|
Bring Fitness
Home
When you are juggling child care, career, housework and
any number of other tasks each day, there is little time
left for the health club or even for taking a quick jog
around the block.
For many fitness enthusiasts, the solution is to bring
exercise Into the privacy of their own homes. As a result,
consumer demand for home gyms Is on the rise and there are
a bewildering array of systems and devices to choose from.
Home gyms are convenient, They require no travel time. If
you want to listen to music, you can set it to whatever
you want. And it doesn’t matter if your shirt and shades
don’t match. Even people with health club memberships
still want something at home to exercise with when in a
time crunch.
Before purchasing any equipment or starting a remodeling
project, however, give some thought to the type of
exercise program you want. Begin by deciding what your
fitness priorities are: do you want to reduce body fat.
increase muscle strength and/or increase cardiovascular
fitness?
Next decide where you will put the equipment. Some people
like to enlarge master bedrooms or convert spare bedrooms
into exercise spaces. Others remodel and convert entire
basements into full-scale home gyms.
When designing a home gym, allow plenty of room for the
exercise equipment - treadmills, stair climbers, riding
machines, stationary bikes there are some fitness-fan
favorites and they take up space. In addition, there
should be plenty of room for weights and stretching mats.
Mirrors - at least on one wall - are a great idea. They
enlarge the size of the gym area and can provide extra
incentive when you see your reflection, Good ventilation
and bright lighting are also important. After all, you
want the gym to look alive and inviting.
Tightly-woven, well-padded carpeting is your best bet for
flooring. It wears well and accommodates heavy equipment
with only minor denting.
For some people, noise is also a factor, especially if the
exercise space is near a bedroom. Soundproofing the gym by
adding extra insulation to the shared wall will keep noise
down. Locating the space near a full bathroom will also
speed things up for the person who wants a quick shower
after using the equipment.
Home gym equipment can be purchased in a variety of ways.
Specialty fitness shops often offer the best selection
from basic to luxury equipment - at a range of prices.
They will usually deliver and set-up the equipment as well
as provide support and maintenance. |
