Throughout most of last year, I’d been struggling with motivation when it came to getting exercise. I’d always been in pretty decent shape in high school and college, but a couple years out of school without the perk of a free gym membership that came with campus life had started to take its toll on me.

One of my main issues was that I never could be convinced that a gym membership would be worth it. But in December, I finally bit the bullet and joined the local fitness center, and I have to say that it has been worth every penny, at least for me.

First of all, the fact that I was paying for a membership actually forced me to get up off the couch and go work out. Maybe guilt shouldn’t be your primary motivation when working out, but hey, it worked for me. I knew I was wasting money if I skipped a workout, so that motivated me to get myself up and to the gym. It soon became a daily habit opposed to a major inconvenience.

Second, there is simply a much wider variety of equipment available at a gym than what most people have in their home. Full free weight sets, numerous weight machines, cardio machines such as treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, and much more. You can likely give yourself a much better workout with the equipment available at a gym than what you have in your own home. You’ll also save space in your home since you won’t have a lot of exercise equipment around.

Third, there are trainers available to help you customize a workout to fit your goals. Whether you’re looking to beef up, slim down, or just add a bit of tone, people are available to give you the advice you need, both for the workout and for your lifestyle. They also have classes for you to take as well, in varying degrees of intensity.

While I still struggle with motivation at times, buying a gym membership has been absolutely worth it for me. Rather than using the price of a membership as an excuse, I’ve made sure to get the most out of my money while I’ve had it.

So if you, like me, have ever wondered whether it’s worth it, I’d suggest heading over to some of the gyms in your area and checking out what they have to offer. You might find that getting a membership is worth it for you as well!