It can be difficult to find a balance between physical fitness and the stresses of daily life. Many people find that they simply don’t have the time to trek to and from a gym. For this reason, many homes across the United States now feature a home gym. A home gym allows an individual to achieve their fitness goals without ever leaving the comfort of their own house. Though home gyms are incredibly beneficial, some people find the task of building their own a bit daunting. To help you through the renovation process and design the gym of your dreams, we compiled a list of six helpful tips for building your home gym.

Create a budget

The first, and perhaps most important, tip for building your home gym is to establish a budget. This step may seem inconsequential, but it will ensure you don’t break the bank when designing your dream gym. A good way to determine the budget for your own home gym is to calculate the cost you would typically pay for an annual gym membership fee. You will be better able to see how much money you are saving by working out at home and will be able to create a more realistic budget as a result. Bear in mind that as your fitness goals change, your home gym will also need to evolve. Keep these future changes in mind when building your budget. This way, you’ll start on the right foot and stay on budget throughout any future additions to your home gym.

Select a space

You must select a space that suits your individual fitness goals and the exercises you’ll be doing. While you can build a new addition to your house to accommodate a home gym, many people prefer to simply use the space already available. Choose a room that will allow for adequate space between equipment and the safe completion of all exercises. You may also want to consider the location of the room in the home and how the sound will travel through to the rest of the house. Some floor exercises, particularly those which involve jumping or bouncing medicine balls, can be quite loud. If you choose to set up your gym on the second floor of your house, these sounds can become amplified and resonate throughout the entire home. For this reason, many people choose to build their home gym on a lower level of their home or in a basement. This will dampen the sound in these areas and you will be able to conduct your exercises in peace and quiet.

Start small

When building your home gym, it can be easy to fall into a trap where your eyes are bigger than your stomach. That is to say, many people purchase an abundance of different exercise equipment, only to use it once and then let it lay dormant forevermore. Instead of overcommitting and stocking your home gym with equipment that you won’t use, start by purchasing a few basic items. Over time, you can continue to build your gym to include more equipment. When selecting your starter equipment, try to choose items that complement a specific fitness goal. This will help you narrow down your selection and limit your purchases to only those which are truly necessary. As your fitness goals evolve and you become more confident in your abilities, you can purchase additional equipment to add to your home gym. This will keep your fitness goals on track, your home gym from becoming too overcrowded, and your budget intact.

Personalize the space

The best part about building a home gym is that you can create a space that reflects your personal workout goals and preferences. Consider incorporating elements that reflect your personal style. This will help make your home gym a more comfortable space and will encourage you to work out more often. Further, choose pieces of equipment that reflect your individual exercise goals. This is a great way to make your home gym feel more personal and private. When you feel comfortable in your workout space, you’ll feel more motivated to exercise regularly. Your personalized home gym may even begin to feel like a sanctuary, providing you with a peaceful reprieve from the stresses of daily life. Additionally, include a television or music system to personalize your home gym and add a bit of fun to your daily workout.

Prioritize safety

Safety is of the utmost importance during any workout. Building your home gym in a way that allows for the safest completion of all exercises, therefore, is crucial. Adequate space between equipment will reduce the risk of accidents or injury when operating the machines. The user manual will typically provide a recommendation for how much free space should surround the machine. Larger equipment, such as a treadmill, will require a wider berth, while smaller pieces of equipment will require much less space. It is also important to consider your physical limitations when building a safe home gym. If you experience pain in your knees, for instance, you may want to consider laying rubber mats on the floor. This will help soften the impact on your joints while exercising and will reduce the risk of injury in the long run.

Add finishing touches

Once you select the larger items for your home gym, you can start adding the finishing touches. It can be easy to overlook these smaller elements, such as storage or lighting, but they are important nonetheless. One of the most common finishing touches is the addition of a mirror. This may seem silly or vain, but a mirror can make the space appear larger. Plus, it will help you stay on track with your fitness goals, as it will allow you to monitor your form during various exercises.

When searching for home gym equipment suppliers to help outfit your dream gym, look no further than American Home Fitness. We have locations throughout Michigan and parts of Ohio and are happy to help make your home gym dreams come true.