Anyone who works at home as I do can benefit from having a home gym. If someone asked me today what I think of working from home, I’d tell them my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. In my humble opinion as a freelance writer and online marketer, being your own boss and being able to earn a good living right from the comfort and privacy of your own home is as good as it gets, work-wise.
Having Your Cake and Eating it Too
Making money from home, doing something you love to do, is like having your cake and eating it, too. But speaking of eating cake, when you make your living from home and can take as many breaks as you want to or chow down on snacks and sandwiches—or cake—while you work; it can soon become a big problem.
I really enjoy food and before I started making a living from home, I worked outside all day and was extremely active. I never had to worry about gaining weight or watching what I ate because I burned up a lot of calories. But nowadays, as much as I love what I do, I’ve had to make some changes to my eating habits, plus start an exercise program. Hopefully, this will keep me from looking like the Goodyear blimp a few years down the road.
Counting Calories is No Fun
Since I wasn’t getting any exercise sitting at my desk all day and eating like a shark, my clothes got progressively tighter and my once firm muscles were basically a thing of the past. Knowing this, I also knew that I needed to curb my appetite and cut back on calories. But, just thinking of this sort of deprivation was so depressing it sent me straight to the refrigerator for a slice of leftover pizza or giant slice of cheesecake.
I quickly realized that even if I cut myself back to bread and water, which wasn’t likely, my body would simply adapt to this starvation by slowing down my already sluggish metabolism and I wouldn’t lose much weight.
Exercise: My Problem Solver
The problem, as I saw it, was not just that I had to cut down on my caloric intake; but also that I needed to start getting some exercise. So, I joined a local gym.
Problem solved.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. I worked hard at drumming up enthusiasm for workout sessions at the gym and told myself how great it would be to get in there with other guys and gals who needed to shape up. I bought a good pair of athletic shoes, a rather pricey shirt and shorts, special socks with a padded footbed that were recommended for exercise….the whole enchilada.
When the big day arrived for my first session at the gym, I knew within five minutes that I’d only go back if someone hitched a team of wild horses to me and dragged me back, kicking and screaming.
I hated it. I mean, really, really hated it. First of all, I had to get out in a torrential downpour to go. Not fun at all. Then, when I got to the fitness center (soaked to the skin after running from my car to the building, by the way) and the class started, I realized that I was ancient compared to the other people there. Some of those guys didn’t look a day over 16 and ditto for the females. I found it strange that none of them appeared overweight or out of shape. On the contrary, the rest of the males had six pack abs and biceps that the reigning Mr. Universe would kill for.
The girls, too, were all perfectly proportioned, perky and young. Very young. I felt like a dirty old man ogling teenage girls or a pathetic, over-the-hill has been who tries to hang out with the high school jocks.
Long story short, the bad vibes I felt initially were nothing compared to how I felt less than 10 minutes into the session. I was panting and gasping like a beached whale, while none of the others were the least bit winded and hadn’t even broken a sweat.
I’ll Have My Own Gym at Home, Thank You
After slinking out of the exercise class and getting back to the security of hearth and home, I got online and researched home gym equipment reviews. It didn’t take long to decide that this was exactly the route I needed to take instead of subjecting myself to the horrors of the group fitness class at my local gym.
If you want to lose weight and get fit but cringe at the thought of participating in a group
exercise session, here are 5 good reasons for having a home gym if you work at home:
- You don’t have to go out in inclement weather. This is really a biggie in the winter time.
- You get the physical exercise you need to be healthy, without paying dues or membership fees.
- You have blessed privacy. This was a prime motivator for me and might be for you, too.
- You can work out when it’s best for you, at your own convenience and schedule.
- You can do the workouts that are best suited to you, personally.
My home gym has been the best investment I’ve ever made! To me, having my gym and exercise equipment here at home where I work and live has taken the best and made it even better.
Try it, you’ll like it!
About the Author
Freelance writer and online marketer Rick Mercado is a husband and avid outdoorsman who thrives on such rugged activities as hiking and kayaking around his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast. Working at home or on his laptop at a local coffee house, Rick was concerned about gaining weight and getting out of shape due to so many hours spent sitting. He didn’t like going out to a gym, so looked into home gym reviews to help him make an informed decision about the purchase of his own home gym.
Want to Write for OfficeDeskReviews.com?
We are on the look-out for Guest Writers to share their expertise with our readers. For consideration, please visit our Writer Guidelines page and submit your ideas to us. We’d love to hear from you!