There are many reasons to set up a home gym, but the best reason for creating a home gym is convenience! You can work out whenever you want without ever leaving your house. This saves time spent stuck in traffic or driving to and from the gym, changing clothes in the locker room, remembering to pack a bag, etc. Another great reason to set up a home gym is you can choose the exercise equipment you want and tailor your home gym to the type of workouts you want to do. But setting up the perfect home gym requires a little more thought than just sticking a treadmill in the darkest corner of your basement. There are many factors to consider in setting up your home gym so it will be well worth your time and money.
Decor
Yes, decor in a home gym! Decor is important. Your surroundings affect your mood and productivity. The first thing to consider is lighting. If you are working out in a dimly lit room, you could be at higher risk for injuries simply because you can’t see what you are doing well enough. Lighting also affects your mood, and an open, well-lit room will boost your mood and therefore your performance level. Bonus points if you can set up a home gym in a room with windows as natural sunlight is best.
If you worry motivation may be a factor in putting your new home gym to good use, be sure you have adequate lighting to make the room as appealing as possible. After working on lighting, think about flooring and colors. Choose flooring that will be functional and comfortable, like soft carpeted areas for floor workouts and padded mats under weight lifting areas. If the walls aren’t already painted or could use a fresh coat, choose a color that will suit the type of exercise you plan to use the room for, like orange for high intensity cardio, and cooler tones like light blues and greys for yoga and weights.
If you wish, you can take your decor a step further and hang art or motivational posters or inspirational quotes–whatever will inspire you the most while you are working out.
Temperature
You must be comfortable to be able to exercise effectively, and if your home gym is too hot or too cold, your body cannot perform to its full potential. Exercising in temps that are too hot or cold could put you at risk for illness or injury as well. If the home gym can’t be thermostat controlled, consider fans and open windows when it’s hot out and small space heaters when it’s cold outside to keep the temperature as comfortable and consistent as possible.
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Humidity
Quality of air is important everywhere in your home, but particularly in your home gym where you will be working hard to improve your fitness level. Humidity plays a very important role in air quality. High levels of humidity can lead to a series of unwanted health issues and can exacerbate those already present, such as asthma, allergies, sinus problems and more. Mold also loves humidity, and if your home gym is too humid, you could be at risk for allergies and illnesses related to mold production in your home. High humidity can also decrease your athletic performance because your body is having to work harder than it should due to poor air quality. In order to be sure you have the best air quality possible in your home gym, install an air purifier to optimize the air quality conditions in your home gym.
Humidity fluctuates as the seasons change, and overly dry climates or cold seasons when home heaters are running full blast can lead to low humidity levels in your home gym. To prevent this from happening, purchase and install the best humidifier you can find to keep the humidity level at a consistent, healthy rate. Most experts agree that the optimal relative humidity level in your home (and in your home gym!) should be between 40-60%. You can use a humidity dial to track the humidity level of your home gym, and adjust your best humidifier and air purifier as needed.
Ideal Noise Levels
Since your gym is inside your home, it’s important that the noise level inside your home gym is one that is ideal for everyone in the house. Music is a great tool to use in your workouts and you can tailor it to your mood to help push you during intense cardio or weights or to help center you for a cool down or yoga routine. Music in your home gym should be loud enough to help you focus on your workout routine, but not so loud that it disturbs others in other rooms of your home or so loud that it is damaging to your hearing. If you are lifting and dropping very heavy weights, consider adding in a platform for your weights or very thick padding or mats to absorb the sound of the weights being dropped.
Avoid Indoor Pollution
Since the air quality in your home gym is of the utmost importance, it is necessary to avoid allowing pollutants into the air that will contaminate the air quality in your home gym. This means not smoking yourself or allowing smoking in your home or near your home gym. Also, if anyone in your home cooks using solid fuels (like in a wood burning stove for example), there must be a properly ventilated system in the cooking area so that the smoke and fumes from the kitchen do not contaminate the rest of your home and therefore your home gym. Have your home tested for radon, mold and other invisible pollutants that could be contaminating your air quality.
A home gym is meant to be practical, but it is also meant to be enjoyed. After all, you’ve chosen to create a home gym environment rather than traveling to a gym so you are planning to spend a lot of time in your home gym. Focusing on the decor, temperature, humidity, noise levels and indoor pollution can help you set up the perfect home gym environment that you will enjoy for years to come.
Source: The Soothing Air