Home gym benefits abound

Do you huff and puff excessively after climbing a flight of stairs? It may be time to join the growing number of Americans who exercise on a regular basis. Increasingly, evidence shows that exercise pays off, even for those who start a routine late in their lives. “But,” you say, “I just don’t have time, and health clubs are too expensive!”

Why not hurdle those obstacles by creating a home gym? The home exercise facility offers what every American seeks — convenience and value. And it significantly cuts the number of viable excuses for not sweating off those extra pounds.

Why Home?

You could save enough for a down payment on a house with the money you might spend in some health club dues over the next five years. Budget conscious folks can convert a spare bedroom into an exercise salon. Just clear the room out, buy the needed equipment, and, voila, you have an exercise room.

With a home gym, you save the time you would spend traveling to a health club. Even if you have a health club membership and like the facility, you probably can’t always make it there as often as you’d like. Again, the best solution is to set up an exercise room in your home. Studies show that 56 percent of people with gym memberships also have home equipment.

Building Your Health Club

Some homeowners are transforming bedrooms, patios, garages and large closets into miniature health clubs. And those who can’t afford to spare whole rooms are putting exercise equipment almost anyplace it will fit. Just remember to put your equipment in a space large enough to accommodate it. You need room to walk around your equipment and make adjustments or repairs. Ideally, you will have: 30 square feet for a treadmill; 10 square feet for a stationary bike; 10-20 square feet for a stair climber; 20-50 square feet for free weights; and 35 square feet for a single-station gym.

Less budget conscious homeowners build new exercise rooms onto their homes. Typically, such rooms are 15-by-18-feet, with 8- to 9-foot ceilings. But the room’s size should vary based on the amount of equipment a family will purchase. These custom-designed rooms often include a mirrored wall and nap carpet, wood or vinyl floors.

Many people buying or building a new home mark workout space at the top of their wish lists, right next to home offices and media centers. Many upscale houses now on the market include an exercise room. In some new homes, exercise areas fit between the master bedroom and bath area.

Equipping Your Exercise Room

Before you buy home exercise equipment, try it out! If you know what you’re getting when you buy it, you’ll be less likely to one day stuff the equipment into a dusty corner of the attic. Test all machines for at least 15 minutes to determine stability, smoothness and comfort.

What kind of equipment do you need? It depends on what you’re trying to do. If you want to lose fat, purchase cardiovascular equipment such as treadmills, stationary bikes and stair steppers. But to tone or build muscle, you need resistance training equipment such as dumbbells or barbells. In addition to discussing the equipment with experts in physical training techniques, you should also consult your personal doctor about how your current physical condition might be affected by a new exercise regimen.

Go to an exercise equipment specialty store. They carry the best products, have the most knowledgeable staff, and will provide services including delivery, assembly and repairs. Buy the best equipment you can afford because it will give you a better workout and won’t break down as easily. And, most importantly, it will be less likely to be relegated to the back corner of your garage.

Don’t limit the equipment in your home gym to exercise only. You’ll need some entertainment and motivation. Your room could also include a:

•TV and VCR. Time in the ‘gym’ will pass more quickly when you can watch your favorite show. And you can play an exercise video on the VCR.

•Stereo. It’s more fun to work out with rhythm.

•Large wall clock. You should time your workout.

•Bookrack on your stationary bike or treadmill. You can increase your knowledge while decreasing your waistline.

Make sure the room is properly ventilated with an air conditioner or ceiling fan. You will find yourself more motivated to exercise and the inches will disappear. Have a great workout!

Please call upon the Spokane Home Builders Association for whatever project you have in mind for your home. We are a local trade association comprised of nearly 1,000 professional businesses affiliated with the construction industry, poised to assist you with any project, large or small.