It’s a given that in this day and age, exercise should be an essential part of everyone’s daily routine to maintain health and body shape. However, with the hectic lives people lead nowadays, it feels like a huge hassle to add going to the gym to their to-do list. Well, what if you can have the gym right in the comfort of your home? Having a home gym is a great way to push yourself to exercise regularly without the financial strain of a gym membership or the time wasted. If you’re starting one, here are some tips to help you out.
1. Plan It Out
Starting a gym at home is a big decision that has several factors you need to consider. First, determine your fitness needs and what you aim to gain out of training at home; this will help you figure out which equipment you should get instead of getting things that don’t serve your training purpose. You also need to consider who will be using this gym to give you insight into how much equipment to include.
2. Choose The Right Space
Where you choose to build your home gym is an important aspect to think about carefully before clearing out a room or tearing down walls. Some of the common spaces for a great home gym are the garage, basement, spare room, patio, annexes, side rooms, or garden buildings. The most important thing is to choose a space with good ventilation and is large enough to fit the equipment you plan to have. If you don’t have the space luxury, just work with what you have by adjusting your workout to include less large equipment.
3. Design Matters
You might think that all you need is a space and a few pieces of equipment cramped together to have yourself a home gym. However, putting thought into the way you design your home gym is essential for an efficient space to work out. For example, you must ensure that there is enough light to avoid poor vision leading to unfortunate accidents. You should also have a large mirror not only to make the place look less confined but also to help you watch your workout form. Don’t forget to also cover up the floor with gym flooring for a soft landing if you happen to fall.
4. Get The Essentials
It’s finally the exciting part; stocking up your home gym. You already know by now what equipment you’ll get for your specific fitness goals. However, some essentials need to be in any home gym. They are cardio equipment, recovery equipment, and strengthening equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands, and a leg press machine for the much-dreaded leg day. Since leg day is an essential yet difficult part of weekly workouts, encourage yourself not to skip it with a squat press machine or sissy squat machines to help you perform squats easily and safely while protecting your knees.
5. Have A Storage System
Whether you have a large or small space, you need a storage plan for all your equipment. Get yourself a storage container that will fit under a bed or couch that can hold your yoga mat, resistance bands, sliders, and other small pieces. For heavier items like your dumbbells, consider installing a compact weight rack. If your equipment is far more than expected, take it to the next level with a mass storage corner shelf that will support anything from weight plates, kettlebells, slam balls to medicine balls.
6. Make It Your Own
Ultimately, when it comes to starting a home gym, it’s your own space, so make it feel that way. Try to make your home gym as inviting and exciting as possible to get you pumped to work out each day. Choose bright colors that get your blood pumping, plaster some encouraging quotes on the walls, or you can put pictures of your body goals for more inspiration. If you love listening to music during workouts, invest in a high-quality sound system and bust out some energetic tunes.
image © Maryjoy Caballero
That’s pretty much all there is to start your own gym at home; just some thorough planning, a suitable space, and the right equipment. The rest comes along during the process as you advance and discover things you need or things you can pass on. The most important part is to set yourself a budget for this venture and not to break the bank. It would be best to put some time and effort into researching equipment to make sure they last you a while.
