There was a piece on the BBC website just this week discussing the obesity problem here in the UK. Ever since getting an office job I have become overweight. Anyhow I took the survey and apparently I am now obese as opposed to overweight. I’d love to join a gym but I have body confidence issues and really wouldn’t like exercising in front of others. So is the solution a home gym?

The problem is, home gyms used to be considered a luxury, and so, may not fit in with your current home. As homeowners, we’re not used to this kind of room, and so we don’t really know how to decorate the room well. It is a room deserving of attractive decor, as is any room in the house because, you pay for that square footage. Also, you’re much more likely to enjoy using the space if it is designed well. A fresh and airy, beautiful home gym is always more likely to invite you in for a workout ahead of say, a dusty, dark, spare room jammed with equipment placed anywhere and everywhere.

If you currently have a home gym you don’t love, and want it to be more chic, beautiful and functional, follow these six steps:

Design

The design of your home gym is going to be unique to you, and so it should be. You’re not trying to emulate the commercial chain gym in town, you want a beautiful space that echoes your passion for working out. Think carefully about elements like:

Lighting
Sound
Flooring
Equipment
Colour schemes
Extra fun features such as water machines
Ventilation
Safety
Functionality

Once you are sure of the practical aspects of the room, you can work on how it looks. Perhaps some beautiful internal bifolding doors would create a lighter entrance to the room. Maybe a wooden sprung floor instead of a rubber one will look more beautiful. Perhaps you can place the equipment in a way that shows off the design, and allows for practical usage. Think practicality and safety first, then appearance.

Preparation

A lot of people allow the preparation of a home gym to put them off decorating it. This is because the equipment has to be moved out of the way temporarily in order to get the room decorating and prepared. If you’re sure you don’t want to miss working out for the duration of the fitting, get a one month gym membership locally and prepare. You can also make space for the equipment to sit elsewhere in your house, and lay down the appropriate sheeting and protection for surrounding decor.

Fitting

You could DIY the room yourself but, us Brits have a bit of a reputation for hurting ourselves and our bank balances when we DIY. According to statistics, each household will spend £138 a year fixing DIY disasters. There are also 500,000 injuries caused by DIY every single year in the UK. So before you go ahead trying to create the most stunning home gym for yourself and your family, think carefully about your skill set and be brutally realistic. There’s no shame in hiring a professional to avoid injury to yourself, additional costs and time, and potential damage to your home.

Tweaking

A home gym is a practical room so, once it is all looking gorgeous and all the equipment is set up, you should look to tweak it before you ‘settle in’ and cancel that commercial gym membership. You might find when you use the running machine you wish you had a view into the garden. Or you might find that your natural order of machine usage means the gym could be set up slightly differently. You might find the colour of green you selected to decorate the walls actually gives you a headache! Now is the time to make tweaks, whilst you’re still motivated to get the room right. Don’t let it be a room you never really liked and ended up neglecting for years. Make the tweaks to make the room work for you.

Using

It can take some getting used to having a home gym and making yourself use it. Don’t make the mistake of thinking just because it is at home you will be in it twice a day. Just like any habit, you have to commit to doing your workouts every day. You might miss the social side of attending your local gym or you might find you don’t like working out without secretly competing with others around you. Commit to using your home gym for a month and if it really isn’t for you, repurpose the room. You might also find you are in the gym too much. Be careful you don’t get addicted to exercise which could be very damaging for your mind and your body, and actually render your home gym a dangerous place.

Updating

A home gym will need updating more than other rooms in the house because of the way it is used. Make sure you carry out the following maintenance on your home gym regularly:

Keep all machines well oiled and checked for safety regularly
Update any machines that are no longer safe for use
Fix any loose flooring in the gym which could be considered dangerous
Update spring floors that have lost their bounce
Update worn mats
Wipe down and clean equipment regularly
Get electrics and equipment pat tested at regular intervals

In terms of the way the room looks, it is down to you how often you want to update it. If you keep the design neutral, then the decor should last you a fair amount of time. You may find the biggest cost is updating technology, but it will still likely be cheaper and more enjoyable long-term than owning a gym membership and commuting to and from the gym every day.

To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise – Gene Tunney

Having a home gym is a wonderful idea for your health, and with the right time, effort and professional help, it will be as beautiful and functional a room in your home, as any other.