone is looking to lose weight, the first place they start with is their diet. They look at what foods they are eating, what foods they should be eating and where they can make a change.

Whilst having a change in your diet is a great step towards losing weight and moving towards a healthier lifestyle, there is one other important aspect - exercise.

From walking thirty minutes a day to an intense two hour work out five days a week, everyone has their own ideas of what they need to do to get fit.

Whatever their thoughts are, however, they'll either consist of going to a big city health club, such as London or Birmingham gyms, or they'll be a work out at home.

The question is, though, which is the better option?

If you're looking at big city gyms such as the large, modern London or Birmingham gyms, then the obvious positive points are that you've got experienced trainers that you can use to ensure you get the most from your training, as well as dozens of different machines for you to utilize.

Then there are all of the classes which are available, often as well as access to swimming pools and saunas.

The major downside, however, is that the cost of these gyms - whilst not unaffordable - is more than some people would prefer to pay. Forty of fifty pounds a month isn't a small amount of money, but most would agree that it's well worth it if it's going to help you lose weight.

In respect of working out at home, the benefits and negative aspects are almost completely reversed.

For example, you don't have a number of experienced people to rely upon to tell you what to do and if you're doing something wrong; you don't have the latest gym equipment to help with your training and you also don't generally have access to swimming pools, saunas or any other of the recuperation and relaxation services that most large gyms offer.

However, what you do have is the freedom to work out when you want, in your own environment and most importantly, completely free of charge. As mentioned above, although the gym membership fee isn't substantial for most gyms, the fact that you can work out at home for free is the point that persuades many to train at home.

Unfortunately, home work outs bring with them a lot of additional negative points, such as the fact that as you have no experienced trainer to hand, it's very easy to overexert yourself and cause your body damage.

In an ideal world, a mixture of both would be the best scenario. The formality and regularity of paying for a gym membership and attending three or four times a week will provide you with the foundations for your fitness programme - as well as the use of their experienced trainers - whilst working out in your own time at home as an additional practice would allow you to enhance and develop your levels of fitness at your own pace.

For more information about joining a gym, Bupa have teamed up with Fitness First http://www.bupa.co.uk/members/asp/members_offers/health/fitness_first/