Setting up a gym in your home could have lots of benefits. It could allow you to work out from the comfort of your home, reducing the need to pay a gym membership and preventing you from having to exercise around other people. You can also exercise whenever you want. Below are just five important tips for setting up the ultimate home gym.
Consider your exercise goals
The type of equipment you need will depend entirely on your exercise goals. If strength training is your goal, you probably don’t need a treadmill. Use your home gym as an opportunity to cater to your unique exercise preferences.
Consider whether specialist equipment is necessary. For instance, if you’re training to be a professional weight lifter, it could be worth splashing out on an Olympic barbell and bumper plates. If you’re creating a space for casual training then you probably don’t need to splurge on expensive top-of-the-range equipment (for those on a budget, you can usually grab some great bargains by opting for used equipment).
Invest in space-efficient equipment
It’s likely you’ll be strapped for space. Your home gym may even be within another room such as a living room or a home office. If this is the case, it could be worth focusing on space-saving equipment.
A cable machine could be a versatile option if you’ve only got space for one large piece of equipment. You could also consider fold-away equipment such as fold-away exercise bikes and fold-away rowing machines – these could be stored away in a cupboard or corner when not in use. You could also consider small equipment such as dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells and resistance bands. Such equipment is suitable for any type of space.
Protect your floor
It could also be worth taking measures to protect your flooring. Laying down some rubber mats could help to stop flooring getting damaged by equipment. Such mats could also help to reduce sounds so that the neighbours don’t get annoyed, as well as preventing slipping on laminate wood or tile flooring. You can buy floor mats online very cheaply.
Keep it cool
You may also want to consider the temperature of your home gym. Finding ways to keep it cool could help to make your workouts more comfortable. This could include adding fans or installing an air conditioning unit (there are cheap portable air conditioning units that you can buy, if you don’t want to install a unit)..
Provide some entertainment
You could also consider ways to entertain yourself while working out to keep yourself motivated. This could include installing a TV in your home gym so that you can work out while catching up on your favourite shows. Alternatively, you may prefer to work out to music – you could set up some surround sound speakers to keep you motivated or buy a smart speaker that can allow you to choose your tunes via voice command.