Most people put away exercising for not being able to make time to visit the gym. For some exercise is important so they set up an exercise gym at home so they can exercise regularly without fail. Health experts and physicians recommend at least 30 minutes of workout 5 times a week. Which means, aside from 8 hours of sleep, 10 hours work-day, and about 2 hours preparing and eating meals, you are left with only 4 hours for use at will. 1/8th of your spare time is still available for exercise. A busy man always finds the time. Exercising the precious time, you get to be yourself, mull over, or simply enjoy music, listen to the news or other things that you simply can’t find time to fit in.
Professional gyms are well equipped, decorated, inviting but come with their own set of problems. Most professional gyms are not disinfected regularly by the cleaning staff. Equipment’s carry lots of germs and if they are not cleaned regularly they could cause you to fall sick more often than stay healthy. Gyms showers are notorious for shower warts. A foot infection caused by not cleaning the showers properly. Home gyms are safer and free from these trailing health implications.
If you are looking to set up your own little home gym, that’s great news. You have taken the first bold step towards good health. Keep in mind your gym room is a room too. Treat it with the same love and pride as the rest of your rooms. Give it a good makeover that is inviting and compelling to workout. I have seen people put a mat on a bare unventilated, unfinished basement floor and add a treadmill and a few dumbbells and call it a gym. How pathetic is that? I’m not surprised why they give excuses for not being able to work out.
Exercise is a religion. The routine has rules and the ambiance makes a big difference. Working out of your home gym has several advantages. You don’t need to drag yourself, get dressed every morning especially on winter days, grab your car keys, hit the gym then get back and get ready for work. Instead, you could just change into your gym clothes, exercise in the convenience of your home, shower and get to work. What a time savior! Now you won’t have to give excuses like I simply didn’t feel like driving.
If you have a dingy neglected corner or storeroom for a gym, and you would like to make it better and more inviting so you could spend the 1/8th of your spare time fruitfully, we have a few home gym decorating tips for you. Mind you, these are the same tips interior designers offer even to decorate professional gyms.
1. Analyze your available space
A lot of your gym set up will depend on your fitness goal. If you are looking for that buff look, to tone your muscles, abs, glutes, hamstrings etc, you will need heavy weight training equipment, which is bulky and occupies space. If you are looking for a healthy routine aerobics a small room will do.
2. Choose the right equipment
Weight training equipment like multi-gyms and cross trainers are great but don’t just pile all equipment, just to load your gym. Some may be redundant. Talk to a trained staff before you invest in one. For routine cardio workouts, you could go for a treadmill, elliptical trainer or a cycle machine or a rowing machine. These are great and occupy very little space.
3. Make it motivating
Whatever may be the size of your room, don’t forget the purpose. It is to help you achieve a target or stay on top of it. A great way of motivating yourself is to hang pictures of your role models with great physiques. Watching them as you exercise every day will keep your spirits high and help you motivated to reach your target goal. Get motivational quotes that encourage you to never give up.
4. Flooring
Flooring is an important aspect of decorating your gym. Gym floors are different from regular flooring if you have noticed. The floors either have anti-skid mats for cushioning or wall to wall carpeting. Slick floors can get wet when you exercise and sweat. Bear in mind accident-proofing your gym is a crucial element of gym decoration. Safety is an important aspect of decoration.
5. Proper ventilation
Make sure your most intense workout areas are properly ventilated. Exercising indoors without proper ventilation can cause fatigue and giddiness due to lack of oxygen. Make sure your rooms have large windows or have air purifier if having a window is not an option.
6. Space it out
Keep the space open or running as gym equipment are bulky and if there are too many they may make the space too tight. This can be dangerous as you could trip and get injured.
7. Use wall shelves and racks
If the area is small use wall shelves and racks to place your dumbbells and weights to save on space and give it the spiffy look.
8. Colour coordinate
Colour is an important element of decoration. Match your walls with the same color scheme as your equipment or vice versa. This will make space look larger. Using different color schemes can restrict focal points making spaces look defined and smaller. If you have the luxury of having a larger area, by all means, go for color schemes, but keep them in the same family, like tones of grey, neutral beiges, sage green etc.
9. Install mirrors
Mirrors, as we all know, are used for making spaces look larger. You could go for using mirrors on any two opposite walls to create a sense of space. Smaller spaces can instantly double up by installing wall to wall mirrors. The other advantage of installing mirrors is it helps you build your posture as you can constantly watch your gait. This is especially helpful for aerobic workouts like kickboxing, powers yoga, and rhythm workouts.
10. Keep it handy
Don’t forget to accessorize the space and keep it loaded. Aesthetics and beauty must be combined with practicality and convenience. If your workout space is inconvenient, it may discourage you from setting a routine. Say you don’t have a provision for water or towels, and you need to go out to drink a glass of water or grab a towel for your sweaty brow how would that be? Exercising can dehydrate the body sure to loss of water due to heat and sweating. Make sure you incorporate the important trailing needs for the room. Keep a shelf for your fresh towels and space to store an adequate amount of water bottles.
11. Add accessories
Most people quit exercise regimen, not due to fatigue but boredom. Bare drab walls or routines without mixed workouts can become monotonous and may make you not keep up your new year’s resolution. Add variety and entertainment to your personal routine and space. Put up a small television to watch your favorite program or follow an exercise instruction program.
You could also invest in a good Bluetooth speaker system to help you with your pace. It’s a fact, that faster the music, faster will be the pace of the workout. It would also be a great time to enjoy your favorite music. Also, try to keep additional free electrical points for charging phones and other devices so your exercise is not interrupted by your dead phone or other chargeable devices. Having a few more ports won’t hurt as they could come in handy in case you plan to expand in the future.
12. Add nature
Man and nature have coexisted for eons, and being among flora is his inherent comfort zone. Add plants to complete that perfect look to your personal sanctuary. If real plants are difficult to maintain, you could go for faux plants. Today, the market has a plethora of options for indoor and outdoor landscaping. They offer a variety of choices of artificial trees, plants, shrubs and floral mixes to choose from. You would be surprised to know some of them are so near real that they have even managed to confuse bees and wasps. Add a touch of nature with artificial palm trees in your gym. The soothing senses triggered by the palm leaves will help your body and mind relax and want to spend more time working out. If you have a window, consider adding artificial boxwood to have that evergreen view outside. Adding a dash of color with silk tulips or tropical artificial flower arrangement will keep you gym unisex. It’s great for couples exercising together.
Exercising is good for the body mind and soul. If you have decided to get on it, congratulations! Give your personal workout space a makeover. With the crisp decorating tips we have recommended, you may never have to complain about not finding the time, instead, you may find others complaining that you spend too much time in your gym.
