Love to exercise, but not a lot of time? Consider the convenience of having a gym right in your home. With very little equipment, you will have everything you need to get a great workout.
According to The American Council on Exercise, there are a few things to consider before setting up your gym.
What are your workout goals? Are you interested in a cardio workout, a strength training workout, or mix of both? Once determined, you can choose the appropriate equipment. Choices can range from a few dollars (exercise rubber bands, jump ropes, dumbbells, exercise balls) to hundreds of dollars (TRX, BOSU, Training Bag) to thousands of dollars (treadmills, functional trainers, spin bikes, elliptical). If your budget is tight, consider incorporating exercises into your workout that don’t need equipment such as pushups and shadow boxing.
You want to make sure your new gym has enough space so it’s comfortable and safe. It could be in an extra room or a small corner of the living room. Whatever the size, make sure the location you choose is somewhere pleasant; avoid a dark garage or a room filled with clutter.
For safety, a soft rubber floor or mat is a good idea and will help reduce slipping and destroying your floor if equipment should drop. You might also want to consider a wall mirror to check your form.
There are many advantages of having a home gym; you don’t have to wait for equipment, cleanliness of the facilities, and being available at any time. But, will you be motivated enough to use your new gym? Ask a family member or friend to exercise with you or rent exercise DVDs from the library with a variety of formats. This will help keep your workouts interesting.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money or space to setup your own gym. Your reward will be the opportunity to work out at any time in the convenience of your own home.
Written by: Abbey D’Costa
Abbey D’Costa is a BaySport Corporate Fitness Program Manager. As Program Manager she is responsible for all aspects of Infinera’s onsite Fitness Center including group fitness, personal training, incentive programming, and health education. Abbey’s career in fitness began ten years ago as a group fitness instructor teaching a variety of formats for health clubs in the local area. Recently she acquired her personal trainers certification. She enjoys running and spending time with her family.
Reference:
American Council of Exercisehttp://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.aspx?itemid=2588&category=6
Great post.Thanks for sharing such a useful information with us.