You’ve already found the perfect piece of Real estate. There’s just one thing missing – a home gym.
Not to worry – it’s easy to build the perfect functional fitness workout studio right in your home. No time to get to the gym? No problem. Train on your own schedule without worrying about the gym being crowded. When the gym comes to you, it’s easier to get a workout in.
Choose Your Goal, and Build Around That
Before you decide to build a home gym, it’s important to have a goal. You do not need a particularly large space or even a lot of equipment to get started. Just have a look inside many CrossFit gyms across the world. Several are set up in tiny areas and still manage to efficiently run classes with dozens of people in them. So needing a huge area for a home gym is just a myth.
Also, setting a home gym does not have to cost a lot of money. Remember, you’re trying to get fit – not go bankrupt!
First things first – find space to put your equipment. You can use a spare room, your basement, garage, your attic, anywhere, really. The important thing is to make the space your own. Keep the gym the gym. Sharing the space with a washer and dryer, toys or home office equipment can be distracting and make you less likely to get your workouts in.
After you’ve found your space, choose your equipment. You do not need to spend a crazy amount of money – you can build a high-quality home gym for just a couple of hundred dollars. Start with some resistance bands, inexpensive dumbbells, kettlebells, some cheap bumper weights and barbell (look for second hand as these are often still in great condition), and even look at welding your own pull up bars to save money.
Remember, functional fitness workouts often consist of body weight movements (handstand push ups, sit ups, air squats, burpees) so you will need just some floor space and an abdominal sit-up bench. The bench provides you with padded back support, which is much safer than performing exercise on the floor.
If you do decide to go with cardio machines like concept rowers, ski ergs or airdynes, the internet is your best friend. Scour Facebook marketplace, yard sales and classified ads to find cheap gym equipment in good condition, but beware – make sure you will use this equipment. How many people do you know who have had an exercise bike or treadmill gathering dust before inevitably being sold?
Once you’ve purchased all of the necessary equipment and supplies, it’s time to start thinking about the overall functionality of the gym. For example, ideally, your equipment should be situated near a window so that you’ve got access to natural light when working out. Not only will this mean you can see what you are doing, but it could also make your workout more effective. After all, exposure to natural light is a scientifically proven mood booster.
While some property owners choose to forgo having any form of blinds or curtains in home gyms for this reason, others may feel self-conscious during certain workouts. As such, you should install blinds that allow you to access natural light while also allowing for some privacy. For inspiration (and affordable blinds) check out Half Price Blinds.
Need a few workout ideas? Following CrossFit.com and doing their daily workouts is a great start. Or just follow several leading athletes on social media and see what workouts they have been doing. The internet has a plethora of interesting workouts to help you do your own programming.
Get Working
Now that you’ve got your functional fitness home gym up and running, start working out!
Go get a good sweat in. Save the cost of your monthly membership and stop making excuses. After all, you can’t really say much when you’ve brought the gym to you. In one study, people with home gyms were 73 percent more likely to be active than those without one. Go be part of that 73%!
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