What are the pros and cons of 24-hour gyms?

Getting a gym membership is a great investment in your health and well-being – but only if you actually use it.

Unfortunately, many people start well, by going to the gym several times a week, and then find that they struggle to fit a proper workout into their daily routine. Once you factor in work, home responsibilities and a social life, often the only free time they have to go to the gym when it’s closed, resulting in a lack of motivation and a slow dwindling of any fitness routine.

Enter 24-hour gyms: a chance to fit in your workout when it suits you.

Sounds good – but are there any downsides to this modern exercise offering?

In this post, we’ll run through some pros and cons of 24-hour gyms for members.

Pros OF 24-HOUR GYMS

Workout when it suits you

Arguably the biggest selling point of a 24-hour gym is the fact that you can work out when it suits you. Some traditional gyms open at 6 am and close at 8 pm, and whilst that might seem like a lot of open hours on paper, it doesn’t suit people who do shift work, or have caring responsibilities that make it hard to get to the gym during regular hours.

Additionally, it means that you can fit in your workout around your own sleeping schedule –no more getting up early to work out if you’d rather be pumping iron at midnight. Or, if you prefer to get a headstart on your day, you can wake yourself up on the treadmill at 5 a.m. –without having to run in the dark and wet.

Choose your atmosphere

Do you find that the buzz of the gym motivates you to push yourself harder? Or do you prefer a quiet atmosphere, with no wait for the weights and no one running next to you? A 24-hour gym allows you more control over your workout time, so if you have a strong preference either way, you can make things as busy or as quiet as you like.

The longer opening hours can also reduce the rush at normal peak periods, like immediately before work and after work, as people naturally stagger their workouts around their other commitments.

Avoid the traffic

Do you hate getting stuck in rush hour traffic and fighting for a spot in the gym car park? Whilst it would be ideal for us to all walk to the gym, most people drive for speed, convenience and to avoid the cold and wet in the winter months. But shorter opening times mean a before and after work rush at the gym, – and road rage is not conducive to a good workout or a calm start to your day. A 24-hour gym means that you have the choice to skip the queues and go to the gym when the traffic is a little less chaotic. Especially for city or busy town gym-goers, this can be invaluable.

Get more from your gym membership

If you’re someone who gets frustrated that they can’t find the time to fit in a workout, a gym with longer opening hours could be just the solution. With a 24-hour gym, there’s nothing holding you back apart from your motivation and scheduling – you have far more freedom.

Also, if you find that you typically arrive at the gym close to closing, it can feel like you need to rush through your exercise routine to get out in time. With a 24-hour gym, there’s no need to finish before you’re ready.

Cons

Safety

Whilst most gyms are fully equipped with video surveillance both in the gym and in the car park, some people may prefer to use them when there are other people around. Especially if you like to work out in small hours, there’s a real chance that you’ll be the only person in the gym, and you’ll be alone when walking to your car.

If this concerns you, look for a 24-hour gym that is staffed overnight – some companies operate in shifts so that there is always someone around, even if you need to press a bell to get their attention. A gym that is operated with a keycard can be highly convenient and less costly, but you’ll need to accept the fact that you may be working out alone at times.

In this case, make sure you fully understand how all the equipment works so you reduce the chance of injuring yourself. Whilst there will be a virtual response service keeping an eye on things from afar, the reaction will not be as quick as if someone were sitting at the reception desk.

Cleaning

If you’re usually a morning gym goer, you might notice that everything looks sparkling clean when you turn up for your workout – that’s because the cleaning team has been in overnight, preparing things for the next day. Water spillages will have been mopped, equipment wiped down and bins emptied.

In a 24-hour gym, the chances are that there may be cleaning teams in throughout the day, or in the quieter periods such as late at night. Whilst they shouldn’t get in your way, you may find that some equipment is temporarily unavailable while it’s cleaned, so you’ll need to be more flexible with your routine.

Motivation to go at night

For those gym members who struggle to fit a workout into their daily routine, a 24-hour gym can open up a world of options. However, the fact still remains that you’ll need to motivate yourself to go to the gym – regardless of whether the sofa or your bed is calling. It can be hard to get yourself out of the door on dark winter nights, and a 24-hour gym only gives you the opportunity to exercise, you still have to make the decision to commit.

The freedom to choose

The main benefit of a 24-hour gym membership is that it gives you far more freedom than a regular gym, but it’s not right for everyone. They can be more expensive, so carefully consider if you’ll actually make use of the benefits before swapping over.