Why Online Fitness Beats the Gym After 55
Nobody is filming you in your own front room. At a big commercial gym you can be mid-squat, minding your own business, and still end up in the background of a stranger's workout video. At home, your audience is the dog, and the dog isn't posting it anywhere.
That's the case I want to make this week. Not that gyms are terrible. Some are lovely. But I think you'll enjoy your exercise more without all the faff wrapped around it. And enjoying it is what keeps you doing it.
Your time, your space
Exercise shouldn't eat your whole day. A gym trip is never just the hour. It's the drive there, the hunt for a parking space, the class itself, the queue for a coffee that costs more than your lunch, the slow toastie from the gym kitchen, and the drive home. Call it half a day, door to door.
An online class takes exactly as long as the class. One of our members, Jill, put it better than I can: “within seconds you're in and doing a great class.”
Then there's everyone else. At a gym you wait for the machine you wanted while someone sits on it scrolling their phone. There's the grunter. There's the hoverer. At home, the only person hogging the equipment is you.
And the showers are nicer. They're your own. Your towel, your water pressure, your choice of radio station. No flip-flops required.
The remote control: the finest piece of gym kit ever made
No gym can offer you what the remote can. When the trainer's shouting, turn them down. When they're mumbling, turn them up. Try pointing a remote at an instructor in a real gym and see how far it gets you.
Better still, you can pause a class for a wee. On-demand means the class waits for you. It'll be where you left it when you get back, and nobody gives you a look for slipping out.
And it starts when you're ready. Nine in the morning or half past seven at night, in the kitchen or the garden, in gym kit or the cardigan you had on anyway. Home workouts fit around your life instead of the other way round.
What you actually get at Jim's Gym
That's the faff you skip. Now for what you get.
More than 15 live classes a week on Zoom: Fitness and Strength with me, Zumba Gold with Row, Yoga with Virginia, Pilates with Aimie, Tai Chi with Andy, Dancercise with Anna, and Balance. Many classes give you seated and standing options, so you work at the level that suits you.
Every live class is recorded, and behind them sits a library of more than 1,000 on-demand videos. Miss a class, catch it later. Fancy a second one on a wet Tuesday, help yourself.
And you won't be doing it alone. Our private members' WhatsApp community is 219 people strong, from Stroud to Swansea and beyond, and the Healthy Habits Club adds a Book Club, an Art Club, a Craft Club and monthly nutrition sessions with Ian Thomas, a Registered Dietitian. All of it from your front room.
Now the bit I mean seriously. All that convenience is the reason this works. The best workout is the one you'll do, and you'll do the one that fits your life. When the class is waiting in your front room, turning up gets very easy. And turning up, week after week, is where the results come from.
Quick questions, straight answers
Is online fitness as good as a gym after 55?
For most people it's better, because you'll do it more often. Consistency beats intensity, and the class in your front room is the easiest one to turn up to. At Jim's Gym you still get live instructors and a real community, without the travel.
Do I need any equipment?
Little or none. Most Jim's Gym classes work in the space of a living room, using your own body, a sturdy chair and the odd household item. If you fancy adding hand weights or a resistance band later, you can. Nothing stops you starting today with what you have.
What if I can't make the live class?
Every live class at Jim's Gym is recorded, so you can catch up whenever suits you. There's also a library of more than 1,000 on-demand videos. If nine in the morning doesn't work, four in the afternoon will. Your workout fits around your day.
Will I actually stick to working out at home?
You're far more likely to, because the barriers are gone. No travel, no kit bag, no timetable fighting your diary. You'll have live classes to book in for, recordings when life gets in the way, and a WhatsApp community of 219 members cheering you on. It becomes a habit before you notice.
Your next step
Start with the free Fitness MOT. It's a simple at-home tracker with five exercises, no scoring and no judgement, so you can see where you're starting from. Retake it every four to six weeks and watch yourself improve.
Then join me inside Jim's Gym. It's £12.99 a month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee, no contracts and no joining fees. Or join for the year and get 2 months on me.
The nicest gym in the country has your kettle in it and your own shower down the hall. It's never too late.
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SEO / page title (53): Why Online Fitness Beats the Gym After 55 | Jim's Gym
Meta description (159): No traffic, no queues, and you can pause the trainer for a wee. Why exercising at home beats the gym after 55, from the founder of Jim's Gym. Free MOT inside.
URL slug: online-fitness-vs-gym-over-55
Excerpt: No queues, no parking, and the class starts when you're ready. Why exercising from home beats the gym after 55.
Author: James Hilton, founder of Jim's Gym.
Our affordable monthly membership is great for those just starting out or may need to take a break for a big adventure! The yearly option gives you two months FREE membership with a 30 day money back guarantee.