In the 1980s home workouts consisted of Jane Fonda in a leotard and leg warmers, but the home gyms of today are far more high-tech and brimming with equipment. The UK fitness industry is worth a staggering £1.9 billion and this figure is only set to rise thanks to leading fitness gurus like Joe Wicks and Chessie King taking social media by storm and encouraging us to workout from the comfort of our homes.
Think of the space
If you’re ready to make your home gym a more permanent fixture, think of how much space you need, where you want to work out, and how you’ll use it. While some people have chosen to work out in the living room, garage, and even the spare bedroom, savvy homeowners know that building a dedicated gym space is not only great for motivation, but it can actually add value to your property.
Think of how much space the equipment you’ll use will take up, consider if you’ll need floor space for weights, and if you’ll being doing lots of overhead movements make sure the ceiling height is adequate.
Choose your equipment
From weights to spin bikes, ski ergs to rowing machines, there’s no shortage of home gym equipment for you to choose from. But before you go splashing the cash and buying one of everything, consider what you enjoy using, what you want to achieve, and realistically how often you’ll use it.
Keep the space functional to ensure you have enough room to do everything you want, including a space for stretching. Having a large mirror on one wall is great for checking your form, and if you like to do YouTube workouts somewhere you can see a screen will also be useful.
Create a budget
Once you’ve set your heart on creating a home gym it can be tempting to get the top-of-the-range equipment, but it’s important you consider your finances to make sure you’re investing your money wisely.
Work out how much you previously spent on a gym membership and this will help form the basis of your budget. Next up, consider the equipment. If you weren’t a fan of spin classes in a traditional gym environment, you still won’t be at home, so there’s no point buying a bike.
Don’t forget there are plenty of places that sell second-hand equipment including eBay, Facebook Marketplace and even your local gym might be looking to upgrade old equipment –get in touch and see.
Set your goals
When your home gym is up and running you might be tempted to workout as much as possible to feel like you’ve ‘got your money’s worth’, but you should make sure you create a workout plan that includes rest days.
There are plenty of free resources online that can help you create a workout programme that suits your needs. Remember to set yourself goals that you can measure periodically, from the number of push-ups you can do to how long you can hold a plank.