Turn Your Basement into Your Own Gym

Turning your unused basement into a home gym is a great idea for people who want to get fit, stay fit or simply feel better about themselves. A basement is an ideal location for a home gym since the strong concrete floors will have no trouble supporting the weight of the any exercise equipment, it's easy to get to anytime and will be no need to pay ongoing gym fees.

However, as with any remodel, turning your basement into a home gym requires some up front planning so you will end up with the gym of your dreams. Here's some  things you should consider when creating your own home gym.

Make the available space work for you

• Probably the most important measurement is available head room. Seven feet is generally considered the minimum height needed to give you room to stretch and work on equipment like a treadmill or an elliptical trainer. If your basement ceiling is too low, getting a good workout will be difficult.
• Heating and ventilation are also important. While you don't want your home gym to be too warm, it does need to be a comfortable temperature (around 70°F). You also want fresh air in your gym, so be sure to your gym includes a window that can be opened and a fan to circulate the air in the room.
• Working out in the dark is no fun so be sure to design your gym so it has lots of light. Use as much natural light as possible in your design, but also include lots of lighting fixtures to ensure your gym is bright and pleasant. Recessed or pot lights work  well in a basement gym since they are out the way but still provide lots of light in a dim area.
• So the rest of your family doesn't always need to share your workout consider adding some sound proofing to the ceiling of your home gym,. Fiberglass insulation between the ceiling/floor joists will help block the sounds of your workout from the main floor and if you install a ceiling of 5/8” drywall, the combination will very effectively keep your gym noises downstairs.
• Also include lots of electrical outlets in your gym. Most workout equipment needs to be plugged in and if your don;t have enough outlets you'll be limited in where you can position your workout equipment. Plus if your equipment is crowded together, your gym will look cramped and crowded.
• Make your gym bright and attractive by painting the walls (and ceiling?) with light colored paints. Neutral colors like white, light brown or tan work well and will help you feel energized when you walk into your gym. Large mirrors on the walls will also help brighten the area while making it seem larger visually.
• Finally, don't forget, you'll need some entertainment or distractions while working out at home. Make sure you have a good stereo system where you can play uptempo music or a television so you can watch your favorite shows or movies.

Murray Anderson is a veteran freelancer whose work has been appeared in books, newspapers and newsletters as well as on numerous web sites in both the United States and Canada. He writes on a wide range of topics including home, consumer, and personal subjects as well as general business and Marketing specific topics.