If you’re one of those people who love and appreciate their workout sessions but can’t take the time or simply dislike going to the gym, there’s a simple solution to your problem. With the advice you can find online, as well as the machines and other equipment available for purchase, creating a home gym has never been easier. Plus, you can create a gym that will fit your needs perfectly. However, there are some things to consider before you start. Take a look at them.
Choosing the space
Before doing anything else, it’s important to find adequate space in your home for setting up a gym. Some people have a spare room they can clear up and use, others have a garage or a patio, but there are those people whose home isn’t that big and who don’t have the extra room for this purpose. Not even this is a problem.
If nothing else, you can use a part of your living room or bedroom and make a gym out of it. Just make sure that the place you choose offers plenty of light, good air conditioning and enough space for you to move. There should be as little furniture around it as possible, in order to avoid injury.
Preparing the space
Once you choose the best possible space, you have to make it suitable for a gym. This means several things. First, the flooring should be protective, so that you don’t damage your property or the equipment that you buy, but also to create some sort of soundproofing. Consider foam flooring, which is endurable, but for a reasonable price.
Second, space needs to be well ventilated. While exercising, you’ll breathe faster and more deeply, so the air you breathe should be fresh. This is why it would be smart to invest in a big enough HEPA air purifier for the size of your home gym space. This is important since an air purifier with a filter that’s too small won’t do its job well, and your goal is to have air filtered of any particles that could harm your respiratory system. You can add some plants as an addition to your air purifier, as well as a good sound system, to make exercising more fun with some music.
Getting exercise machines for your home gym
After getting your space ready, you can start thinking about the equipment you want to use. Of course, first, you have to set your fitness goals. There are different machines for different types of exercises, so it could be useful to talk to an experienced trainer. Tell them what you want to achieve with your workout and have them show you what exercises to do and what machines you’ll need.
For example, an exercise bike or a treadmill is great for a cardio workout, a multi-gym consisting of different weights and levers will help those who want to build up strength while improving your flexibility doesn’t really require a special machine. The things you’ll have to take into account are your budget and the size of the space you can use for your gym. This means that you might have to choose between machines. In case this happens, opt for the most useful ones, the ones that you can do a variety of exercises on, or the ones which will take up less space.
Saving money and space
Expensive machines aren’t the only way to equip your home gym. There are always those exercises that don’t require any equipment, as well as those that you can do with minimal investments. Instead of buying big and expensive machines that will take up your precious space, there are many routines you can follow with things like dumbbells, jump ropes and resistance bands. You can do wonders with simple low-cost equipment, such as an exercise mat and a balancing ball. Don’t forget to get a shelf or find another kind of storage solution for your equipment.
When everything is organized, you can make better use of the space you have, since the most important thing you should get from that space is the ability to move freely without bumping into things. Also, hanging mirrors around your home gym will visually add to its size, enhance your lighting and allow you to observe yourself while working out, lowering your chance of doing your exercises in a wrong way and hurting yourself.
The final piece of advice would be to exercise in your home gym regularly. Investing your time and money into something you won’t really use doesn’t make much sense. Plus, working out has so many benefits that, once you have a home gym, you don’t have an excuse for not using it.