Today I’m giving you my essentials for creating an inspiring home gym that you’ll actually want to work out in. This is important because working out at home is a great way to stay in shape and save time. But you have to have the right space for it if you want it to be motivating. And let’s be honest, we need all the motivation we can get to exercise, right?!
I’ve always preferred working out at home and I’ve learned a few things about optimizing it over the years. One of those things is that the right space can make a huge difference in motivation. The “right space” is different for everyone but the main goal is that you’ll want to spend time there.
So many people designate a dingy basement or garage as their home gym. And that’s fine because these may be the only spaces available for that purpose. But the biggest mistake people make is not bothering to create a space that looks and feels good for them!
As a woman, it’s a big deal to me to like the things I’m looking at and to enjoy being in that space. So it needs to be attractive! But it’s also important to have the right equipment and enough room to move around freely. So let’s get started with my essentials for creating your very own inspiring home gym!
Find the right space
The first step to having a home gym that motivates you is to find the right space. Basically, that just means it needs to be big enough, bright enough, and clean enough to actually exercise in. I’m sure this seems obvious to some of you but I’ve noticed that it’s not always what people do!
I’ve seen a stationary bike cramped into a basement next to the laundry with bad fluorescent lighting and dingy walls. I’ve seen weight sets in utility rooms with unfinished walls and inadequate lighting. And I’ve seen living rooms with a few small accessories lying on the floor in the corner and furniture taking up most of the rest of the space.
It’s as if people want to make sure they’ll HATE exercising at home!
These are NOT inspiring home gyms! And they will NOT motivate you to go there and exercise! Our biggest problem with working out, besides time, is motivation. And like I said, we need all the help we can get with that!
Your space should be big enough
So make sure you also find a space that’s actually big enough to exercise in. You may have cardio equipment, like an elliptical or treadmill, that you need to fit into your space. Get that in place before anything else and put a tv in front of it while you’re at it. When doing cardio workouts, you’ll want entertainment!
Once you’ve placed your machine, make sure you have additional floor space that’s about a foot and a half longer than your height. My bedroom floor space is only about 7 by 7 ft. That’s plenty of room for me to lie down and stretch out comfortably for any exercises I do.
If creating this space means getting rid of a few things or storing things in another room then do that. If your space isn’t big enough for your workouts then it’s useless. This is something you want to put some effort into. Check out these “28 Creative Home Gym Ideas” at The Spruce for some inspiration!
It should be bright enough
The next essential to an inspiring home gym is to make sure it has good lighting. Again, this seems obvious but basements and garages don’t always have good lighting. And for some reason, people just put up with it. We all know fluorescent lights are ugly, so get rid of them. Find something that makes you look good!
The best lighting is actually natural light. Natural light increases the production of melatonin which wakes you up and gives you energy. And that’s essential for mood and motivation! So If you live in a great year-round climate, then a garage gym with an overhead door that opens up is perfect.
Or just set up a temporary gym on a porch or patio whenever it’s nice out depending on the kind of exercise you like to do! Unfortunately, if you live in a northern state, like me, that’s rarely an option. The best place is an indoor space with lots of bright overhead lights.
In my 13x18ft fitness studio, I have 12 can lights to make sure it’s all well-lit. In my home, I use an upper bedroom with 4 windows that let in lots of natural light. I feel good just walking into that room!
Tim, at gymcrafter.com, advises using LED lights that are either classified as “daylight” in color or have a 5000K color temperature listing. It’s always helpful to follow the advice of people who have done the research for you! You should probably stay away from “soft” lighting unless you’re creating a yoga or meditation area specifically.
It should be clean…period
If you’re trying to squeeze into a cluttered space, or the clutter is surrounding your workout space then clean it all up! You could just clear out enough space to exercise in but you don’t want to have to look at the mess around it. Staring at a mess every time I’m working out makes me feel like I should be organizing instead of exercising! It’s distracting.
You can buy inexpensive shelving units and plastic bins to store things away in. Here’s a fabulous example of what you can do with bins and shelving! If you prefer not to look at them then put up a pretty fabric curtain to hide it so it looks nicer.
We should feel relaxed in our space, not anxious! A cramped and cluttered room does not make for an inspiring home gym. You could also set up pretty room dividers to block your view if it’s too hard to move all the junk.
Another great space-saving tip is to hang as many things as you can. I’ve done this in my bedroom workout space and my fitness studio. Whatever way you do it, just keep it neat and clean and you’ll be more likely to want to spend some time there.
Choose the right equipment for YOU!
Finding the right equipment is another essential for an inspiring home gym. Don’t buy a big machine unless you’ve already tried it and know you like using it. I tested out cardio machines in hotel fitness rooms whenever I could to decide which one was right for me. You can also ask to use a friend’s machine to see what you think.
Don’t just take someone else’s word for it that you’ll like what they’re using. We’re all different. For example, my husband hates my elliptical machine but I love it! It’s easy on my joints and I can really get my heart rate up. Plus it’s great for weight loss or maintenance because you’ll burn mostly fat while using it.
Even choosing the right smaller equipment is a big deal. Do you know if you prefer dumbbells over bands for strength? Maybe kettlebells are the way to go. If you haven’t used them before then how do you know?
This is why it’s a smart idea to hire a personal trainer to show you the different equipment and how to use it before investing. I love to help women find ways to exercise that are easy and inexpensive!
If you’re new to exercise, I would advise starting out just using your own body weight. Follow along with Youtube videos until you have a good base of strength and cardio. From there you can move on to buying some smaller accessories for variety and to progress more.
Related article: 4 Simple reasons to have a winter exercise plan.
Decorate and organize
Now the fun part! Decorate and organize your home gym so it’s a place that calls your name every day! If you need some inspiration, check out Houzz.com for endless ideas on making your gym fabulous.
Here’s my simple checklist of things you must address in your home gym:
-
- Flooring
- Walls
- Mirrors
- Accessories
Flooring
When it comes to flooring carpet will do just fine if your home gym is in a room that’s already carpeted. I work out in a bedroom but I do put a towel down to protect the carpet from my sweat. But if your gym is in your basement or garage you may need to buy actual gym flooring.
There are basically two options for this: foam and rubber. They both come in either tiles that lock together like a puzzle or rolls. Foam is great for bodyweight exercises, stretching and light cardio or yoga. It’s not so great for weight lifting or jumping because it’s less durable and can dent and peel.
Rubber flooring is what you’ll see in most professional gyms. This is very durable, even hard, but it does give under pressure. It also won’t dent or peel off with heavy use. It’s more expensive but most home gyms aren’t that big so you probably won’t need a lot.
I would recommend buying the rubber tiles because they’ll stand up to anything, last forever, and can be removed if you want. I once bought a cheap foam yoga mat that started to fall apart with the first use! I have rubber flooring in my studio now and love it. Be warned that it does stink for the first few months so you need to air it out for a while!
Walls
Your walls should look nice and your color choice will affect how you feel in that space. Colors have meanings that can inspire good feelings, so choose one based on how you want to feel when you’re working out. I chose a light blue for my studio which promotes calm, peace and tranquility (like water).
You might prefer bright primary colors like red, yellow and bright blue to promote energy, joy and excitement. Or you could go with the calming neutral colors of beige, white, ivory or light gray. It’s up to you, just remember the colors of your walls will speak to you as you’re working out. What do you want them to say?
Another thing to keep in mind is that your walls can save valuable floor space. Hang as many things as you can. Stability balls can even go on the walls. Check out Pinterest for great home gym organizing ideas. The more you hang, the more space you’ll have for exercising on the floor.
Mirrors
Some people don’t even think about putting mirrors in their home gym but I think it’s essential! You have to watch yourself while you’re working out to make sure you have good form. If you don’t do the exercises the right way you may end up hurting yourself.
Having mirrors on your walls can be mentally motivating too. It’s inspiring to watch yourself working hard and using your muscles! You’ll also start to notice progress by seeing your muscles become more defined over time.
Related article: Get beautiful, toned arms with this basic workout.
You can buy large wall mirrors that are easy to install at any of the big box home stores. I bought 36×60-inch wall mirrors at Menards that I hung all over my studio walls and they work great! I also bought smaller ones to attach to the doors so I didn’t waste that space either. But just one large mirror will work fine too.
Accessories
When I say accessories I mean both organizing tools and small exercise equipment. Organizing tools can be wall hooks or shelves to hang things on, bins to store things in, and PVC pipes to make storage racks.
My husband and I made a very inexpensive stability ball holder out of PVC pipe!
You can also buy hooks to attach to the wall or ceiling to use with your bands. Lowe’s made a great video to show you inexpensive DIY ways to create a very inspiring home gym!
I think of exercise accessories as all the smaller pieces of equipment we use for working out. These can include bands, balls, steps, jump ropes, chin-up bars, and much more to help with exercise. These are also what I recommend starting out using when you’re just a beginner.
Exercise accessories are much less expensive, can usually be bought anywhere, and don’t take up a lot of room. The larger equipment and machines usually have to be specially ordered, then shipped to you. Just know that you can get a great workout using only these small accessories! I do it all the time!
Related article: 6 Easy core exercises you can do at home.
My final thoughts
If you prefer to work out at home then it’s essential to take the design of that space seriously! Creating an inspiring home gym that you feel good in will have a huge impact on your motivation level day in and day out.
Your home gym doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, it just needs a few essentials. It should be bright, clean, big enough to do everything you want and fit your personal style. You’re not going to want to work out long-term in a room you dislike. And the goal for exercise should always be long-term!
Physical health can make the difference between a good quality of life and one you just get through. But mental health is just as important. It gives you that boost that makes you want to achieve more. So have some fun creating your own inspiring home gym that helps you with both!
Let me know in the comments below if you’ve made an inspiring home gym already and what difference it made for you!