Home gyms are the way to go if you enjoy exercise but do not enjoy having to drive to a dedicated gym.The pandemic has made it clear that people are a lot less dedicated to ensuring personal hygiene and following sanitation protocols than you would hope. A gym requires you to touch many surfaces that others have touched and sweated on. That said, a home gym sounds like the best alternative for a safe and sanitized exercise experience.
In addition, having to drive to a secondary location after work or on the weekend may be a hassle. You would be paying a monthly subscription fee and not even getting to use the gym equipment enough to justify the cost. It would be cheaper long-term to invest in a home gym than keep supporting your local gym with what amounts to a donation at this point
Be sure to talk to the right people when planning the gym. You need to select the right room with plenty of ventilation and consult a flooring store to choose the best material for the wear and tear of repetitive exercising. It will turn out to be one of the most rewarding home improvements you can make to your home. Your family can exercise together and you can impart the importance of fitness and proper nutrition to your children from a young age.
Set a Budget
Do your research before putting together a budget for your home gym. Find out how much new equipment costs versus used equipment. Explore many alternatives like trading apps and Facebook marketplace or Craigslist to see if you can get a good deal for a reasonable price. Sometimes people sell good equipment that has been unused for a long time simply because they never got around to exercising.
Add in the price of renovations to the room that will become the home gym and make sure that you can pay the costs off within a short period. The idea is to save money on gym costs and commuting so your costs to build a home gym should not require you to go make a big sacrifice to your daily lifestyle.
Start Small
This is especially important if you are unaccustomed to exercising at home. Your first exercises should be something that is enjoyable so that you can get into the mindset that exercise is fun and not a chore. Get yourself a step platform so you can follow aerobic classes from YouTube videos. A gym stick is a cheap investment that will accrue great exercise rewards in terms of calories and workout effectiveness. They are relatively easy to use and can be used to recreate Pilates exercises in your home gym.
A set of used weights will also help you to learn how to do basic strength exercises and learn how to lift correctly before you get heavier equipment. It is very important that you learn how to do the movements correctly as you can hurt yourself quite badly on a heavy exercise machine if you do not have the proper form.
Focus on Decor
This might seem an odd area to focus on for a home gym but it is actually one of the most important parts of the exercise. Motivation is very internal, and we need to understand how to help ourselves find it. You need to understand what drives you. If you enjoy exercise for the way it relieves your anxiety, then your brain may respond better to soothing colors on the walls of the home gym. A naturally laid-back person may benefit from bright reds and oranges as well as posters of people in action poses.
Some people are motivated to exercise in a space that has a lot of motivational quotes and upbeat music. Look for songs with beats so that you can do the exercise in the same rhythm. This will make it more fun and allow you to increase the repetitions and enjoy the way it pushes your limits.
The amount of comfort you feel in your home gym is directly proportional to the amount of time you will spend inside it. Remember that your comfort levels differ from other people’s. So avoid following the exact instructions in a YouTube video or a fitness instructor’s blog. Try to recall the days you enjoyed exercising the most at your gym and note down what the temperature of the room and the lighting situation were like.
You may find that you enjoy LED lights that project a warm glow of light more than a fluorescent lit room. Some people also install an air conditioner in the home gym because they can do more exercise in a cooler environment. Others may receive the same benefits from a dedicated space heater making the home gym feel cozy and welcoming.
