To many of us, a home gym might feel like something completely out of reach.  They’re expensive, difficult to set up, and maybe not even worth our time!  I’m here to debunk this belief, though.  They can absolutely be accessible and functional without breaking the bank.

If you are skeptical, I completely understand.  I was nervous about creating my own gym at home.  I don’t have a lot of space, and I figured finding the right equipment for me would be way too expensive – not to mention, I wasn’t even sure where to start.

Don’t worry.  I’m here to give you some help with this!  Without further ado, here are three tips for creating an affordable home gym you can enjoy alone, with a partner, with friends, or with your whole family.

1. Consider Storage Options First

If there is one thing, I regret about my own journey of creating a workout space at home, it was that I didn’t think about how I would store it all until it was already sitting in front of me.  Tons of weights, a yoga mat and a yoga ball, jump ropes, and more – and I had nowhere to put it all.  It was a panic moment if I’ve ever seen one.

For some more recommendations in this avenue, you can check out this article, but I have plenty of my own as well I assure you.  You will probably want to consider what kinds of exercises you usually do.

Are you a weightlifter?  Do you prefer activities like jump roping or yoga?  All of this will influence the different storage options you’ll want to choose.  For weights, you’ll probably want to find a weight rack.  For some of the other items like a mat, you could consider storage bins.  Personally, I chose some that could fit underneath my couch since my space is smaller.

No matter what you opt for, just make sure you’re not overextending.  Don’t try to fill your space with too much stuff!  Often, less is more.  Exercise is no exception to this.  While gyms might have an extreme amount of equipment, our home set ups should be more personalized for our own needs.

2. Decide Your Favorite Work Outs

Before you go to purchase a bunch of bulky, expensive equipment, decide what you want to get out of your exercise routine and what you actually enjoy doing.  After all, if you hate what you’re doing…well, you probably won’t keep up with it.

If you enjoy cardio workouts, you might want to consider something from this website, https://www.homegymmania.com/, for example, or looking around for what good aerobic and cardio exercises are!  There are plenty of options out there, so it’s all about what will suit you best.

Meanwhile, for strength workouts, you’ll probably want to invest in some weights.  Dumbbells and kettlebells are both safe options here.  You could also try resistance bands.  All of this equipment isn’t overly expensive and will give you very similar results to what you can find at a local gym anyway.  Save the trip – get it for your home instead.

For those of us out there who enjoy some nice and relaxing yoga, or like to do sit ups and push ups, an exercise mat is a great investment.  Ones that are made for yoga poses can be multi purposed, so do not feel the need to get a huge and pricey one.  Almost anything can get the job done and protect you from the hard surfaces of your floor.

One piece that is usually not too hard to obtain is a pull up bar.  This is something worth looking into and purchasing if you’re looking to train your strength and endurance.  After all, it can be used for several different exercise techniques, so it will never be a waste.

The final part I’ll mention here is getting recovery equipment.  It might not be something you purchase right away, but as you steadily build up your arsenal, a few pieces here and there will definitely be of value.  We put our bodies through a lot in the quest of personal fitness, so having something like a foam roller for taut muscles can be a serious relief.

3. Picking an Atmosphere

I saved the best for last, of course.  Once you have settled on the type of equipment you want to purchase and how you are going to store it, you get to dig into the design of your space.  For some tips on how to make a home gym in a small apartment, you can look here: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/279-design-a-home-gym/.

For my own home gym, I opted for a calming space.  I painted the walls a soft blue color and put some potted succulents on the windowsill.  I made sure to pick a room that had enough lighting for what I had in mind.  I set up an incense burner and I built a sturdy but comfortable couch.

What’s great about building your own space at home is that you can really go any direction that you want.  There is no one who can tell you “No, you can’t have a speaker here” like you might find out in public.  If you really wanted, you could hang a disco ball from the ceiling and decorate the room with neon lights like a rave.

You can do anything.  Maybe you’re a bicyclist, so you want to hang your equipment from the wall.  Perhaps you enjoy crazy patterns – you can make an accent wall with a funky wallpaper or go all the way and put it on every wall!  You can install curtains, add a colorful and plush rug, and put whatever accents you want.

For my own, I decided to paint some fun patterns on one of the walls.  I went with zig zag stripes, but you can really do anything.  Your imagination is your only limit.  So, get out there, and have fun designing the perfect home gym for you!