




09
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a room at home dedicated to personal fitness. Often, a box large enough to hold a few pieces of exercise equipment tucked into a corner and a handful of workout DVDs are what constitutes the “home gym.” It is possible, however, with a planning and forethought, to make the space you do have house more than a pair of dumbbells and a resistance tube. Follow these tips for designing your home gym, no matter how much (or how little) space you have available:
Designing your own home gym
1. Test any equipment you plan on buying first
2. Consider your budget – you get what you pay for. High quality, reliable equipment will last for years.
3. Check with local gyms – they often sell their equipment when they are ready to upgrade and often gyms select only the highest quality equipment for their patrons.
4. Consider your space. Use these guidelines to determine how much room you’ll need:
Treadmills: 30 sq ft
Single-station gym: 35 sq ft
Free Weights: 20-50 sq ft
Bikes: 10 sq ft
Rowing machines: 20 sq ft
Stair climbers: 10-20 sq ft
Ski Machines: 25 sq ft
Multi-station gym: 50-200 sq ft
5. The equipment you purchase should suit your interests and fitness level. You should be able to maintain at least 20 mins of continuous activity on the equipment you’re considering.
6. You should have the option of increasing resistance, incline and duration to provide continuous challenge.
7. If you’re on a tight budget, strength equipment can be as simple as a set of elastic bands with handles in varying levels of resistance and/or a collection of dumbbells ranging in weight from 5lbs-15lbs.
8. Consider ceiling height. If you have low ceilings, a Total Gym won’t be an option. You may have to opt for a rack of dumbbells instead of a multigym.
9. Inspect your new equipment for safety, serviceability, design and appropriate features. Your equipment should be easily adjustable, relatively easy to use.
10. Before you make a purchase, be honest with yourself about how motivated you will be to exercise at home.