Outdoor Versus Indoor Gyms – Which Is Better
Indoor gyms suit people with long-term fitness goals; they hold a wide range of equipment, enabling athletes of all experiences to progress gradually. However, outdoor gyms have limited machinery, so they suit individuals who exercise infrequently and aren’t driven by results or seeing progression in fitness levels.
To determine which best suits you, consider why you go to the gym. There isn’t a one-fits-all because your age, finances, location and weather, skill level, and free time determine the best fit.
For example, a teenager wanting to put on 10kg muscle mass benefits more from an indoor gym. They have access to dumbells and have enough flexibility to work around the gym’s opening hours.
However, pensioners who want to maintain their current weight benefit more from an outdoor gym due to the simplicity of each machine and having access at whatever time.
Is An Outdoor Or Indoor Gym Better For You
Figuring which gym tailors your lifestyle can be tricky; to simplify, consider each below:
- Age:
Indoor gyms require a certain age before accessing their facilities. Thus, if you don’t meet the initial criteria, your only option is outdoors because they’re available to anyone. - Finances
Indoor gyms are commercially owned, requiring a monthly membership fee to use their facilities. Those who earn are okay with paying the fee as the equipment is always of higher quality than in outdoor gyms.
Enquire about the gym membership costs and be honest with yourself if you can budget it.
Saying this, high-level outdoor beaches (like muscle beach gyms) also demand a fee. - Location
Outdoor gyms are found in rural parks or beaches where there is significant land to build on. Indoor gyms are city-based because gym owners have more potential customers (they’re more populated than rural areas). Therefore, consider which gym is more convenient to access by measuring the distance from your work, house, or flat. - Skill Level
Due to the restricted equipment, basic outdoor gyms cap the level of skill and fitness anybody can reach. The peak isn’t very high either, so experienced athletes may see negative returns if they change to an outdoor gym.
Outdoor gyms are best for individuals with little experience who want to experiment with working out; however, once they gain muscle mass and confidently use each machine, they must upgrade to an indoor gym to maintain progression and improvement.
Free Time - Indoor gyms have opening times you must stick to, whereas outdoor ones don’t. So, if your only free time is during antisocial hours, it’s worth seeing if the Indoor gym is active then (also accounting 45min-90min to work out).
On the other hand, 24-hour gyms are becoming more common, so this may not be an issue.
What Are The Advantages Of An Outdoor Gym Over An Indoor One
Outdoor gyms provide flexible options for athletes that an indoor gym can’t. Thus, each athlete exercises on separate terms that suit them to get the most out of their workout. Additionally, being outdoors provides benefits, such as Vitamin D exposure and a less busy gym.
The range of flexibility and other advantages over an inside commercial gym include:
Outdoor gyms have minimal guidelines, so athletes can exercise topless. Especially in Miami, there are loads of athletes who prefer this, due to hot weather and the boost in confidence they get – however; the proffessioanl outdoor gyms will require payment.
Even on rainy days, training topless has a psychological impact on their workout, which an indoor gym can’t give.
Athletes bring their speakers to set up their own music during their workouts. Most outdoor gyms have an individual with a boombox playing tunes that match the vibe of the gym. For example, most street outdoor gyms play rap music.
Many athletes use headphones during exercise; while they block out surrounding sounds, they become uncomfortable over time. This is why we enjoy outdoor gyms, as it enables us to listen to our music out loud.
While the music is often explicit, the outdoor gym community is very polite. Furthermore, they’re always willing to play music suggestions out loud if you ask.
The majority of athletes prefer exercising indoors because they feel more comfortable. For this reason, outdoor gyms are quiet and always have equipment available.
It’s unlikely you’ll have to wait for equipment; therefore, you can ensure a vigorous workout without abrupt pauses in between.
Connecting with nature during exercise releases an abundance of endorphins that encourages athletes to work out. For example, dopamine, vitamin D absorption, and clean air respiration. This energizes us making the session more intense and fulfilling.
Moreover, the sunlight keeps muscles warm, which makes them more flexible. This reduces the chance of injury because they are elastic enough to stretch in uncomfortable positions without tearing. This is why lots of calisthenics athletes attend outdoor gyms because they can attempt more challenging tricks in optimal conditions.
We love working out in the sun, as well as the physical benefits it makes everyone in the gym more cheerful and positive. This enhances the social element to exercise because other athletes want to stay around and chat to make new friends.
Check out this walk through of a traitional outdor gym:
What Are The Advantages Of An Indoor Gym Over An Outdoor One
Indoor gyms hold greater equipment and facilities than outdoor gyms. While they come at a price, athletes who are committed to fitness progress want an indoor gym as it offers more areas to improve.
The main advantages of an indoor gym over an outdoor one include:
Steam rooms, plunge pools, and saunas are all examples of amenities many indoor gyms include in-house. Using these after exercise helps fasten muscle recovery but also unwinds your brain after an intense session.
We have built many professional relationships in the spa as people love to chat while they’re using the hot tub or similar facilities. As well as the exercise side, it creates a big social opportunity for you.
It isn’t necessary to work out prior to using these services – they also help a great start to the day. For example, using the plunge pool early in the morning is as good as drinking coffee!
No outdoor gyms have this infrastructure which is why many individuals prefer indoor ones. In addition, they could have an outdoor pool section – so you get the best of both worlds!
Indoor gyms are built on private land, so landlords can build them as large as they want. This benefits its members because the equipment is more spaced out, so there is less bumping into one another.
In fact, some members complain there are too many empty studios or sections of the gym not being used. On the other hand, outdoor gyms are more compact and local to a single area which can make it crowded.
While a busy gym isn’t the end of the world, it gets frustrating daily as there is little personal space. Therefore many individuals pay for an indoor gym to avoid unnecessary contact.
Not every day has good weather, especially in the UK! Therefore, individuals prefer the indoor gym as they are guaranteed pleasant conditions to exercise in. This means they can create a workout plan without the weather interfering.
Let’s say it rained, so all the equipment at an outdoor gym was soaked. While some will go ahead, many prefer to delay their workout until the clouds clear. If this is consistent, athletes struggle to get momentum, which makes motivation difficult.
Basic outdoor gyms have limited equipment; for example, they don’t have:
- Benches as they would get destroyed by wildlife and harsh weather conditions.
- Free weights, skipping ropes, or cones as they can easily be stolen.
- Electric machines, as rain, would instantly break them.
Only a small percentage of athletes (such as calisthenics or marathon runners) will be able to fulfill their workout by using the outdoor gym’s facilities alone. There aren’t any weights involved in the movements – athletes use their body weight to create resistance.
These aren’t as common as weight lifting, athletics, or HITT training – so the majority of athletes use an indoor gym to tailor their training method better.
Check out this tour of an indoor lesiure centre:
Do We Prefer Outdoor Or Indoor Gyms
Typically, we use indoor gyms because of their exponentially better equipment and guaranteed dryness – we live in the UK, so the outdoor gyms are always waterlogged. However, even if we lived elsewhere, indoor gyms would still be our preference due to the ability to progress in fitness levels.
The benefits of indoor gyms heavily outweigh those of indoor gyms.
For example, even though there is access to outdoor gyms whenever (unlike indoor ones), they rarely have street lights. So, despite it being open, it’s useless as you can’t see the machinery or analyze your form.
However, when it is sunny, we will occasionally use an outdoor gym – not so much for the workout though. Instead, we like to experience the music, people, and atmosphere that brings people to the outdoor gym on a summer day.
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