You’ve said it a million times – “I’m going to start hitting the gym!” But just as many times you’ve come up with an excuse not to go, haven’t you? Whether it’s distance, weather, time, or some other roadblock, it can be hard to motivate yourself to get out the door and go to the gym. So why not make it easier by building your own home gym instead?
Choose a Large Room
Space is essential when it comes to a home gym. You might not think a few exercise machines will take up a lot of room, but it’s actually essential for safety reasons. For example, a treadmill needs at least six feet of space behind it. This is often why finished basements are chosen to be home gyms – they’re more spacious than your average spare room or home office.
Plus, some gym equipment is rather large and bulky, and often on the heavier side. This means you can’t necessarily move everything off to the side when not in use to give yourself more space. You’ll want to plan ahead and place your rowing machine, weight rack, exercise bike and treadmill in the location they’ll stay in for the long term.
Select the Right Flooring
Your home gym’s flooring is the foundation of your workout, both literally and figuratively. It might not seem like a big deal, but gym floors require a certain amount of shock absorption as well as durability. Otherwise, you could actually damage your joints as you work out.
There are some great flooring options for your home gym depending on your aesthetic and workout routine. For instance, rubber flooring is a great option for gym surfaces, being durable and versatile, as well as low-maintenance. Meanwhile, cork flooring is eco-friendly on top of being comfortable, balancing both softness and stability.
Install Air Conditioning
When you work out, you get hot. Everyone knows that. So naturally, you should make sure your home gym has the means to keep you cool. Installing central air conditioning throughout the whole house is a reasonable solution as you’ll be able to keep cool after your workout anywhere you go. This could be useful if you need to pop out into the rest of the house to grab a drink or answer the door while remaining comfortable.
However, installing an individual AC unit in your home gym might be more beneficial. The cold air will be more concentrated in the room, cooling it down more quickly. Also, you’ll have more control over how cold the room gets and it can save energy, as you won’t have to run an entire AC system just to cool a single room as you work out.
If you’ve been dreaming about committing to an exercise routine, request a consultation with JM Construction about building a home gym. Our experienced design-build team will help you navigate the details of the renovation from start to finish, ensuring you end up with the result you’ve dreamed of.