How to Set Up a Basic Home Gym

Regular exercise is an essential part of keeping your body and mind healthy. By going to the gym regularly, you take care of yourself and invest in your future wellbeing. However, setting up a basic gym for yourself at home can make the experience even more convenient. If you have everything you need right there, you’ll be able to tailor the experience to your own requirements and access it without delay. If this is something that interests you, here are some tips on how to set up a basic home gym for yourself.

Where Will You Put Your Home Gym?

This is the first thing you should consider when planning a home gym. Does your home currently have available space for it? If not, you’ll need to figure out where to put it. This could require some home renovation. If your budget allows for it, you can consider adding another room or finishing your basement in order to give yourself the room you need for your gym. This approach allows you to set up the room to fit the gym, not the other way around. You can design it to be a gym from the beginning, making it easier to fit everything in where you want it to be. However, it is also very expensive, so you need to be sure that the investment is something you both want and can afford.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to build a new space onto your existing home, you’ll need to choose a room to turn into the gym. This could be something like a guest bedroom or storage space. If there are multiple rooms that would work for your gym, consider which one would work best in your specific situation. Do you need to consider flights of stairs? Or maybe you live with multiple people, so you need to be able to soundproof the gym. Consider what you would need to convert in order to make a basic home gym, then select which room would be the best choice based on these things.

Clear Out the Chosen Room

Most likely, the room you’ll be turning into a gym already has things in it. If you want it to be a gym, you’ll need to get rid of them. Otherwise, these belongings will get in the way of your workout routine, making home workouts a more frustrating experience. Before you start setting up the gym, you’ll need to completely clear out your chosen room. Take the time to sort through your belongings, deciding what you’re going to keep and what you can throw away. From there, find a new home somewhere else in your house for the things you’re keeping.

You’ll likely have a lot of things that you need to get rid of. While some of them might be trash, others can be recycled. Look into furniture recycling programs in your area in order to get rid of larger things. There might be some that can even pick them up for you, saving you the trouble of transporting your old furniture. With a recycling program, you can feel good about saving your old belongings from the landfill while also getting them out of your house.

Once the room is completely cleared, you’ll need to clean it before putting in your gym equipment. Make sure that all the trash and dirt are gone by thoroughly scrubbing every part of it. This is something you can either do yourself or bring in a professional cleaning company to do for you. You’ll also want to hire a residential pest control company to come in and treat the room as well. While this might seem unnecessary, you don’t want bugs and mice to get into your gym. So make sure that you include this service when budgeting for your new gym.

Consider the Layout You Want

Once you have the space cleared out, consider what kind of layout you want for your gym. You’ll need to install equipment, so make sure that you know what you want before putting anything in. When you know where everything is going to go, make sure that you have the right flooring in place for the different exercises you plan to do in those particular spots. You might need to have a flooring installation company come in and put in things like mats or wooden flooring like public gyms have. Without the kind of flooring, your workouts won’t be as effective as they could be.

Paint the Room a Neutral Color

Color can have a major impact on your mood. Certain colors can be soothing while others are overwhelming. If you want to be able to focus fully on your workout, you’ll want to paint your room a neutral color before you fill it with equipment. Neutral colors like beige, gray, or white will keep your mood steady, allowing you to focus on what you’re doing. However, neutral does not need to be boring. Choose one that you like, asking a professional for help deciding if you need to. Then have a residential painting company come in and take care of it for you.

Set Up Your Gym Equipment

Once the room is cleared and painted, you are ready to set up your gym equipment. But before you do so, it is essential that you know what equipment to buy. If you already have equipment, you can simply transfer that into your gym. But if you don’t, or you want more, you should think about what kinds of exercise you enjoy and what equipment they require. Your home gym should be filled with things that you like to use, otherwise you won’t feel motivated to work out. Buy equipment based on your favorite types of exercise. This is especially true for larger purchases like treadmills or weight machines.

When it comes to smaller equipment, try to buy a variety of sizes and types. Get free weights in multiple weights, making it easier to build up or remove weight during different workouts. You should also invest in things like kettlebells, yoga mats, and foam rollers. Consider what you liked using at the public gym and get a version of it for your home. These things will make your workouts more convenient and enjoyable to get through.

As you purchase and set up gym equipment, you’ll need to consider how it will safely fit in the space you have available. This can be an issue if you have too much equipment and too little space. Without room to get around or store equipment, you could end up in a situation where you get hurt or your equipment gets damaged. So make sure that you’re measuring your space and being honest with yourself about what will fit inside. You might need to choose between two pieces of equipment or find a more effective storage method for your smaller things, but it is important that you stay safe in your home gym.

Finally, what is your budget for equipment? This is something you’ll need to keep in mind as you shop. If you have certain expensive pieces you want, you can prioritize those while going with cheaper options for less important things. Shopping used and waiting for sales are also great ways to save a little bit of money when you need to.

Consider Adding a Small Kitchen Space for Better Health

If you have the budget and the room, a small kitchen space in your home gym can be a great way to encourage yourself to eat better and stay hydrated during and after your sessions. You can store your supplements and healthy options in this room, keeping them easily available to you. With everything wellness-related in one space, it will be simple for you to incorporate good nutrition into your life as well.

One way to make this small kitchen space even better is to design it to your exact requirements. Consider what you need for storage and appliances.Then make it beautiful as well, adding custom countertops and other features that make it an enjoyable place to be. The more you like being in this kitchen, the more motivated you’ll be to actually use it before and after your workouts.

Hang Motivational Posters and a Workout Calendar

No matter how beautiful and useful your space is, you’ll still need help staying motivated sometimes. Take the time to hang some motivational posters on the walls of your home gym. They don’t need to be cheesy or cliched, just find some that resonate with you. By keeping them clearly visible, you’ll be able to read their messages during your hardest workouts in order to stay inspired.

A workout calendar is also essential to keep yourself motivated. Consider what your goals are. No matter what they are, you can track your progress toward them with a workout calendar. Buy one and make sure that you keep it filled in. This will give you an accurate look at how far you’ve come when you aren’t feeling as motivated or confident as you were. So buy a workout calendar that fits your lifestyle and make sure that it is prominently hung somewhere in your gym.

Add a Nice Feature or Two

It’s your home gym, so make sure you add in a couple of indulgences for yourself. Hot tubs, saunas, and massage chairs are all popular additions at public gyms and all of them can be set up in your own home. Choose the feature you loved most at your previous gyms and include it in your budget when setting up your home gym. It will be like a reward at the end of your workout, while providing extra health benefits.

You should also consider indulging in smaller things as well. Buy nice towels specifically for your home gym. Or maybe there’s a particular brand of protein powder you like and can store in your new gym kitchen. By keeping these indulgences as part of your workout, you’ll be more likely to enjoy your workouts. And if you enjoy them, you’ll keep doing them.

Keep Your Space Protected

Once your gym is installed, you’ll want to keep it safe. This is a large investment and repairs or replacements will get very expensive. One of the best ways to do this is through a gate installation. A gate will keep out children and pets who might damage the equipment. Gates can be installed very easily, so make sure that you get one put in. Not only could children or pets harm your gym, but they could also get hurt if they’re playing on equipment that they don’t understand.

You’ll also want to keep your space protected through regular cleaning and inspection. Make sure that you’re wiping down your equipment in order to kill off germs. Just because you’re not sharing the equipment with other people doesn’t mean it won’t get dirty. You also need to check for any damage regularly. Otherwise, something could break, resulting in potential injury and a repair bill.

Ask Professionals About the Best Exercises for You

If you’re starting a new workout routine, ask your primary care doctor about the best exercises for you. Since they know about any health issues you have, they can help you avoid exercises that could hurt you. They can also refer you to an orthopedic professional, who might have more expertise. By working with your health care team, you can avoid injury and get the best workouts possible.

Designing a basic home gym can be a great way to keep yourself healthy and in shape. While it can be a process to set up, the benefits are worth the cost and the potential frustration. Follow these tips in order to set up the best gym possible and get yourself exercising in the privacy of your own home.