8 Tips On Designing Your Basement Home Gym

For a minimal investment of time and effort, you can set up a garage or basement home gym for convenient use anytime. Here’s how.

With so many people overweight and facing health concerns as a result, you may be thinking about renovating your basement to design a home gym.

A workout place at home offers many perks, including no gym fees, no weather concerns, and no need to leave the house or drive to the gym.

There are several factors to consider when planning your renovation, and we’ll discuss them below.

What You Need For The Perfect Basement Home Gym

Here are a few tips to help you create the best possible environment for a practical basement home gym:

1. Maintenance

As you organize and renovate the basement area for your home gym, keep in mind not only immediate spatial needs but also long-term repair and insulation.

Use the most solid part of your basement to ensure stability and durability.

Keep utility sources like the furnace and electric box accessible for maintenance and repairs as needed. But you may want to block them off with a room divider for added protection and aesthetic appeal.

2. Air Circulation

Choose an area of the basement that has windows so you can air out the area after each workout in good weather and let in the fresh air.

If there are no windows, make sure there are air circulation vents or have a couple installed during your basement rehab.

Clean air is essential for good health when working out in a closed area. For additional safety and health precautions, it’s also best to have a basement humidifier.

3. Flooring

Look for flooring that works well with physical activity and exercise equipment. Rubber flooring is often used because it offers secure footing for people and equipment.

You will probably also want to include some floor mats for weight-lifting or floor-based exercises like sit-ups or crunches.

Woodgrain foam mats also work well for a basement home gym. The style should be easy to clean and maintain.

4. Lighting

Track lighting works well in an open concept gym area. Wall sconces can brighten dark corners or add extra light if needed, for example, when watching a stationary bicycle’s vital sign readings or your speed and distance measurements.

While super-bright lighting is not required, you may want to install adjustable lighting so you can dim or brighten it as needed depending on whether there are windows for additional or enhanced light.

5. Wall Mirrors

Install full-length wall mirrors so you can monitor your workout to ensure you keep pace and do the movements correctly.

You may also be better able to spot any potential equipment malfunctions from a broader angle.

Frameless steel mirrors or circular convex mirrors are two styles that work well in a basement home gym.

6. Sound System

Equip your basement home gym with an effective sound system. Use the equipment that works best with your gym setup, including the possible addition of amplifiers if needed for that extra sound boost.

Surround sound is another option that can help, based on your gym layout.

Use a remote control device to manage the sound and switch to different music types when going through varying types of physical activity during your workout.

7. Stimulating Colors

Since workouts are supposed to pump us up and get us energized for physical exertion, choose bold colors to decorate your workout space.

You might prefer a favorite neon shade like red or orange to keep you moving. Or you might prefer a striped accent wall with other solid walls. The colors should be big and bright to spur action.

You might also put up invigorating posters, workout charts, or a progress sheet to be marked after each session.

Enlarged photos of buff heroes or award-winning athletes can also keep you actively working toward your fitness goals.

8. Motivational Media

Organize a media library of videos, audio recordings, and even brief motivational speeches to get your blood pumping.

You can mount a TV screen in front of your stationary bike or rowing machine as well as other locations where you can watch a trainer guide you through a workout.

Some people prefer to watch a favorite TV show or movie to get their minds off the routine workout or extra effort they are putting into the session.

Others read an e-book by attaching the reader to the stationary bike or elliptical equipment.

For a minimal investment of time and effort, you can set up a home gym for convenient use anytime. You may be likelier to work out more often with the gym literally below your feet.

Start with equipment that you feel comfortable with and add to your gym when ready to make progress.

Few personal investments have the potential to pay such huge health benefits as a home gym.