So you want to set up your own home gym. For a lot of us, the home gym is the ideal way to tackle our fitness and exercise needs. Frankly, the home gym is more accessible, we don’t have to worry about dues and for those of us with young children, we don’t have to worry about childcare.
The problem with a home gym is what do you buy? How do you set it up? Do you spend two thousand dollars on a Bowflex? Another 1000 on a high end treadmill? And even more on a free weight system? What about the hundreds of dollars you can invest in workout tapes or DVDs?
One major factor in answering all of these questions is determining how much of your house space do you have for your equipment. Do you have a spare room? Do you want to be able to keep it stored in one small corner of your bedroom, your living room or your garage?
Determine Space & Style
You have determined how much space you have available. You have a good idea of your own personal budget. You also know what you enjoy. If you do not know what kind of exercise you enjoy – whether it is lifting weights, doing Yoga or walking on a treadmill, do not spend your money yet.
Take the time to discover what you like. Buying exercise equipment you either don’t know how to use or don’t really want to use is only adding a few more dust magnets to your house. Investing in something you like and know you will use is a better alternative. If you need some ideas on how much space equipment can take up, here’s a decent breakdown provided by the American Council on Exercise.
- Treadmill — 30 square ft.
- Stationary Bike — 10 square ft.
- Free Weights — 20-50 square ft.
- Single station gym — 35 square ft.
- Rowing machine — 20 square ft.
- Stair Climber — 10-20 square ft.
- Multi-station Gym — 50–200 square ft.
Those numbers may seem like a lot, but there are a number of treadmills that will fold up or compact down. Hand weights can also be stored in a much smaller space than a workstation or multi-station gym.
Basic Equipment
In my opinion, the ideal home gym starter kit will include the following:
Treadmill – The prices on these are dropping. They are becoming far more affordable. However, if you do not want to invest in a treadmill. You do not necessarily need one. Just be sure that you have a way of performing cardiovascular workouts whether it is aerobics, outdoor walking or cycling.
Hand Weights Hand weights or dumbbells come in varying poundage. They are relatively inexpensive. You can purchase 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 pound weights at Target for under $10.
Balance Ball The Balance Ball or Swiss Ball or Exercise Ball (it has a lot of names) is another inexpensive addition to your home equipment. You can buy them at Target for between $20 and $30. Verify that you have the right size ball for your body type.
Progressive Workouts
The final component to determining any home equipment purchase should be that it not only allows for your current fitness level, but also allows for future progressions. If you work out regularly, your strength, endurance and flexibility will improve. You do not want to outgrow equipment if you can help it.
It’s also worth noting that you can get a complete full body workout with minimal equipment. So depending on your workout type, schedule, budget and preferences – you can have a home gym and workout for less than a $100 and in some cases less than $50. It’s up to you to decide what you want to invest your money in.