Setting Up a Home Gym

The last Saturday in September is National Family Health and Fitness Day! Parents can be a great example of good self-care for the rest of the family to encourage establishing the habit and standard of being more fit.  Exercise is a great stress relief, releases feel-good hormones, strengthens the cardiovascular and skeletal systems, builds endurance and the immune system. It’s good to have home gym for the convenience and to have an option when the weather is a challenge.

An unoccupied bedroom can be repurposed as an exercise room. If you still need it to function as a guest room, a murphy bed can provide a comfortable mattress to sleep on that can easily be tucked away when not in use freeing up plenty of floor space. If a bedroom is being utilized as an office, can it be rearranged to give both adequate space? Perhaps the desk can be facing a window to have a nice distance view to take a break from the computer, and not be looking at equipment. A fold up screen can divide the room and have the equipment out of sight while working and vice versa. Utilize the closet for storing equipment like free weights, kettlebells, medicine balls, resistant bands, and the like.  The American Council on Exercise says one needs 20-50 sq. ft. of space for free weights, a treadmill will need an additional 30 sq. ft., and a multi-equipment space needs 50 or more sq. ft.

Invest in equipment that will be put into frequent use and ideally offers multiple uses that makes sense in the space. Take an inventory of the family what is popular with the family. Do you need the motivation of an interactive trainer? There are subscriptions that offer live, on demand, and even the technology of a scenic workout and music playlists for a home gym experience. With some you can compete with others or with yourself by saving workouts. Many include access to other workouts like kickboxing, Pilates, dance, barre, stretching. Here are some popular ones:

• Nordic Track treadmill, bike, elliptical, rower, mirror vault (weights’ storage)
• Echelon bike, treadmill, rower, workout reflect mirror
• Peleton bike or treadmill, strength workouts
• Tonal compact reflective mirror that uses smart dynamic resistance replacing barbells, plates….
• CityRow, rowing machine, (offers cardio, strength training, mobility and endurance workouts)
• Hydrow, reports their rowing machine engages 86% of muscles, (offers Pilates and strength training workouts)
• Mirror “a nearly invisible home gym” workouts (exercise accessories not included)
• Tempo fitness workouts (no mirror but a scanner to detect bad form, can rent to own disc weights in storage unit)

If you prefer equipment with video demonstrations of preset workouts without the cost of ongoing subscriptions consider the Power Plate my7. It is a whole body vibration workout.

Here are some elements you may want to included to facilitate a good workout experience.

• • A ceiling fan to help one feel cooler
  • A good video screen and sound system
  • A mirror to check form
  • Be well lit
  • Have good acoustics and sound proofing

To make it more like a personal trainer’s gym, you may want to have storage for fresh hand towels, a linen basket for used towels, a mini refrigerator for cold water. Have a chalk paint to be able to write goals or inspirational quote or use as a personal score board to record that week’s workouts. Enjoy the convenience of an at home gym!

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.  Corinthians 19: 13-14

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