Last Updated on December 7, 2017 by MarcyPro
Properly spacing out your home gym equipment can help you work out more efficiently and keep you from getting injured as well.
Have you always dreamt about having your very own home gym, but the only things that were holding you was your lack of space, or not having enough funds? Well, we here at Marcy Pro are going to make you think again!
We’re providing this handy do-it-yourself reference guide so that it can empower you to put together that perfect home gym, that you’ve deemed was impossible to build. You’ll discover that our guide can fit virtually any amount of space that you may have at hand, as well as any budget.
Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese system of arranging your surroundings in balance and harmony with your being, one of its core tenets is how to accomplish this tranquil state using mostly either whatever you already have, or elements that are easily attainable.
Here are some simple steps that you can take, that will enable you to create the optimally harmonized (and safe) workout space right in the comfort of your own home:
1: Locate a Gym Set-Up Space within Your Home
This first step is probably the most important, because if you don’t dedicate a space within your home that is going to be strictly for your fitness endeavors, nothing can happen from there.
Look around your living space, do you have a home office area? Maybe a roofed backyard area or outdoor patio? How about a guest bedroom or storage space? Even a garage will do if you can spare the room. Or if you don’t have any extra room, you can dedicate a common area, such as part of your bedroom or living room, to double as your new workout zone.
2: Grace Your New Fitness Area with Feng Shui
Okay, so you’ve made it past the toughest part and now have your fitness area staked out, now what? Well, let’s turn up the Feng Shui!
First, let’s make sure that your dedicated workout space is free of both distractions and unnecessary clutter. You’ll want to clear out miscellaneous items such as magazines, books, video game consoles, do-das, thingamajigs, and anything else that might draw your attention away from your workouts. If you’re into following online fitness routines, or watching fitness DVDs, make sure that your computer monitor or TV screen isn’t too close to your work out zone.
Next, increase the mood of your fitness space by pumping up the cheeriness. This means supplying as much natural light to your space as possible. You can do this by drawing your window blinds completely open, as well as opening any nearby doors. If say, your workout space is in a more closed in spot, such as your basement, you can still provide light to it using either soft white light bulbs, or tap lights.
3: Build Your Home Gym
Don’t be intimidated, because contrary to popular belief, home gym set-ups needn’t be too elaborate, nor contain vast arrays of equipment, to be effective. As a matter of fact, the best workout spaces are usually compact and only have the pieces of equipment that truly matter.
Exercise balls are perfect for your home gym space because they’re relatively small, and you can perform a multitude of core strengthening exercises on them. At more advanced levels, you can even lift dumbbells while supporting yourself on them in order to increase your balance and stabilizer muscles.
Those big cumbersome pieces of cardio equipment? Not necessary. That’s because you can perform a wide variety of body weight calisthenics exercises, such as jumping jacks and pushups, on a simple workout mat. Want to take it a step further? Get a set of jumping ropes or a speed bag for a more hard core cardio routine.
For strength training, adjustable dumbbells are both highly versatile, and also super space efficient. You can also invest in some resistance bands, which are excellent for developing tight, sculpted, lean body mass, and are equally easy to stow away. For a combination of both balance improvements and cardio workouts, trampolines are another superb piece of equipment for your home gym, and they can easily be slid underneath a nearby shelf or desk when not in use.
4: Keep Your Home Gym Neat
Excellent, you’ve assembled your brand new Feng Shui-powered work out zone. But now comes the fun part—making it disappear as much as possible when not in use. This is especially true if your fitness area is in a shared living space such as a bedroom or living room. After all, you don’t want your significant other bumbling and tripping over your jump ropes!
If you have any shelves or drawers nearby, you can store some pieces of your fitness equipment in them. Cupboards and armoires are also convenient places for storing items. Look around and get creative—maybe you can stash your trampoline behind your dresser or office desk, and perhaps you can put those resistance bands away in your work desk drawer. If you look around, you’ll find that there are plenty of clever little spots that you can store your equipment in. Just make sure that they are out of reach from any children.
5: The Feng Shui Bling Extras
If you want to give your home gym that extra “umpf,” consider adding a mirror or two to your workout space. Mirrors not only open up areas and make them look more expensive, they also let you observe yourself as you work out. No, not in a vain way but in order to monitor your form more carefully, and make sure that you’re performing those perfect reps.
Plants can also add a lot to your home gym. Not only are plants more conducive to attaining proper Feng Shui in your workout space, because of their natural beauty, but they also facilitate more oxygen flow within it. Bamboo, spider plants, and ferns, are all at the top of the list because of their superior oxygenation capabilities.
Put Your Plan into Action!
So by now you should be highly motivated to build your own Feng Shui-powered home gym! Just remember, you don’t have to assemble everything right away. You can begin with just a couple of highly versatile pieces of equipment such as a Smith machine or a set of adjustable dumbbells. Later, you can add other key pieces as you go along.
You can also frequent swap meets, garage sales, and online moving sales and giveaways, for discounted (and sometimes free!) items. Now there’s no excuse to have your very own home gym, so check out what we have to offer at Marcy Pro and get started on your fitness journey today!