With American obesity on the rise, it is more important than ever for people to be conscious of how they treat their bodies. Working out is imperative if you want to have the stamina and good health to ward off preventable diseases. For many people however, working out in a gym can be intimidating. Long equipment lineups, hidden membership costs, hygiene issues, and self consciousness all contribute to a growing distaste with the public gym. In order to solve this problem, more homeowners than ever are building their own home gyms, thereby seeing their waistlines shrink and property values soar.



When considering having a home gym, ask yourself if you will you use an existing room in the house, or build an addition? Certainly, adding on to your house is expensive, but think about the advantages that this option has to offer. You will add valuable square footage to your home, which prospective buyers will be able to use however they wish. Also, you may not have a suitable room already present in your house.

You need the room to have relatively high ceilings if you intend to jump rope or use a mini trampoline. There also needs to be enough space to fit your equipment and a few accessories without feeling cramped.You need to be able to stretch and move, particularly if you will be using aerobics tapes or dancing. By trying to fit your health routine into a small room, you will only become frustrated and lose motivation.

Privacy is another factor. You don't want to do your workout along the main thoroughfare of your home. You will become distracted and interrupted. Again, this will decrease your motivation, so try to carve out a private space where you aren't likely to be bothered. Implementing a 'do not disturb' rule will be helpful as well.

Basements provide the best option for home gyms because they are separate from the main living quarters. Aside from offering privacy, you will be less likely to disturb other family members with the noise of your workout music and clanging free weights. The basement is also a good choice because you don't have to worry about having sufficient floor support. The last thing you want is to have to worry that a dropped dumbbell or a large exercise machine will go crashing through your floor.

As far as the room itself, you will want it to be decorated simply, so as not to distract you from your workout. Cheerful paint colors will brighten your mood, and having a nice view of your garden or other focal point will make your time in the gym more enjoyable.

Good ventilation is a must in a home gym, so be sure to have adequate windows and fans.

For floors, you probably won't want wall to wall carpeting. Carpet can be difficult to work out on, so consider having hardwood or linoleum floors. They will make doing aerobics and yoga much more comfortable.

Once you have a space for your gym, you need to select the equipment. Before you rush out and buy everything that a professional gym has, figure out what your needs are. If you have stairs in your house, you won't need a stair climbing machine. If you bicycle around the neighborhood on weekends, a stationery bike would be a waste.

For beginners, free weights and a stability ball are good starting equipment pieces. Having one or two top quality machines such as a treadmill or an elliptical trainer are good for those who are already committed to an exercise program. So many of us buy expensive equipment with the best intentions, only to have our laundry piling on top of them a few months later. Don't buy anything that may become a dust collector. You will be better off using the machine at a public gym on occasion rather than spending thousands of dollars on something you won't use on a regular basis.

Decorate the room with a convenient towel cupboard, a small fridge for water bottles, and a large mirror are good investments. You will want to have a good sounding stereo system to get you moving. You may also decide to have a small television set in the room as well.

As one of the top three specialty rooms that buyers are looking for in a house, a home gym can be a great addition to your home. Increased property value and improved physical well being: this is the beauty of a home gym.