Making the decision to start exercising is easy. It gets more complicated when you actually have to do it, the first question being: Where are you going to exercise? It's easy to join a gym, of course, but it's also easy to pay for that membership while never using it.

It's also easy to set up a home gym and, of course, even easier to find a hundred other things more important than your workout—laundry, playing a game on your phone, cleaning the lint from behind your dryer, etc.

Whichever you decide, to be successful, you have to actually follow through and part of that is working out in the environment that fits your needs and budget the most.

Working out at home means eliminating obstacles like commuting, finding gym attire, and the restraint of operating hours. But working out at the gym provides fewer distractions, a sense of community, access to more equipment like weights and cardio machines, not to mention classes. 

Exercise can be so much easier when you have lots of options to choose from. If you're a cardio machine person, your choices at the gym abound: the treadmill, elliptical, stairclimber, stair stepper, stationary bike, rowing machine...it goes on and on. You also have options for lifting weights. You have machines, free weights, cable machines, bands, and more.Another big attraction is fitness classes. Sure, you can do online classes at home, but it's not the same as going to the gym and being around people. There may be other offerings, too, like a pool, hot tub, tennis courts, etc.There's something about being in a gym,sweating along with everyone else, that gives you a boost. We often draw energy from others and it can even push you to work harder. You don't want that guy next to you running faster than you, right? There's not much to do at the gym but exercise, which can help you stay focused on your workouts. There are no chores staring you in the face, no kids interrupting you, and nothing to tempt you away from your workouts.Paying for a gym membership can be motivating,but there's also the boost you get from working out around other people. You can pick up on that friendly competitive vibe that you won't get working out alone.