Each year millions of people engage in regular exercise and fitness routines. For some of those people, exercise is a part of their daily lives, and missing a workout is as foreign and unwelcome as a missed meal. For others, a regular exercise regime is a fleeting endeavor that may start with enthusiasm, but often ends quickly and with little lasting impact on their overall health. In fact, most people who quit exercising do so within two months of starting. The reasons for quitting can vary by individual, but lack of time is a reason that often ranks near or at the top of excuses, and with good reason. Driving to a gym, checking in, getting changed, waiting for a machine, working out, taking a shower, getting dressed, and driving home, are all sure to eat up a chunk of one’s day. That is why home fitness is a popular option for so many time constrained people.

A home fitness routine can save you time. Instead of the to-and-from travel to the gym, and all that the trip entails, working out at home allows you to complete your workout in the time you might otherwise spend commuting. However, the advantages of home fitness do not begin and end with the elimination of travel time. Home fitness is often less expensive than a gym membership, particularly in the long run. Whether your home fitness routine revolves around something as expensive as an exercise machine, or as affordable as an exercise DVD, a home fitness routine can be attained with a one time cost, rather than the recurring fees of a gym membership. But those monetary savings have a cost of their own. A gym offers a selection of equipment that is nearly impossible to duplicate at home, and a gym also provides an atmosphere that is conducive to good workouts, often at the urging and direction of a professional trainer. However, the shortcomings of home fitness can be overcome with just a little planning and research.

Perhaps the hardest part of establishing a home fitness routine is knowing what exercises to do, how long to do them, and how often they should be done. That quandary holds true whether you are lifting weights or concentrating on cardiovascular training; and the Internet is a great place to begin your search for answers. From advice on equipment, to personalized workout plans, there are websites dedicated to helping you achieve your home fitness goals.

It is important to remember that it is easy to be gung ho when beginning a home fitness regimen, yet many people lose their zeal after a short span of time. A prudent strategy for those interested in home fitness is to start slow. Dumbbells, resistance bands, or an exercise DVD are all inexpensive ways to break into a new lifestyle without breaking the bank. By starting off small you can gain an understanding of what kinds of exercise you enjoy while guarding against the possibility of a large purchase that you will not use for long. Before long you will not only get into the home fitness habit, you will have a better idea of what you really need to make your workout complete!