I always thought home workouts meant jogging on the spot on a treadmill<\/a> in my living room while an overly enthusiastic trainer in neon pink leggings shouted “one more rep!” through the screen. But it turns out there\u2019s so much more out there.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n From YouTube<\/a> to TikTok and Instagram<\/a>, and even some of the best workout apps<\/a>, there\u2019s a huge range of trainers, styles, and session lengths to suit whatever you\u2019re in the mood for, whether that\u2019s a quick core workout<\/a>, an upper body strength session, a mobility routine to loosen up the hips<\/a>, or a full-body burner.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve also taken advantage of different types of movement that I never made time for in the gym. Pilates and yoga have become regular parts of my week, and they\u2019ve challenged my core and flexibility in ways that doing a few weighted ab exercises at the end of a strength session in the gym never could.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s made me realize how much personality can play a role in finding the right kind of exercise. Science seems to agree here, a study on how workouts should match your personality type<\/a> found that people are more likely to stick with routines that suit their mindset and preferences, which makes a lot of sense now that I\u2019ve found something that actually fits.<\/p>\n Being outside is underrated<\/p>\n Without a gym, I\u2019ve naturally leaned more into outdoor movement, which really is my bag. There\u2019s something freeing about fresh air and changing scenery that makes every workout feel less like a chore. If you have ever found yourself craving a break from four walls, you will understand why getting outside can completely change your motivation.<\/p>\n Running, walking and hiking have taken up a bigger role in my weekly routine, and they\u2019ve done just as much for my mind as my body. A quick run clears my head better than any treadmill ever did, and walking has become a way to unwind instead of something I try to squeeze in between errands. I even recently found many benefits from ditching the StairMaster and taking advantage of hill running<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can stay strong without machines<\/p>\n (Image credit: Shutterstock\/ New Africa)<\/p>\n One of my worries when I cancelled my membership was losing the progress I\u2019d made with weights. But I\u2019ve been focusing on progressive overload<\/a> with a mix of bodyweight exercises and one of the best kettlebells, making every rep count. Some days that means slowing things down or increasing reps. Other days, it\u2019s choosing more challenging moves like single-leg exercises or push-up variations. For reference, I train with the BowFlex SelectTech 840 Adjustable Kettlebell<\/a> at home.<\/p>\n That being said, there\u2019s definitely a time and place for the gym. If you\u2019re recovering from an injury and have been advised to use specific machines to support your rehab, or you’re working with a personal trainer whose program benefits from equipment you can\u2019t easily replicate at home, a gym can make all the difference. The same goes if you\u2019re training for something like a Hyrox or CrossFit competition and need access to equipment that would be expensive or impractical to buy outright.<\/p>\n There is something I miss about the gym<\/p>\n Overall, I feel fit and more energized by my new exercise routine right now that doesn’t involve a gym, but there is a part of the gym space that I miss and can\u2019t quite put my finger on. Maybe it\u2019s a few little things that will eventually bring me back to getting a membership in the future.<\/p>\n The gym deserves credit as a social place. I\u2019m not saying you\u2019ll meet your new best friend there, but you do have nice interactions with people when you\u2019re sharing equipment or asking for help setting up a machine. That\u2019s something you don\u2019t get working out alone at home.<\/p>\n There are also usually trained staff on the gym floor you can ask for advice on things like form or how to handle equipment properly. It\u2019s an inspiring environment too. Being surrounded by others working on their own goals can be motivating. I\u2019ve even picked up new exercises just from watching others who look confident and strong in their training.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the best workout is the one you enjoy enough to stick with, whether that\u2019s in the gym or anywhere else you feel inspired to move.<\/p>\n Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.<\/p>\n More from Tom’s Guide<\/p>\n Round up of today’s best deals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If a gym membership could collect dust, mine would have been buried in it. I fell out of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":333933,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[1630,105,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-333932","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115006207690161379","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/x29hHZwejdFnoetnpmaPJ4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n