Getting out of bed and going to the gym can be half the fight when it comes to getting in shape. Building your own home gym would be an excellent solution to this problem; you could roll out of bed, put on your gym clothes, do your workout, and then shower before continuing with the rest of your day. Not only that, but home gyms allow for unlimited exercises.
It might seem to be a luxury, but considering that a gym membership can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per year, you can enjoy all of the benefits of fitness equipment anytime you want with a little careful planning. You may be able to fit a gym into your home by repurposing a garage or spare room, or you may need to expand or remodel your home to accommodate the space.
It is more than possible to build the ideal gym in the comfort of your own home, regardless of how you go about it. The following are some things to think about:
Think about where you are going to put your home gym
Of course, this is dependent on the amount of room you have. If it is your little first-floor spare room, you will have to work around any constraints it imposes. Your gym should ideally be located on the ground floor for the following reasons:
- Gym equipment is heavy, so the less stress it puts on your ceilings, the better unless you are willing to bring in additional support.
- It is not necessary to carry heavy workout equipment up the stairs.
- You will not need to worry about soundproofing because a treadmill upstairs can be very loud for someone sitting downstairs.
- If you want to use the equipment early in the morning or late at night while the rest of your household is asleep, you can.
A garage is often the go-to room for converting to a personal gym. It is quite often a space in a house that is not used to its full potential, so what better way of using it than for a gym? However, it is important to be aware that garages can be prone to extreme changes in temperature, getting very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer, which could make working out very uncomfortable, as well as potentially cause damage to your equipment. Depending on where you live, you may need to install heating or air conditioning, and if the garage is damp, find ways of protecting your gym equipment from rusting.
Is the flooring suitable?
The flooring needs to be safe and suitable for your equipment.Do you want porcelain tiled floors in a space where you are likely to sweat and be swigging from bottles of water, and potentially dropping dumbbells and weightlifting equipment? No, you aren’t. You need to make sure the surface is easy to keep clean, comfortable to work out on and moost importantly, be safe.
Exercise mats that can be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle are useful if you need to switch them around or if you only need them for a short time, such as if you still use your garage space as a garage, not only a gym. They are also much easier to pick up and carry than dedicated flooring mats, which can be thick, uncomfortable, and very rough on your fingertips to lift and stack.
How will you store all of your equipment?
One thing you will not in your home gym is clutter and mess. Not only does it look very unsightly, but it can be dangerous if there are weights and bars and ropes lying around. You need to figure out a safe way of storing all of these things, especially if the room is multi-functional, while making sure that are easy to access at the same time. After all, if you have dig through lots of things to get at them, the chances are you are not going to bother.
How much space will you need?
Each piece of equipment would require approximately two square meters of space, as well as enough space to move about it. Some equipment will need more. If space is small, choose equipment that serves several purposes, such as a jumping bench.
Buying the gym equipment
This can often be the sticking point for people looking for at-home gym equipment – it is far from cheap. Generally, you have three different options available to you when it comes to obtaining gym equipment.
- Buying used/second-hand
Checking Facebook Marketplace and places like Craigslist and eBay are good places to start; you may get lucky and find high-quality products being sold by people with whom you might even have a personal relationship. It is also worth talking to local gyms; they sometimes have a hard time getting rid of old equipment after they have replaced it. Of course, it is important to check it all out thoroughly to make sure there are no defects that would make it unsafe or unsuitable to use at home.
- Build your own
Pretty good at DIY and putting things together? Why not build your own equipment? This can be especially good if you are creating an outdoor gym.
- Buying new
Obviously, this is going to be the most expensive option of all but you are more likely to have a warranty to cover any problems that occur and you know you are going to get a decent and safe piece of equipment.
Building a gym at home can be as simple or as complicated as you want, depending on your needs and wants. Sometimes, it is better to start off with the basics and build up as you go along, adding and taking away things as you see fit. However, you do it, being able to roll out of bed and into your own gym space is something that most of us dream of.
How much space will you need?
Each piece of equipment would require approximately two square meters of space, as well as enough space to move about it. Some equipment will need more. If space is small, choose equipment that serves several purposes, such as a jumping bench. Other ways to save space (and money!) include investing in adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, and a rope trainer. Resistance bands and rope trainers are also great for traveling, as you can throw them into your suitcase without taking up much space or exceeding weight limits on checked luggage.
