The idea of having your very own fitness room is for most people a dream come true. Especially with those who regularly work out at public gyms, the hassles that come with waiting in line for a machine to free up, and then being constrained by the time limit, are simply concerns that could be done without.
There is also the actual cost of using the facilities: the regular gym membership fee, which on average would be about $85, is another burden, especially for those who do not get to work out that often. The busy grind of daily life usually prevents people with gym memberships from actually taking advantage of their memberships, and in the end they watch all those dollars go without even getting anything back.
In the long run, a public gym membership would be most convenient for those who actually work out regularly, and have the patience to do their exercises with people around them, waiting for their turn on the treadmill.
This is the reason why a number of people take the alternative step of actually building their own gym, right in their own home. In the long run, nothing would beat the convenience of being able to work out without actually stepping out of the house. Also, having a home gym takes away the fuss of working out with people: you can have that elliptical bike to yourself for as long as you want.
When it comes to the amount of cash one would dole out, there are certain considerations to be taken. While a home gym does take away the hassle of regular unused gym membership payments, it is replaced by the cost of buying the equipment – something that is definitely not cheap. And just like the gym membership you cancelled for your home gym, all that cash would go to waste unless you make a commitment to use the facilities regularly.
Gym equipment costs between less than $100 to as much as $3000, depending on the equipment. For a decent workout, you would need machines designed for resistance training, and of course, those designed for aerobic exercises. Because the idea of a home gym is to give you the kind of workout with added convenience, a collection of equipment that would generally bring you the same effects as a public gym would be the logical thing to consider.
However, there is another thing that people forget to consider: the needed space for the actual gym.
While there is no problem with merely buying a collapsible treadmill and putting it away in some corner, this alone does not constitute a home gym. For a complete fitness room, one would need exactly that: an entire room. While some people could just empty out a spare room in the house, others would have to actually get an extra room constructed just for their exercise equipment.
With this, one must take into account the actual size needed for the gym. Factors to take into consideration would be the usage, the safety, the aesthetics, the equipment you plan to use, the traffic flow within the house, and the possible expansion options for the future.
A home gym would need as much space as possible in order to adhere to the above requirements.
Also, one might want to break down the actual space needed for each piece of exercise equipment:
- Treadmills usually need an average of 30 square feet.
- Elliptical bikes would need 10 feet.
- For the stair climbers, one would need 10-20 square feet.
- Free weights would need somewhere between 20-50 square feet.
- Rowing machines need 20 square feet.
- For the single-station gyms, one would need about 35 square feet.
- Multi-station gyms would require somewhere from 50 to 200 square feet.
Aside from these, one must also remember to have enough room for you to move freely, without any constrictions or safety hazards.
If space proves to be a problem, one might consider downsizing: opt for the collapsible gym equipment. This solution, however, does not answer for the actual space needed when all the equipment is brought out.
Also, one could consider purchasing a range of compact gym equipment that is now available in the market. Mini exercise bikes and thigh masters are great for space saving, and they definitely cost less than the usual bulky equipment,
But above all else, remember that the space you use for your gym must adhere to the kind of activity you will be doing. The most important thing is for the gym to work for you, and if some adjustments must be made for the sake of a home gym you can be comfortable in, then, by all means, make them.
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Source by Nathalie Fiset