How many times has your New Year’s Resolution for getting in shape fizzled after the first week? Many people get discouraged from the gym because it doesn't conveniently fit into their schedules. However, designing a personal gym in your home is a relatively easy way to bring fitness closer to you. Investing in a home gym can help maintain your health-conscious goals by removing the annoyance of commuting to the gym. Whether you're an aspiring gym rat or workout pro, a personal home gym might be your easy ticket to a six-pack. With some simple planning, your fitness dreams will be closer than ever before, literally.
Designing Your Home Gym
Start by evaluating your home. Building a home gym can be as simple or complex as your space allows. If you're hoping for a simple option, cordon off a section of your bedroom or basement to fill with equipment. Obviously, the more equipment you'd like, the more space you'll need. If you've decided on a partial room setup, posters or paintings can help set your exercise area apart from the rest of the area. If you've chosen an entire room for fitness, consider partitioning off a piece of the basement. Basements are ideal locations for home gyms because they are independent from the rest of the house and stay cool year-round. Painting the walls a muted blue or gray will help keep you focused while working out. For music lovers, a surround sound system can be the added luxury you need for workout motivation. If you’re concerned about generating too much noise, use rubber matting on the floors and walls. Many gyms commonly utilize this approach.
The Best Home Gym Equipment
You may think your workout expertise should determine the amount of equipment you put in your home gym. While your fitness level certainly plays a role for your home gym's equipment, the most important factor of information when selecting machines for your workout space is its size. A two-car garage refitted as a home gym will hold far more than a spare bedroom. If you’re working with half a room, space will be even more limited. In a small space, it’s best to stick to compact, multi-function equipment. In most cases, these will be barbells, a power rack, and a bench. Barbells come in two styles. For light lifting, stock your gym with a set of standard barbells. Experienced lifters will need Olympic barbells if they want to lift more than 200 pounds.
Finishing Touches
Any home gym, whether large or small, can benefit from some stylish finishing touches. Consider including a mini-fridge for workout refreshments. Adding a flat screen TV will let you catch up on sports and news while you train. If you have the space, some seating will provide an area for a training buddy to wait their turn. You can even create a small section for your children or pets to get active in as well. The options are limitless!
Building a home gym isn’t a lofty task as one may think. Simply evaluate your home and determine which room is best to house your new fitness center. Now, your fitness New Year’s Resolutions are more achievable than ever before! With the ease of a gym in your house, there really is no excuse.
