During the Covid lockdown, I have received many questions from my clients about home gyms as commercial ones were often closed. One of the most frequent ones was where to place their temporary workout zone.
So, back then, I organized a Zoom meeting with my team and colleagues to see where they had installed their home gym and why they thought it was the best location.
The meeting yielded a lot of useful insights, so let’s dive right in.
Quick Summary
- The best location for your home gym is one with proper ventilation and lighting, which also provides some privacy.
- The best location also depends on the unused space available in your home.
- The most common place for a home gym is an attic, garage, basement, office, or bedroom.
How to Find a Suitable Place for a Home Gym?
To find a suitable place for a home gym, you need to assess the available spaces in your home to see if any of them has enough room for working out and storing equipment, as well as proper ventilation.
You need to check if a particular room has good lighting and airflow that enables you to exercise and sweat a lot.
Also, you should pick a room with less foot traffic so your workout sessions will be uninterrupted.
It doesn’t have to be a large space, as practically any room could be transformed into a home gym with good design and a strong enough commitment to exercise.
What Are the Most Common Places?
The most common places are those that can be easily converted to a workout room, such as a garage, attic, bedroom, basement, office, etc.
The ideal location also depends on the size of your home, your budget, and your preferred workout methods.
Let’s explore these common places for home gyms more closely.
1. Attic
If you have an attic that’s big enough to be utilized as a living space (you can move without hitting your head on the rafters, and there’s no exposed insulation), you can easily transform it into a home gym space.
You’ll have to check if the floor joists are properly braced (especially if you plan to use heavy equipment and weights) and enclose the walls with drywall.
Ideally, you will need an air conditioner or at least a fan since it can become really warm up there.
2. Garage
The garage can be easily transformed into a commodious home gym space if you don’t use it for its original purpose.
And if detached, a garage gym can be a place that offers peace and quiet, free from family distractions.
The garage’s ample space allows you to accommodate large equipment pieces like a stationary bike, treadmill, or weight rack.
The ideal transformation includes adding rubber flooring and good insulation (it’s usually hard to regulate temperatures in garages).
If the weather is not too hot or cold, you can also open the garage door and enjoy the fresh air.
3. Basement
Basements often have some leftover space since the basement’s square footage is usually larger than a single room in most houses.
However, lower ceilings may restrict some movements like jumping jacks or jump ropes.
In any case, to transform it into a gym, you should install adequate lighting, a few mirrors, and floor mats that are a must-have to cushion the joint-damaging concrete floors [1].
Ideally, you should add a dehumidifier to your list of fitness equipment to reduce any potential dampness in the air.
4. Office
If you have a small home and limited space, you might need to turn one room into a multi-purpose space to accommodate a home gym.
For instance, you can split your office space between two uses.
The office might be a suitable workout space since your brain doesn’t associate it with relaxation.
If you have a closet or some drawers in the fitness area of your office, you can use them to store some lighter workout equipment, such as resistance bands, yoga mats, and small weights.
5. Bedroom
If you are blessed enough to have an unused bedroom, it’s a prime candidate for a home gym area.
It’s an ideal gym space since it has a door for privacy, carpeted flooring, and closets to store small equipment.
You can always install some gym rubber flooring to ensure nothing gets damaged, as well as to lower the noise and increase the comfort for your feet and joints.
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FAQs
Is It Worth Setting up a Home Gym?
Yes, it is worth setting up a home gym. A home gym will save you money - no more gym membership fees (the initial investment will usually pay itself off in one year), and it saves time, as you don’t have to drive anywhere or wait for your turn.
What Do I Need to Know Before Building a Home Gym?
Before building a home gym, you need to know what type of workout you plan to perform, as that determines how much workout space you need, how to adapt it, and what equipment is necessary.
Find a Space and Start
A home gym provides a safe space to exercise that’s accessible 24/7.
The home gym will save you money and keep you on track with your health goals, as integrating exercise into your daily schedule will be much easier.
You should also opt for home-friendly compact gym machines that don’t take up too much space, and that won’t break the bank, either.
We tested a slew of them to find the most reliable, versatile, and well-designed ones on the market, so make sure to check out our list.
References:
- https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/28/hard-living-what-does-concrete-do-to-our-bodies
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