Will Joining a Gym Help You Lose Weight?

It’s widely accepted that the best way to lose weight is to follow a balanced diet and get plenty of exercise. But do you need to join a gym to get the best weight-loss results from your exercise?

No – The Ex-gym Member
I’ve been a member of a gym three or four times in the past and found them to be a complete waste of time. Rather than losing weight the only thing I lost was money – lots of it.

The problem is that you join a gym full of good intentions but then after a couple of weeks, the novelty wears off. And unless you are able to go at least four or five times a week, it’s difficult to see any benefit.

After a long day at work, the last thing I wanted to do was go to the gym. And when I did go, I found that I would be so hungry afterwards, I’d have to pop into the café for a snack – undoing any good work I had achieved. Being overweight, I didn’t feel particularly confident at the gym, especially when I was surrounded by lycra-clad people who were about ten sizes smaller than me.

There was always a queue for the machines and I felt like I’d been completely ripped off. In the end, I stopped going but still had to pay the monthly fee until my contract ended.

Now, I’ve resolved never to join a gym again. Instead I try to get exercise by walking to work during the week and I go for an extra-long walk at the weekend. Not only is it free but it’s much more enjoyable too. After all, why would you want to run on a treadmill at the gym, when you could walk or run in the fresh air instead?

Yes – The Personal Trainer
Exercise is crucial to weight loss. Trying to lose weight through diet alone will never work. That’s why it’s important to get plenty of exercise to complement a low-calorie diet. For me, the gym is the perfect place to get fit. The combination of cardiovascular machines and weights means that you can burn fat and improve muscle tone – something that you can’t achieve simply by walking or jogging.

The gym also provides a structured approach to exercise. When you join, the instructors should show you around and create a programme that’s designed especially for you and one that’s focussed on achieving the results you need. Joining a gym will give you the extra motivation you need to exercise harder and for longer. Working out is also more fun at the gym too – you can try different exercises and many gyms offer fitness classes, giving you the opportunity to socialise whilst you exercise.

The key to making the gym work is to do your research before you join. Choose one that’s on your way home from work and you’ll find it much easier to go regularly. Check what payment options they offer before joining up and check that the staff will help you devise a fitness programme. A good gym should help you monitor your progress and regularly update your programme so that you don’t get bored.