If you are one of those people who have missed out on gym appointments in the past few months, don’t beat yourself up about it because you are not alone. This has been quite a common occurrence as protocols have been put in place for physical establishments such as gyms, making it difficult to schedule a visit as operating hours are shorted and capacity is limited.
However, this is not a reason to skip on your fitness routine, either. One good alternative to a gym membership is having your own personal gym in the comfort of your home, and it can bring you a lot more benefits than you may realize.
A home gym may seem like a big investment u, but you would end up saving money in the long term compared to paying monthly gym membership fees. You can also enjoy more convenience and efficiency since you cut down on the travel time to the gym, plus you don’t need to pack a bag for your gear.
Setting up a home gym is much simpler than it sounds, as long as you have great resources. To help you achieve the gym that works best for you, here are a few tips to guide you when you start planning:
1. Identify Your Working Area
Before you start shopping for equipment, you should first secure a space inside your home which can be converted into a gym. It is best to find an area that can be set aside for the long term because it would be difficult to keep moving your equipment once you have settled them down.
Measure the available space in your target gym area and estimate how many pieces of equipment it can accommodate comfortably. An ideal size would be 5 meters x 4 meters to give you enough space to move around even with all the equipment in place, considering the stretches and floor exercises that you would be doing. But if you have a limited budget and don’t plan to bring in the bigger gym equipment in the near future, you may consider securing a smaller space instead.
2. Prep Up Your Gym
The next step is to prepare the space for a gym setup. Keep in mind that most gym equipment is made of metal and may cause some scratch marks on the floor and walls. Prevent this from happening by adding a layer of protection on your surfaces. Rubber mats or rubber padding would keep the metal weights and bars from scraping the paint off your walls.
Check if you have enough insulation for winter and ample ventilation for summer. Check the windows for proper enclosures and try to have air vents installed if you can squeeze them in your budget.
3. List Down the Basics
You don’t need to equip your home gym with all the equipment that you see in your previous membership gym, because you would most likely not be able to use most of them all the time. Narrow down your choices to the items that you use regularly, and those that you need for your particular fitness regimen.
It would be a good idea to start with compact and multipurpose equipment like adjustable weights and benches, or all-in-one workout machines to maximize both your money and your space. If you have a limited budget, you can start with simple items, like a yoga mat, kettlebells, or resistance bands. If you are into cardio, you can first focus on classic exercises like push-ups or squats and lunges, and then gradually add on more equipment as you go along.
Movable equipment has to be placed apart from each other, so the parts won’t be hitting on other surfaces while they are in use as this could damage the materials. Make sure to leave enough space for floor exercises as well as a few cabinets for storage.
4. Make It Motivational
When your gym is just a few steps away from the bedroom, it can be really tempting to just skip the workout and stay in bed. Avoid falling into this loophole by creating a new workout routine that is customized to your schedule and the available materials that you have managed to acquire for your home gym. As you add more equipment in the future, you can also gradually adjust your routine accordingly.
Give yourself a bit more motivation to do your workout by making sure your gym provides an environment that you would want to spend time in. Surround yourself with colors that you find attractive and paint them on the walls or shelves. Allocate a corner for breaks in between and place a comfortable couch or recliner.
If you are the type who gets a high from visual stimulation, hang up a few posters of motivational quotes or photos of fitness workouts or gurus that you admire. You may also want to level up the decoration by adding full-length mirrors and an entertainment system to keep you engaged when doing your workouts.