Home Gym

Is a home gym within your decorating budget? Well, let’s compare the cost – an average annual cost for a gym membership is $1,000 - $1,600 for a couple. For that cost, you could actually save money by creating a design idea for turning that spare junk room into a home gym. The key is, will you actually use it?

A home gym design that suits your lifestyle is the key to motivating yourself and sticking to an exercise routine. If you have a well-lit and attractive workout area, you’re much more likely to use it rather than dragging out your fold-em-up manual treadmill from under the bed where it has been gathering dust for two years.

Trends

One trend we’ve been seeing in designing a home gym or fitness area is turning the basement into your own private ‘health spa’. It’s not as expensive as you think, and it may be an interior design project worth considering. You don’t necessarily need to run out and spend thousands of dollars on state of the art exercise equipment and special flooring to create a home gym or exercise room.

Pick a spare room, a finished basement is perfect. If you have an unfinished basement, give some thought to having it finished, it may turn out to be a worthwhile investment in your home, as it increases the value and selling price. When you pick out the spare room, lower floors are better, not only for getting the equipment in the room (who wants to lug a 150 pound treadmill up the stairs), but you also don’t want someone running on a treadmill over your head while you’re trying to watch television downstairs.

Dos and Don'ts

Don’t rush out and buy home gym equipment to fill the area. Design the area first and add gym equipment as your budget allows – make sure it is equipment that you will actually use. Use a mix of cardio gym equipment and strength machines, there are plenty of combination strength trainers so you will not need to buy as many as your local gym has on the strength training circuit.

Don’t skimp on quality with home gym equipment, if you’re actually going to be using it regularly, a cheap machine will not last as long, not be as comfortable to use and won’t give you the same quality workout the better machines will.

Add a flat panel television set or stereo system. If you watch the news every morning, you can easily transition into watching it while using the treadmill. If you never miss an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, watch it while using the stair climber instead.

The important point to remember, whether designing a home gym on a budget or hiring an interior designer to create one, make your home gym inviting. You’re not going to use it if you don’t like it. Make it a welcoming, cheerful room by transforming it with bright lighting, motivating colors, mirrors, murals or even motivating posters. I personally use my fat photos for motivation - works every time.