5 Tips To Turn Any Home Into A Gym

I don’t know about you, but I am not the sort to buy something and not use it. That is why when the circuit breaker period started, I was extremely frustrated at the thought of losing precious time on my gym membership.

But ever since Phase 2 has started, I have not stepped into the gym once. Yet, I have continued (and if not increased! ) my daily exercise. It can be difficult to feel motivated when you are not in a gym setting. Without people hustling together with you, the temptation to be lazy can be very high.

However, I found that the best way to motivate yourself at home is to create a workout space. It is amazing what designating a space just to sweat it out can do for you. And in the 3 months, I have discovered a few tips for you to create the best home gym possible.

Tip 1: The space you find matters!

First things first, find a nice space in your home to set up your equipment. You would be surprised at the difference this can make.

Exercising, even for the fittest of people, requires a lot of motivation. It does not help to have a dark and drab space bringing your energy down. Try to find a space in your house that has lots of natural lighting and most importantly, good ventilation.

For me, my flat hardly gets any natural light. So what I did was to find the brightest space, and then I placed a few pots of plants and succulents in the space to brighten it up.

Not my flat, but see the difference that plants make?

Tip 2: Mirror mirror on the wall

Another good tip is to place a mirror in your workout space.

To many, working out in front of a mirror can be narcissistic, but to me, it’s smart. Functionally, mirrors help you to observe your posture and ensure that you do not hurt yourself. But other than that, mirrors also help to open up a space, which makes any room feel less suffocating.

Some studies have also shown that working out in front of a mirror has positive effects on your performance. This is called external focus. For example, when you are trying to shoot an arrow through a bull’s eye, you focus on the bull’s eye and not on how far you pull the arrow back.

Tip 3: Be equipped!

The truth is, we do not use every equipment in the gym. That is great news when it comes to a home gym! Because with a smaller space, you only have space to deck it with the most relevant pieces of equipment.

The first step to do this is to know what your workout style is. Do you like to do pilates? Do you prefer bodyweight training or bodybuilding? Or do you do a variety of exercises?

Depending on what it is, you would need different equipment. For example, if you do pilates, you might need an exercise ball, resistance bands, or mini dumbbells.

Or if you do bodybuilding, you may need to consider investing in a bench or power rack.

If you feel lost, don’t worry about it. There are a few essentials that you can consider getting before expanding your repertoire.

• Exercise mat: Important for any type of floor work and to cushion the ground for cardio
• Free weights: Having a variety of weights will be useful for many types of exercises
• Anti-Bacterial Spray: To clean your mats and workout space when you are done (check out the yoga mat spray by Breathe Essentials Co.)
• Optional: Skipping ropes or anything that can help you with home-based cardio; scented room spray for freshness

Tip 4: Organise your space

I got hooked into organising after watching Netflix’s “Get Organised by The Home Edit”. It made me realise the benefits of an organised space on a person’s mental state. Research has shown that clutter and disorganisation can affect our brain’s ability to concentrate and even our self-esteem.

That is why exercising in a cluttered space can severely affect your performance during a workout. Moreover, exercising is as much for your mental health as it is for your physical health. A disorganised home gym can therefore do a lot more harm than good.

1. Set up zones in your workout space. Set up storage spaces for each type of equipment. That is, dumbbells should be with dumbbells and resistance bands should be with other resistance bands in their separate spaces.
2. Make sure everything can be seen. The principle is simple: what you cannot see, you will not use. This way, you know where every piece of equipment is and it will give you more ideas when you are thinking of what workouts to do.
3. Keep everything in boxes or away from the floor. You cannot imagine the number of times I have hit my toes on dumbbells strewn on the floor. For gym spaces, safety is paramount. Everything should be kept safely in their designated areas.

Tip 5: Motivation, motivation, motivation!

The final tip is to add motivational posters or pictures around your home gym. Adding motivational posters and music not only brightens up the space, but they can also put you in a good mood and headspace. This way, you can get through your workouts a lot easier while having a great time. So feel free to whip up your favourite quotes and motivational songs!

If you want some tips on how you and your family can use the home gym together and bond as a family, check out this article written by our founder here.

Images: Pixabay, Unsplash, The Home Edit, Shutterstock