Creating a home gym doesn’t have to break the bank and is something that can be grown and developed over time as you become more confident with exercises or regimes. When it comes to starting a home gym, knowing where to begin can be overwhelming with so many quality pieces of equipment to choose from and the logic of trying to fit them all into the space you have available.
Planning Your Home Gym
Fortunately, a home gym doesn’t need to contain one of everything you’d find in a professional gym and you can concentrate on the equipment that’ll support your overall fitness journey.
This could include one bulky piece of advanced kit with facility to track your calories, distance and heart rate such as an exercise bike, stepper machines or treadmill and supporting equipment including a selection of weighted dumbbells, a skipping rope and a yoga or floor mat for stretching comfortably. The smaller items can be packed away tidily and most quality exercise machinery folds down to a smaller footprint, allowing you to regain some floor space.
To get started with planning your home gym, first assess the space you have available. Is it going to be practical to leave your gym equipment accessible around the clock somewhere it isn’t likely to create a hazard, such as a spare room or corner of the garage. Alternatively, will you still need to use the space intermittently and need to build storage ideas into your plan so you can tidy your area once your work-out is complete? Before you purchase any equipment, make sure to plan your space accordingly and avoid going overboard which can clutter your home and demotivate you.
Purchasing Equipment
Equipment doesn’t have to be brand new out of the box and there are plenty of cost-effective second-hand or refurbished exercise equipment available that can save you some money while still meeting your work-out needs. There are experienced equipment suppliers that offer refurbished equipment complete with warranties for your piece of mind and support and stock spares and replacement parts should you need to maintain your equipment.
Make sure to set a budget and keep a running total before you start stocking your home gym, taking a look at the average cost of quality equipment and any extras you need such as towels or a first aid kit. This will ensure you don’t spend more than you intended to, especially if you are purchasing your equipment in different places or at different times.
Maintaining Equipment
As with any equipment, it needs to be regularly maintained to ensure it works safely for the user and isn’t at risk of causing injury or harm. This includes greasing or oiling any moving parts, cleaning all parts to remove dust or debris and cleaning down equipment after use to prevent mould or mildew growth.
Another important safety aspect of moving or powered equipment is to carefully check and tighten all loose nuts and bolts. The equipment vibrates rapidly with use and as a result, these fastenings can become loose over time and should be checked weekly to ensure the equipment is safe to use. Similarly, any bands used on resistance machines should be regularly checked for weaknesses or fraying, replacing where necessary to prevent injury from snapping or breakages.
Finishing Touches
Gyms are specially designed to be places of fitness motivation. Why not customise your work-out area to increase your personal motivation? You could hang a weight-tracking chart, a record of tracking calories burned in each session, the distance you’ve travelled in each session or motivational posters with encouraging statements and images from your gym-heroes to help keep you driven and focused. You’ll also make sure you’ve got plenty of natural light and a hard-wearing floor surface to make your gym area safer and more enjoyable to be in.
The joys of a home gym are self-explanatory and sometimes, it’s nice to have a dedicated area to escape and spend time in by yourself. Avoid stressing over creating your own ‘perfect’ home gym straight away, start small and build your exercise area up into somewhere you would be proud to invite friends or family to join and most importantly, enjoy your home gym space!
Image Credits
Creating a Home Gym 1
Shutterstock – Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1497529373
By Gorodenkoff
Creating a Home Gym 2
Shutterstock – Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1263094009
By Patnaree Asavacharanitich
