It’s not quite surprising to see many sports and fitness enthusiasts creating their own workout space in their home. Let’s be honest, this kind of project can end up being a bit costly, greatly affecting your budget. And if you just got your home through a deal with a mortgage lender and you move in, it only makes sense not to spend a huge amount of money on extra home improvement ideas or personal leisure.
Luckily for you, there’s a budget-friendly way of having your fitness area within your lot, and that is by repurposing your garden shed. This will allow you to have your own gym that is still detached from your living space, separating you from distractions or disturbances.
Here, we’ve compiled some simple tips on how you can turn your old garden shed into a fitness space without spending a lot.
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Check if your shed is suitable.
When it comes to transforming an old shed, factors such as size and location should be considered. Ideally, you need a space with enough floor space for a fitness studio, unless you want to do some costly extension. To start, determine how much floor space or storage you’ll need and if you can properly install good ventilation for the room. The shed should offer enough space, vertically and horizontally, ensuring you can perform all your workout routines with no hassle or feeling cramped.
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Choose the right flooring.
Another important thing to consider is the flooring of your fitness space. Consider what type of flooring is durable enough to handle the weights of your cardio or fitness equipment and other machines. One ideal option to consider is rubber floor tiles that are “place and click.” Shop around to find ones that are of good quality yet still within your budget. Alternatively, you can coat the floor with an epoxy-seal to give it additional protection. Still, it’s better to combine it with some foam or rubber floor cover.
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Install right ventilation and insulation.
Backyard or garden sheds can have plenty of outdoor smells, which typically come from the gasoline, paint, or fertilizers store in them. Before starting the construction, it’s advisable to fumigate the shed first, open the door and windows, and let the smell out. Since you’ll be using it as a workout space where you get all sweaty, the shed has the right ventilation and insulation systems installed. This is essential to ensure the proper temperature during the winter and summer months. You can consider getting an extractor fan or air vents to draw in cool air from the outside and let out warm air.
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Plan your gym setup.
Planning your setup is necessary if you want to maximize the space that you have. Only choose the equipment and machines that you can realistically fit into the room but still give you extra floor space to do your yoga forms and HIIT routines. Draft a building plan for storage solutions, particularly if you got plenty of equipment to keep, such as dumbbells, handheld ones, and other compact workout stuff. If you can, use the walls for storage so you can save some floor space.
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Repurpose everything you can.
You’ve already got your frustrating monthly expenses, so you definitely don’t want to spend more for leisure purposes. When decorating or setting up your fitness space, avoid buying new items or decors. Use what you have at home. Get those unused blinds on your basement for windows or that mirror behind your bedroom door that you barely use. Use your old curbside dresser as hanging storage for the gym, or find old artworks for decorations if you want.
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Buy used or refurbished equipment.
This may not be okay for some, but purchasing used or refurbished gym equipment can save you tons of money. You can check out used marketplaces like OfferUp, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or some local garage sales. You might also want to research the prices so you can get better deals. If you’re opting to get a second-hand machine, test it first before buying. Look for belts with excessive wear, make sure all buttons are working, and check for rust on metal components or fraying wires.
There you have it, easy and budget-friendly ways to create your very own fitness area in your home. With such a project, you don’t have to pay for expensive monthly gym memberships or gas for your car when going to the gym. The best part? You are saving plenty of money that you can use to pay for other essential things like loans or bills.
