The interesting thing about your workout space at home is that it can be as minimal as a bare room with just a few exercise mats, to a deluxe set-up with a weight rack, weight bench, pull-up bar, and more. In other words, what you need for your gym is as varied as the kinds of workouts you will be doing. Let’s also not assume that your home gym always has to be a sweat-palace where the work is intense and the music is loud. For an increasing number of Americans, a home workout space can be a quiet place for yoga, stretching, and similar isotonic activities.
The health benefits of yoga in particular are very compelling and alone are a good reason to set up this kind of space in your house. Part of the planning of your workout space includes thinking about your routine and what is involved, so adding equipment that you already planned for should not be difficult. Nonetheless, here are some ideas to get you started on equipping your gym:
- Weight Lifting: Free weights: barbells, dumbbells, plates, collars (to hold the weights in place)
- Weight Lifting: Weight rack, weight bench
- Cross Training: Kettlebells, medicine balls, resistance bands, rope
- Isotonic movements: Pull-up bars, push-up hand-holds, Glute-Ham Developers (GHD machine)
- Isometric holds: Exercise mats, yoga mats, bars
- Aerobic machines: Stationary bicycles, rowers, treadmills, elliptical trainers, climbers
- Environment: Air circulation, music, video, wifi
- Towels, wipes, disinfectant, sanitizers, etc.
- Resilient flooring with cushion, sound absorption capabilities, and easy-to-sanitize surface. This would be a floor upon which you would lay a yoga mat, stretching mat or other exercise mat
- Sink, water fountain, or under the counter fridge for water, sports drinks, fruit, etc