Only a few people can afford to buy the expensive fitness equipment such as multi station treadmills, stair steppers and stretching bars that are found in gyms.

Today most hi-tech gyms offer a variety of exercise activities ranging from racquetball and tennis courts to Olympic sized swimming pools, saunas, spas, rock climbing and even jai lai courts that are in vogue these days. Jai Lai is a Spanish high intensity racquetball game that is played with a curved racquet.

It isn't possible to enjoy all these facilities from home unless one is very wealthy. Another advantage of going to the gym is that you can seek professional advice from the experienced fitness professionals and trainers. They can guide you during weight training sessions as well as offer useful dietary information and health tips.

Even members of the gym can be extremely knowledgeable. Those who are particular about maintaining optimal health and remaining fit and trim often make the time to hit the gym so don't be surprised to find doctors, nutritionists and aerobics instructors among the clientele.

Another reason why gyms are a good option is because they provide you with an opportunity to socialize and exercise together with friends or in groups so that the exercise routine doesn't seem monotonous. This helps to build social contacts and encourage oneself to exercise on a daily basis.

There are however certain drawbacks of attending gyms as well. The biggest disadvantage is that gym membership is quite expensive. One can pay per session, per month or on a yearly basis. Paying per session usually works out to be rather expensive but can be a good option for people who are just visiting the city.

The most commonly used membership is per month but this too can range anywhere between 30 to 300 dollars depending on the facilities offered by a particular gym. Sometimes gyms offer a trial work out period free of charge to attract prospective members.

Another problem is motivating oneself to actually go to the gym. In today's fats faced society people lead such busy lives that they seldom have the time to goto the gym leave along exercise.

Gym equipment can at times seem rather unappealing if they are messy. Although most gym members are courteous enough to wipe the equipment after using it, nevertheless is important to look for a gym where the staff are alert enough to ensure that members keep the equipment clean.

Therefore one must weigh all the pros and cons and then decide whether they would like to join a gym or not. It is always recommended that one tries out a few gyms on a trial basis before finally committing themselves to becoming members of a specific one in the long term.