5 Reasons I’m Glad I Traded My Gym Membership For A Home Gym

UPDATE: The winner of the Power Block adjustable weights ($379 value) is Brynn Becker! Congratulations, Brynn! Check your inbox for an email from me on how to claim your prize! 🙂 Thank you to everybody who entered! If you purchase equipment from 2nd Wind, be sure to use the coupon code at the bottom of this post!

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve likely seen pictures of me carting my four little ones to the gym. During my first four years as a stay-at-home mom, it served me well. Even though it was a lot of work to get them all dressed and ready to go, as soon as I got there it was always worth it. At that point I was at home with them all day long and it was a welcomed and needed break.

After my blog took off, I found myself at a point last fall when I wasn’t able to squeeze it all in during nap time or after bed time, so I started working part-time during the day. By the time I finished working, I didn’t really feel like being away from my kids for another couple hours, so I transitioned to working out at home. I would still take them to the gym on the weekends, but we started to feel like paying for a membership wasn’t the wisest investment amongst all the other expenses we had with little kids. At the same time, I wasn’t ready to give it up! I liked having a security blanket of sorts, I LOVED the ladies who took care of the kids at the childcare center, and I liked having a treadmill available for running.

Jake and I got to talking and crunching numbers, and decided we were going to start exploring what it would look like to have a home gym for me. We shopped all over. One of the biggest things we wanted to prioritize was the quality of the equipment. We knew that if it didn’t feel like the equipment at the gym, it would likely sit in a corner of our basement and collect dust. After shopping at every store under the sun and being fairly disappointed by the lack of quality, we ended up at 2nd Wind Exercise.

If you aren’t familiar with 2nd Wind, they have the top name brands of exercise equipment from entry level price points to full commercial gear. They have new, used, and refurbished equipment, making it possible to find just about anything you’re looking for at an affordable price point.

We stopped in at the Woodbury, MN store and I have to give them major props for putting up with our walking circus of a family. Matvin and Bob did a great job helping us entertain the kids while we checked out the equipment. After checking out a bunch of options, we decided to go with this treadmill, bench, free weights, and weight rack. I do mostly at home workout videos along with some cardio, so this stuff is exactly what I needed.

Like most of the staff at 2nd Wind, Martin is a certified personal trainer who worked in a commercial gym for years. He knew the equipment inside and out and was able to make the recommendations that were exactly what we were looking for. If you’re local, be sure to ask for Martin when you stop by!

Three days later, the 2nd Wind truck pulled into our driveway and it felt like Christmas! The guys were promptly on time, set everything up, and tested it all to make sure it worked. They answered any and all question I had, and were excellent to work with.

After having my equipment for a few weeks now, I’m wondering why I didn’t do this sooner. For any of you who are wanting to prioritize your health with a busy lifestyle, this is an awesome way to go. Here are my top 5 reasons I’m glad I have a home gym!

5 Reasons I’m Glad I Traded In My Gym Membership For A Home Gym

1. I’m saving a lot of time. I don’t have get the kids dressed, load them up in the car, buckle them in, drive to the gym, unbuckle them, bring them to the childcare center, pick them up from the childcare center, and repeat the process on the way home.

2. I can work out whenever I want. Ideally (although it doesn’t always happen this way), I get my workout in early in the morning when they are sleeping or during nap time. This is huge because since my husband travels a lot, it’s not easy for me to get outside for a run. Knowing that I have a treadmill and weights in my basement is extremely motivating for me and gets rid of any excuses I try to have.

3. I’m setting a good example for my kids. There are many days when we’re all hanging out in the home gym together. They’re my little cheerleaders! It took a little while for them to get use to me working out, but I’m able to explain to them that Mommy needs to take care of herself so that I can be the best Mommy I can be! As of late, they’ve become my accountability partners. “Mommy, you need to go work out!!!” 🙂

4. We got rid of a monthly payment. I was spending well over $100 a month to go to the gym with the kids, and now we don’t have to worry about that. Instead, we’ve invested in high quality equipment that we’ll have for years to come!

5. I don’t have to choose between working out and time with my kids. The biggest thing I hear from friends and readers on here is that they wish they could work out, but they simply don’t have the time. I love that I’ve found a solution that allows me to work out for 30 – 45 minutes a day. I’m in better shape now than when I was in high school, and it’s all because I’ve found a way to do it at home.

If you’re considering a home gym, I asked 2nd Wind to provide some key things to look for. Eric Waklee, who is the store manager and certified personal trainer at the Chanhassen store offered some extremely helpful advice!

I asked him what the main differences are in buying equipment from Wal-Mart, Sears, ect, versus 2nd Wind. I told him that I had noticed the quality was better. He said this,

“Yes, quality is a big indicator. However, it wont be just one component that gets better but it is a combination of components. Example: bearings in the rollers, thickness of the top coating on the running deck, thickness and longevity of the belt, quality of the motor (not just the horsepower), sturdiness of the frame, better cushioning, etc. A lot of times it’s more than just the specifications you see on paper. The better brands will make sure all the parts are made with higher quality components.

Also, it is the service behind the products. These are mechanical products and they will break down at some point. When that happens does the company have the service behind the product? Do you have to call a 1-800 number and sit on hold and then wait weeks for your product to be fixed? Or can you call a local store and talk to a real person that will get your machine up and running quickly?

We have been in business a long time and we are picky on the brands we choose to carry. We want to make sure the products we carry will match our reputation.

On top of that we provide free fitness advise to our customers. It can be frustrating when someone gets into a workout routine and they don’t see results. If that ever happens call or stop in our stores. Depending on what their goals are, and what they are currently doing, we can provide advise to help kick start their results again.”

If you’re looking for a treadmill specifically, here are the most popular options in the various price points!

Under $1000: Horizon T101

Under $2,000: Lifespan 4000i or Horizon T7 Elite

Under $3,000: Vision Fitness T40 Classic

Under $4,000: Life Fitness T5 Track

If you visit 2nd Wind, be sure to bring this discount code along, which 2nd Wind has provided exclusively for Mommy’s Me Time readers! Most of their stores are in the midwest (and Arizona), but right now they have a FREE SHIPPING sale going on online to celebrate their 24th Anniversary!

Last but not least, 2nd Wind is giving away a pair of these PowerBlocks adjustable weights! These are awesome because they save space and can be adjusted from 5 pounds to 50 pounds. This is $379 value! You must have a U.S. shipping address to enter. The giveaway will be open through Friday March 18th. I’ll update this post on Saturday announcing the winner!

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P.S. For more reflections on parenthood and life, follow us on Facebook (Hun Let’s Run) and on Instagram: @ambermariekuiper and @jakekuiper! We’d also love for you to subscribe to our Hun, Let’s Run Podcast! For more info about joining our fitness community as a customer or coach, please email us at amber@mommysmetime.com!