The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled us to revisit our fitness routines, trying home-based routines and online workouts instead of going to the gym.
Something many of us have discovered is that the best, most connected exercise sessions can actually be experienced at home, but it all depends on the way you use your time and equipment to maximize your effort.
Whatever you do, choose what best suits your lifestyle and fitness goals. And yes, leaving some room for flexibility in your workouts for unforeseen obstacles is critical.
If you’re serious about fitness, you don’t need a home gym, but if you’re lucky enough to have the space, it can be a real blessing, especially if it’s well-designed, as it positively influences your energy levels, mood, and overall motivation.
Fancy gear is nice. Still, you’ll want an at-home gym where you’ll really want to work out. If you’re looking to stay fit and well from the comfort of your home, here’s how to do it.
Walk Through The Home & Choose a Space You can See Yourself Training Regularly
There’s no right or wrong way to set up a home fitness center, meaning the workout area you arrange must be specific to your likes and expectations for your fitness journey, so take time to find a solution to your problems du jour.
A bit of creativity can turn just about any spot in your home into a gym. It can be an unused guest room or your office. Basements and garages can be excellent options because it’s easy to regulate temperature, and you can exercise in private, mastering delayed gratification skills and developing mental resilience.
The footprint around a rope pull machine is minimal, but a treadmill takes up a good amount of space, and to install it safely, you’ll need more room than you think.
If you’re unlikely to use a cardio machine or a free weight at the gym, chances are slim that you’ll use it at home, so make sure the equipment is easy to set up and take down.
The last thing you want is to be stuck with a bench press that’ll be used as a coat rack. Even if you have a smaller house, you might have a large bedroom to fit bulkier fitness machines.
Start Slowly Rather Than Buying Everything at Once
Tempting as it may be to load up on fitness equipment, pause and ignore the voices screaming at you to spend. By adding a little space, you give yourself the opportunity to change your response.
If you have a tight budget, just pick up the essentials instead of trying to hunt down every component of your dream gym, especially if you don’t know how often you’ll work out, so make a list of all the things you want and build slowly. We live in an online world, so look for pieces of equipment that will help your off-season game.
Equipment that can be used in various ways can add flexibility to your training, which is important as you’re figuring out your routine. For example, you can buy jump rope and bring it with you wherever you go – it’s so light that you can toss it onto the backseat of your car, so it’s there when motivation strikes.
A jump rope can be used for various exercises, meaning you can use it to get your daily dose of cardio or develop and maintain endurance. Cheap gym gear isn’t always bad, but bear in mind that not all stuff is built to last. You’re better off waiting until your budget allows you to buy the right thing.
Now, there’s a combination of luxury and technology in the gym, which allows you to have not only useful but also useful objects. If you’re tech-savvy or tech-dependent, opt for smart pieces of home gym equipment across various categories, such as mirrors, bikes, rowing machines, and so on.
Since there’s more to designing a home fitness center than just piling equipment into an unused space, create a layout with good spatial flow. With smart machines, it’s essential to have electrical outlets close by to avoid running extension cords that can overheat and cause fires.
Use Furniture and Accessories That Make it Easy to Keep Your Gym Clean & Tidy
You’ve got resistance bands, boxing gloves, foam rollers, and the list goes on – you get the idea. What are you going to do with those items when not in use? You can use a metal shelving unit or a locker storage cabinet, which can keep the air inside flowing normally and keep away unpleasant smells.
Use baskets for smaller exercise equipment. A rolling cart can accommodate a few accessories, but don’t use the lower shelf to store heavy objects; maybe just a pair of shoes that’s your go-to workout. The lockable wheels allow you to move storage around easily, as needed.
Keeping your at-home gym organized is vital for a stress-free workout experience, which means you can get 100 percent out of every rep, run, and bead of sweat.
Minimize obstacles to accessing your gear that destroy your motivation, such as storing your jump rope on a hard-to-reach shelf or having to drag out your weight bench every time you want to use it.
You can set up a small station like a kitchenette, where you have a water cooler or water bottles. You need to drink fluids to replace the water you lose when you sweat.
Concluding Thoughts
A home gym allows you to train whenever you want and however you want, so it’s convenient, to say the least. Ample space gives you the opportunity to add equipment over time and slowly but surely build up your fitness center, so exercise isn’t boring, painful, or time-consuming.
Even the best at-home gym becomes a waste of time and money if it’s seldom used. Make time to work out even when life feels crazy, and always try to do a little more than you did previously.
Also read: The Value of Gym Motivational Speakers in Fitness
