If you have a basement that you don’t use very often, it might be the perfect place to create your home gym. Whether you’re a fitness lover or you only use the gym a few times a week, a home gym in the basement is a great way to get fit without having to go out to the gym. However, you also need to pay attention to how you’re creating that home gym. Here are five tips to make sure your home gym basement functions well for your needs.
1. Focus Heavily on Lighting
Lighting is going to be one of the things that can suffer when you create a home gym in your basement. Obviously, most basements don’t have great access to outside lighting, which means you’re mostly going to rely on artificial lighting. Invest in natural-looking lights so that your home gym feels natural, not artificial.
2. Keep Your Basement Floors Safe
Most basement floors are concrete, and that concrete is typically the foundation of the entire building. If you want to make sure you’re not accidentally impacting your home’s foundation, it’s a good idea to think about your basement foundation. Make sure you add padding to your basement’s floors, especially if you’re going to do things like deadlifting.
3. Add Different Types of Media
The right movie, TV show, or album can make a big difference when you’re exercising. Adding different media options to your exercising room, like speakers so you can play music or a projector so you can watch TV, can make it easier for you to get down there and start exercising. Plus, many of these options are very inexpensive.
4. Think About Structural Anchor Points
Structural anchor points in your basement can be crucial if you’re looking to hang something from the ceiling. Think about a punching bag, a pole for pole dancing, or a swing for aerial arts. All of these require that you suspend a significant amount of weight from the ceiling, which means you need to take advantage of your basement and your home’s structural anchor points.
5. Consider the Installation Process Early On
The installation process for your home gym is going to have a big impact on what elements you use as part of the gym. For example, if you have a normal-sized door going into the basement, you can probably haul more things into your gym than if you have a fairly narrow door heading into the basement. If you have that narrow door, make sure you measure everything before you buy it so you know it can fit down the stairs.
Conclusion
Transitioning a basement into a home gym doesn’t have to be difficult. As a matter of fact, many people find that turning the basement into a home gym allows them to work out more and enjoy the process more on the whole. As long as you follow these simple tips, you’re sure to be able to create a home gym that you can truly be happy with.
