Can you get all the exercise you need by working out at home? It depends on the individual's discipline, knowledge and experience in fitness. In order to work out on your own it is necessary to understand what makes up a good fitness routine. It is important to know which exercises are helpful and to have perfect form. It is also important to know which exercise should be avoided due to past injuries or medical conditions.
If someone has learned the proper technique there is no reason why they can not do it on their own. One can learn how to exercise properly from reading fitness books, and watching DVDs and you tubes produced by highly credentialed and experienced fitness professionals. But if the person is uncoordinated and has bad body awareness and poor muscle memory, they would be better off working with a trainer or beginner level small group fitness gym class.
The advantages of working out at a gym are the variety of equipment and potential motivation to exercise by being surrounded by people exercising. So if one needs to be with others that are exercising to increase motivation, the gym is the right place. Some people just like to get out of the house or have a place to go if they have too much time on their hands. An amazing group fitness instructor or great personal trainer are advantages of using a gym but you tubes can be a substitute for those that are self motivated,experienced, coordinated, and knowledgable.
There are several negatives about working out at the gym. Socializing at a gym can be a distraction. Traveling back and forth to the gym and getting “dressed up” to exercise can be big time wasters. Some gyms are not cleaned regularly and are health hazards. Some gyms have classes that are too large -the participants are using poor form and getting injured.