The elusive ''movement space" aka "home gym" is an important part of every household. It is a space where you can go to sweat, burn, stretch or just move.
Every room in your house has a specific purpose. The bedroom to sleep, the lounge room to relax, the kitchen to prepare food and the bathroom to clean yourself. If you don’t have a specific room, that’s ok, this article will help you create one.
Besides being the cheaper option, the home gym is great for defeating exercise objections. Such as the weather; "it's too hot or cold to go outside", "It's raining".
It can help battle the convenience factor. Is it hard to get to your gym? Is it out of the way from your normal routine?
It gives you the freedom to do what you want, not just what is available at the time. This includes class timings.
As I am not a typically 9 am-5pmer, the times just don’t work for me. I love classes and have found that YouTube classes work just as well. Giving me the workout class feel from home.
Plus, you can do it in your own time. It takes time to go to the gym. Having a home gym eliminates travel time and allows you the comfort of your own bathroom.
5 steps to creating your movement space:
Step 1. Evaluate your needs. What do you enjoy doing? Are you already frequenting a gym and only need a few things you can do at home? Do you enjoy cardio? Strengthening? Will you be following a YouTube fitness class? Write it down. I personally like rebounding, Pilates HITT and boot camp whole-body workouts.
Step 2. Assemble what you already have. Put them all in front of you. Are they usable? Do they align with your needs? I only had a Pilates mat, massage ball and weighted skipping rope when I started to set up my movement space. Get creative and consider what you have in your backyard. I use the back steps to run up and down and also stretch my calves out. You could use your kids swing set to do pull-ups or do intervals on the grass.
Step 3. Make a list of what else you need to meet your step 1 goals. Remember you will have to store it so keep it minimal. I change-up my workout every day with minimal equipment.
You may really want a treadmill or another piece of large equipment. These things add up. Always try to recycle, there is some good quality stuff out there for free or cheap. Try gumtree, eBay or garage sales. If I can do it, you can do it. I got a treadmill free from gumtree, all I had to do was hire a trailer and go pick it up.
Reorder your list with the cheaper items first. Set a goal to get one item at a time in a realistic timeframe.
Step 4. Designate a space. The designated space could just be an area of your lounge room that you roll out your mat. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. The important part is knowing this is YOUR area to move. Every home is different. You may choose your shed, backyard, lounge, spare room. Consider what you have/will have. Will the chosen space be big enough? Will you need furniture? Will you like the look of it? And will you remember to use it? Try to make it visible. If you’ve locked it away in the furthest darkest corner of the house, will you remember it is there? Sometimes seeing your equipment will remind you to use it.
Step 5. Fill your space. Even if just have a mat to roll out on the lounge room floor, find a convenient place to put it, in plain sight. Don’t discount aesthetics, they will make you want to use it and keep you motivated to continually use it. You could get a little shelf to display your items. Set up your equipment in a usable or easy to unpack fashion.
Initially, I was worried that I wouldn’t stay motivated. I was worried I would buy equipment that just takes up space, not getting used. Keep yourself accountable and don’t forget to set your goals and manage your objections to keep you motivated.
Check-in with yourself. The main thing is keeping inspired. Constantly assess how you are going with your sessions, you may need to adjust things from time to time. This is ok, things change and so do you. Reassessing and readjusting will keep things interesting and keep you motivated to train in your space.
You don’t have to quit the gym to have your own movement space. I did for the convenience, and financial benefit. I have definitely come out on top with regards to money saved on fees and spent on equipment. My sessions are at a time that I like, with maximum convenience. And for now, I have the inspiration to continue with home gyming. I will never discount joining a gym again, but I will never give up my movement space.
Have you set up a home gym? What did you include and why? Please share your ideas with me!
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