Home Gym
Well Hello…
What a long week and it’s only Wednesday! Ever notice when you want time to pass, it actually goes significantly slower?
I don’t know about you all, but I just have to work out. If I don’t work out even for one day, I just feel off, almost like there is extra energy that needs to come out. For the last probably 10 years, I had some form of a gym membership, and then one day out of nowhere, I just stopped wanting to work out next to someone. This was the start of building a home gym for my husband and me. Ironically, this was about 2 months before COVID, so I happened to get all the weights and equipment we needed in just 48 hours.
OK, I am going to spare you my home gym photos, because our gym actually shares a space with the laundry and plumbing/HVAC— and it doesn’t photograph well :). But I will share some tips I am always sharing when you are putting together a home gym. And any of these can work in a garage, basement, laundry room, ADU, bedroom, the list goes on.
Squishy flooring—get foam or rubber flooring that can be pieced together and installed by you. This you can get on Amazon pretty easily, or there are other commercial manufacturers you can use and grab from other sites like Home Depot. Check out this amazing basement reno below, using rubber flooring.
Mirrors— you need tons of mirrors, the more mirrors the better. If you can put mirrors on every wall, do it. I don’t know what it is, but big mirrors make it feel more like you are in a big gym, and it forces you to check your form.
Storage– the more organized the better. You definitely need weight or exercise equipment storage to maximize the amount of space you have for this home gym.
Warmth and/or Contrast— Honestly, home gyms with either wood planking, or a dark gray contrasting color, make the space feel like an escape from the rest of your day. Don’t you want this time of working out to feel special, like you are escaping your day for an hour somewhere different?
Fun Lighting— if you have the budget, build in some cove lighting or back mirror lighting. It ups the elegance and brings added warm to the space. And if you have pennies for this, get black lighting that comes in tape form, and outline your floors or ceilings with the light strip. I know, sounds so tacky, but didn’t you love taking spin classes in the dark with a black light and listening to club music?
The Digital Workout—OK this is definitely very personal to you, but there are a bunch of great options out there for digital fitness programs. There are the big ones like Peloton and Tracy Anderson, but there are other fitness gurus out there that have their own super great programs, one of them being Schweitzer House of Pain. My friend Tarah is a beast when it comes to working out, and puts her whole heart and soul into these workouts. If you want your ass kicked, definitely try it out.
Well, I hope that motivates you to wake up tomorrow and start figuring out where your home gym could be! Send me photos of your home gyms!!! I actually dream about the day in which I can make mine take over an ADU :)
xoxo—Ann
