How to Set Up A Home Gym
Home gyms have been the talk of the town ever since the pandemic began. Staying fit while being stuck at home has become an important part of our lives. From intense cardio to strength training, you can have all the gym equipment you want at home. If you’re looking for ideas on how to set up a gym at home, then keep on reading. This article will help you set up a gym at home that suits your fitness needs. From how much space you will need to the kind of equipment required, you can find all the information you need here.
A Room or a Corner?
The biggest problem when it comes to planning a home gym is finding the right amount of space. The first thing you should consider is how much space you have to spare. If you’re living in a small shoebox apartment then finding enough space for an entire home gym set up will be difficult. So, pick and choose. If you’re living in a townhouse and have an entire room to spare, then you can easily set up an entire gym with a treadmill, weights and the works.
For an apartment, you can look for a corner in the living room that can fit smaller gym equipment such as adjustable weights, kettlebells and a yoga mat. It is also recommended that if you have a smaller space, instead of a treadmill you should try skipping with weighted skipping ropes. They will give you the cardio you need, they are easy to store and won’t require a ton of space when being used. You also have the option of turning your balcony into an at-home gym.
The Equipment You Need
It is easy to go overboard with gym equipment because there is just so much available. This is where you need to control yourself and set some goals. You need to decide whether you want to lose weight, tone your body, do some bodybuilding or do some strength training. Based on your fitness goals, stock up your home gym.
Cardio
This can include a wide range of things including home workout routines that you can find online. Cardio usually does not have to include a lot of equipment unless you have the space for it, and by space, we mean exercise and storage space. As mentioned before, weighted jump ropes are a great cardio workout. If you have some storage space you can opt for a foldable treadmill. Treadmills can offer a lot when it comes to burning calories and it is always a great investment to have one in your home gym. Additionally, if you’re planning to work out those legs and trying to build some running strength, cross trainers are great. Exercise bikes and rowing machines are also big cardio equipment that can require a lot of space but are perfect for some weight shedding.
Strength Training and Toning
Toning the body and building some upper body and core strength requires effort and equipment. However, you don’t need those heavy and complicated machines you see in the gym. Keep it simple! Resistance bands, dumbbells and kettlebells are a great way to get that body toned. Couple these weights with a strong upper body and core workout, and you will have the full gym experience at home without having to pay for a membership.
Yoga
Another popular way to maintain physical health, as well as mental health, is yoga. Yoga has proven to be an effective way of keeping your body active and running. The meditative aspect of yoga can be something you need in your day to day functioning. Usually, yoga doesn’t require a lot of equipment. You just need a good quality yoga mat and the perfect atmosphere. If you have an extra room in your house convert it into a yoga room. Apartment owners or renters need not worry about creating a yoga room. You can have the perfect yoga set up on your balcony or in your living room. While you don’t need much to do yoga, you can create the perfect atmosphere with the help of our guide to creating the perfect yoga room at home.
Recovery Equipment
Your home gym would not be complete without some recovery equipment. Yes, you can go hard one day at the gym but the muscle aches and pains the day after can be too brutal to handle. While yoga is said to help with recovery, equipment such as foam rollers can do wonders. You should have a couple of them lying around to knead your muscles. Additionally, handheld massagers are also a great way to relieve muscle pains and soreness.
Storage And Design
If you’re building a gym room in your home then you need to plan it out and design every corner of the room. Gym equipment can be big, so if you’re planning an entire room to be dedicated to the gym, then you need a definite plan on the location of the equipment and storage. If you’re planning to have a gym corner in your apartment then you need the perfect storage plan.
Apartments don’t usually have a lot of space, so you would not have big gym equipment that would require storage. Buy yourself a storage box that is big enough to fit any weights, yoga mats, resistance bands and skipping ropes. If you have a foldable treadmill, it can be easily slipped under the bed or your living room sofa for storage. For those of you who have an entire gym room, wall shelves are the best way to go. You can cover one corner of the room with shelves for all of your gym equipment.
Gym Accessories
Exercising in your home gym is not all about working out and sweating till there’s no more water left in your body. Making the process of exercising fun is part of the experience. This is the only reason why most people in the gym are wearing their cool headphones and running on treadmills. The best part about having a home gym is that you don’t need to put on your headphones, you can just blast music on your speaker. Additionally, you can have a dedicated space in your gym room where you can place your speaker. This space can also be used for your laptop if you like to follow online tutorials for your workout regime.
Another important accessory that every gym needs are a mirror. It may seem too haughty to some to check yourself out while working out but a mirror can help you a lot. Along with checking yourself out, mirrors are a great way to keep track of your form while doing certain exercises and especially weights. However, a mirror would be useless if you don’t have enough light in the room. Light up your gym room with a lot of natural light or soft LED lighting. Dim gym setups can be really unmotivating, so you want as much light in there as possible. The lighting is another reason why we recommend people to set up their gym on the balcony (if they have one).
