[BLOG] Best Place to Workout in Urbandale

As a health and fitness expert and a personal trainer, I'm often asked where is the best place to workout in Urbandale and surrounding areas. There definitely could be many answers to that question, depending on who you were to ask, and my answer might surprise you. The best place to workout in Urbandale is YOUR OWN HOME!

Now why on Earth would I say that over the 24 hour gym down the street? For starters, when you workout in your own home, you don't have to be self conscience that others are watching you, if you are out of shape or unsure how to run certain machines. Those two points right there are the main reasons why people stop using the gym or hesitate to join in the first place.

Then there is the excuse of the weather. We are all Iowans and we are well aware of the crazy weather we have here. If it isn't too cold, then it's too hot. Or it snowed, or is going to snow or snowed yesterday. Or there is a thunderstorm moving in. We can pretty easily make excuses due to the weather, to not leave home, unless you are one of those diehard fitness people, which most of us are not. So working out at home eliminates that excuse as well.

It is also extremely convenient to workout at home, and if you feel you need the accountability of a friend or two, ask a couple to come workout with you! If you can't meet in person, there are ways to do it virtually that will still help keep you motivated and accountable.

Now, there are many workout programs to fit anyone's personality. Workouts like P90X or Body Beast for those that want to really build muscle with little cardio. One's like TurboFire or Insanity for those wanting a more cardio/body weight style workout. Workouts like Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and other workouts she does are a great marriage of both. Or one's for those short on time, like 10 Minute Trainer!

Workout for beginners, like Slim in 6, dance style workouts like Hip Hop Abs, Brazil Butt Lift and Zumba. Low impact, mind/body workouts like Rodney Yee yoga or Dr. Mark Cheng's Tai Cheng. And one of the most popular, worldwide workouts, Les Mills Pump. That is just a sprinkling of the workouts there are out there that you can invest in, instead of paying for a gym that you rarely end up going to. And, once you invest in a DVD workout program, it's yours to keep forever, unlike the dollars wasted paying for the gym membership!

If you aren't into investing dollars in your fitness, there are some good quality, free workouts you can find on the Internet. Many of these are challenging, but if you take breaks and work at your own pace, you can and will work up to the level they are working at. My top 3 are: BodyRock.tv, Z-WOW, and Get Crystalized. Google these and they will pop up. There are other good ones as well, these are just my favorite go to workouts when I want to mix things up a bit.

You can even creat killer at-home workouts by checking out the health and fitness magazines, if your personalitiy is just going it on your own. I can get amazing workouts from Women's Health, Men's Health, Shape, Finess and Self magazines, just to name a few. Make sure you make a copy or tear them out and save them in a workout binder before donating or putting in the recycling bin. Then you have them right at your fingertips when you want a new workout idea.

It is so conveinent to workout at home too. If you have small children, you can get your workout in before they get up or at naptime. If you like to roll out of bed and workout in your pj's, no one will be there to judge you. If you like to crank your favorite music over you iPod dock, you are free to do so. Not to mention all the time you save on commuting and getting changed, and you don't have to share a locker room with the creepy naked person that seems to be in every single gym locker room in town!

Those are my best recommendtions for getting an amazing workout at home! Remember, regardless of where or what you do to workout, it's only going to be as effective as the effort you put in. But working out at home eliminates many of the obstacles we face when it come to getting our fitness in, and truly is the best place to workout!