Join a Gym or Workout from home

Has the current COVID19 wave gone away OR is the next COVID19 wave coming again? No one knows for sure. But two things about COVID19 are well known. First, those countries where over 50% population has been vaccinated are reporting very few deaths. Almost all who are dying have not taken a vaccine. Second, Inactivity is the number one comorbidity leading to severe disease and death. Physical Activity (PA) has been discussed at length in my last two blogs. This concluding blog deals with the place of workout, its pros and cons, and how to ensure that PA becomes a lifelong habit and not just a passing fad. 

Let us see the advantages and disadvantages of doing PA at a Gym and at home. PA at a Gym may ensure that one makes PA a way of one’s life. A healthy habit, which is the ultimate goal! Well, not so fast. Let’s look into a few details, especially the small print. 

Physical Activity at a Gym

This is preferred by many people who can afford it, especially the younger generation and those who have a smaller place to live. Money spent is directly proportional to better Gym facilities, increased range of training equipment, more convenient timings and better trainers. All these mean that the person sticks to PA for 4 to 6 days a week which can lead to a healthy lifestyle.

• More EQUIPMENT at the gym means different types of PA can be done at one place. Checking out new equipment means PA remains interesting for a long time as compared to PA at home. 
• PROFESSIONAL TRAINING guidance ensures that the complete set of 4 PA types are done by the trainee. In contrast, a home gym trainee will refer to the internet for various types of PA which can possibly be done at home. 
• MORE PEOPLE doing PA at one place motivates the trainee to do better than the others. One may also graduate from Moderate PA to Vigorous PA sooner in the gym than at home. 
• SOCIAL CIRCLE of the trainee also increases in such places. Like-minded friends ensure that doing PA becomes a habit. 
• UNHINDERED PA is more likely at a Gym. While at home, there may be children or a spouse who feels their issues are more important than the person’s PA. 
• A gym is particularly useful for those having a small home or having too many members in their house. 

Physical Activity at Home

• NO RECURRING EXPENDITURE. Even though some money is spent on buying some basic equipment, there is hardly any regular expense. 
• The TYPE OF PA to be done is entirely the choice of the person. The person may choose dancing instead of a treadmill run. Similarly, digging in the garden/ farm may be the PA of choice instead of weight training. As I had mentioned in my first article, moderate or even Vigorous PA has many alternatives, even mopping the floor counts as a moderate PA but this cannot be done at a gym! 
• DRESS CODE. A person can wear simple, inexpensive clothes at home. Even for brisk walks/ jogs they don’t require fancy apparel or shoes which are almost mandatory in a gym. 
• TIME. Unlike a gym, a person can have the PA at the time of one’s choice. In fact, it can be split into two or even three spells. Some persons even do certain PA while in office lunch breaks. 
• PRIVACY is another issue for many persons. Women may feel more comfortable training at home, away from prying eyes. A person while on a stationary cycle can read a newspaper or on the treadmill may watch the news on TV at home. There is no issue of unpleasant smells or loud talk on a cellphone by a trainee on the neighboring exercise machine of the gym. 
• HYGIENE is another unpleasant issue that can be much better maintained at home. No sweats of unknown people, clean toilets and change rooms at home as compared with a gym. 
• TRANSPORTATION. No need to spend on costly fuel for transportation, nor the need to find parking areas. 
• SALES PITCH. Whatever one may say, there is a subtle sales pitch at the gym. It starts with the apparel and goes on to personalized training. Many gullible trainees are even trapped into buying useless ‘nutritional’ products or some dangerous steroids for ‘body sculpting’. 
• COVID TIMES. No sudden stopping of PA due to Lockdown closure of gyms at home. Also, no fear of getting COVID19 from others in a gym.

By now most readers would have decided to do PA as their long-term goal. Many of these readers would have already chosen to do PA at either their home or at the Gym. For others who are still indecisive, they should join a gym, but only for about three months. Having spent the money, a person is likely to make a habit of doing PA. They can learn the various types of gym exercises and activities from an expert and discover which ones are beneficial for their body. Thereafter, a call may be taken to continue their PA in the gym or do it at home.

How to ensure that the Healthy habit is not lost like a NEW YEAR resolution? 

This is the most difficult part. Forming a new healthy habit in an adult is not easy. Our mind tries to find endless reasons for not doing PA. Especially at home, without the support of a trainer or like-minded family members or friends. So, dear reader, it would be wise to make a terminal or end goal. This should ideally be, living a healthy life, not being dependent on others especially in old age. And, this is only possible by remaining active throughout our lives. So let us see how to go about this issue. 

1. Plan Near-term and Intermediate term targets. Near term should ideally be for two to three months by the end of which, a person should be doing half an hour of Moderate PA 6 days a week. The Intermediate Targets can be more personalized ie, having a better body appearance, good quality sleep at night or a shine on the face with no circles around the eye. Further, all four types of PA should be done every week. 
2. Inform your near-term Target to the trainer if a gym has been joined. Then learn as much as possible with the aim of setting up a mini-gym at home. 
3. Concentrate and learn those sets of exercises that suit the intermediate Targets. This will keep the person interested in continuing these exercises even after leaving the gym. 
4. Music and PA go very well. The More vigorous the PA, the faster the music. For Suppleness and Stability PA, slow meditation music is generally preferable. 
5. Socialize/ Talk/ text weekly achievements, however small with spouse, close relatives or friends for motivation and encouragement. 
6. Write a daily journal/ diary. Periodically mention the changes in skin, mood, sleep, nutritious diet in addition to the new activities undertaken. 
7. People who had joined a gym for a short period may take a call of continuing there or doing PA at home.
8. Setting up a Mini home gym may not be very expensive. A stationary cycle, even a working second-hand one could be the most expensive item. Jogging/ brisk walks are better taken outside in green areas. A skipping rope, a flexible exercise band, a door bar for pullups and a pair of light dumbbells is all that is required. 

All the best for a lifetime of happiness with a daily dose of PA!

Maj Gen Krishan Chauhan is a second-generation army officer. He studied in Sainik School Kapurthala, graduated from IG Medical College, Shimla and did his MD from AFMC/Pune University. He has served in the Army Medical Corps for 36 years and retired as the Addl DGMS army. He is an avid marathon runner and a writer. He first wrote articles for children in The Young Chronicles. Later, he started writing his own blog as Genkris, on WordPress where over 25 articles on various subjects can be accessed.