If you’re thinking you’d like a home gym, one that goes beyond the exercise bike you use as a clothes hanger, all it takes is a little imagination and some money.
A home gym doesn’t have to be expensive – although it can be if you want to turn a corner of your home into something that is the envy of fitness enthusiasts across the nation.
Start Small
Many experts recommend this, and common sense is probably also pointing you in that direction.
It’s one thing if you’re an exercise guru and know you’ll use any home gym you design, but if you’ve found exercise religion in the last few weeks, don’t spend thousands of dollars on a fancy home gym that may not be a long-term investment.
“Start small with what you’ve got,” says Tami Smith, a certified personal trainer in St. Augustine, Florida. She’s also the founder of FitHealthyMacros.com, a website that specializes in workouts and macronutrient-friendly recipes.
Don’t Be Trendy
If you love a particular fitness trend, go ahead and follow it. Otherwise, make room for the activities you enjoy, even if it is the most basic setup.
“What’s most effective doesn’t matter; what you’ll actually use matters,” says Tim Steward, a Round Lake, Illinois-based certified physical trainer and the founder of GymCrafter.com, a website that helps people build home gyms. “I see people all the time who buy things that are supposed to burn the most calories or build the most muscle, but they are things people don’t enjoy using.”
Remember the Weights
Steward recommends thinking about strength training and not just cardiovascular exercise.
“Strength training should be the heart of every home gym,” he says. “While cardio is great for your heart, and you should do it regularly, strength training has been shown to have an exponentially higher number of positive effects. Some benefits include blood sugar and insulin control, hormonal support, improved sleep, reduced stress and anti-aging.”
