One of the most common questions people have about home gyms is about how big it should be and how much it should cost to set up. With so many different factors involved, this can be a difficult question to answer, but there are plenty of tips out there that can help you get started. Read on to learn more about your options when it comes to sizing and designing your home gym, and determine which one is right for you!
What size should a home gym be?
The ideal size for your home gym really depends on the equipment that you need. There are plenty of equipment, and each is suitable for different exercises.
The American Council on Exercise states that free weights such as dumbbells require 20 to 50 square feet of space, treadmills need approximately 30 square feet, and a multi-station necessitates 50 to 200 square feet.
So, the best way to figure out the size that you need for your home gym, you need to figure out the kind of equipment you're going to have. When you're choosing the equipment, check the dimensions and add them all together to figure out what size of space you'll need.
Home Gym Design Tips
Home gyms have been taking over more and more living spaces. With their rise in popularity, however, has come questions about design. How big should your home gym be? While it depends on what you’re looking to accomplish with your space, here are some tips for creating an efficient design:
- A home workout room is typically 10–15 feet wide by 15–20 feet long. This is usually a good amount of space for cardio equipment and weights benches. Keep in mind that if you’re hoping to add machines at any point (as most people do), your space will need to accommodate not only those but also room to move around them.
- A door that opens into the workout area allows you maximum flexibility when exercising. As long as your equipment is lightweight and collapsible, which most of it is, one open doorway can easily accommodate everything you need for an efficient home gym layout. You can even clear space in front of the doorway to use as your exercise runway—taking advantage of flooring (like wood or tile) that absorbs sound and provides plenty of traction to prevent falls while running or walking on a treadmill, elliptical machine, or other piece of cardio equipment.
- Home gyms often take up more space than people expect, so make sure there’s enough room in your house to accommodate it! Think about how you’ll move around without getting too close to items like exercise machines and weights benches.
Add Storage When Necessary
Getting a home gym up and running can seem like a daunting task, especially if you live in an apartment or small home. But it’s important to keep your goals in mind and remember that you don’t need massive amounts of space to get into shape. Small steps can go a long way when it comes to creating a simple but effective workout area. Adding storage cabinets and hooks will let you neatly tuck away your exercise equipment, towels, shoes, clothes, or any other items you might want to store at your home gym. Here is a gym equipment storage rack on Amazon that you can use to store away your essentials.
Keeping your area well-organized helps create an atmosphere that fosters physical activity—and there's nothing more motivating than an organized environment!
Best way to store home gym equipment
The best way to store home gym equipment is to build it into your current layout. Some gyms opt for vertical space, stacking their equipment on shelves that can hold everything from free weights to medicine balls and kettlebells. The only downside is that moving these items in and out can take some time; setting up a home gym doesn't have to mean completely reorganizing your living space. Instead, try building in part of your workout area as you're redecorating your living room or bedroom—it's much easier to make changes when there aren't too many things in place!
Final thoughts
If you’re like most people, you want to work out in the comfort of your own home. But home gyms can eat up a lot of space, and may not fit into every home. So how do you decide what is right for you? To help figure it out, think about how much space you need to accommodate each area of your workout. Keep in mind that while a bit smaller than a commercial gym might seem easier to keep clean and organized, the opposite might actually be true—as well as being more expensive! When figuring out what size home gym will best fit into your life and space, figure out the equipment you need, check their dimensions and then figure out the space that you need.