Even if you’re a regular at your local gym, having some equipment to use at home too just makes good sense. If you’re running late and can’t get to the gym, you know it’s going to be very busy when you get there or you just fancy a workout but don’t want the hassle of leaving the house then you can get in some extra exercise which would have otherwise been missed. If you have a spare room in your home, turning it into a gym instead of allowing it to be wasted space also means you’re making the best of your property. Here are some things to consider when setting up your home gym.
Prep The Space
Before you put together your home gym and start moving in heavy equipment, it makes sense to prep the space first. Clear out the room, give it a clean and a coat of paint. A light neutral will make it look bigger and brighter. You could put down some soundproof floor covering so you don’t sound like you’re coming through the ceiling when you do your exercise! From there, you can start putting items in your gym.
Weights
Resistance training is beneficial for both men and women. Lean muscle helps to sculpt and tone the body, allows you to burn more calories at rest and give your body the strength it needs to perform cardio activities. For this reason, weights should feature in any home gym. It could be a simple stack of dumbbells, or a full weights bench. It could be a weighted vest, or ankle and wrist strap weights which allow you to bump up your bodyweight exercises. So if you’re already very fit, you can still do simple home exercises and get the benefits from them.
Machines
Choose exercise machines that you actually enjoy and will use. You don’t need to kit out your home gym with everything, you will end up wasting money if it doesn’t get used. It could be a cross trainers, rowing machine, exercise bike, treadmill, stair climber. This is likely to be the most expensive piece of equipment in your gym so do your research and choose a model that suits you and your budget.
Extras
Stretching is an important part of any workout, so space to stretch out and a good yoga mat are useful in your home gym. Another thing you could do is mount a tv on the wall like they do in public gyms. That way you could follow the insanity fit test dvd, an online workout or just watch the music channels while you workout. You could use a games console which has fitness games included or a dance mat for a fun extra touch in your home gym. You could set up a punching bag- even something like a hula hoop and skipping rope provides incredible health benefits and so are things you could include.
Make your home gym personal to you, you can achieve your goals in privacy and in the most convenient way.
Do you have a gym at home?
