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Considerations in Creating a "Health Space" at Home
If you missed it, check out my recent post arguing FOR a "health space" at home. Why do I say "Health Space" rather than "gym". Well, because I feel it's more encompassing and inviting for people, in a way that offers a blank canvas to make the space what will work for YOU!
There are things to consider though before you go "all in". In fact, that's part of this post's purpose - I always recommend you DON'T go "all in" right away. Let things breathe, get into some routines and build some habits before you invest a crap ton of money in stuff that will collect dust or be a really expensive place to hang your clothes!
Here's a list of things I recommend to keep in mind as you think about how you want your HEALTH SPACE at home....
Build some habits first. I love sharing the story of a cousin who asked me fresh out of college, my recommendation for an elliptical machine. As I think back I'm STILL proud of how I approached it with them, being so fresh and inexperienced. "What do you do right now for your health routines/exercise?" I asked. "Nothing" was the answer I got. My suggestion was to get into an EASY, FREE and REGULAR routine for a month or so to see if it's something they'll even keep going for themselves BEFORE investing in an exercise machine for home that will take space and cost money. I suggested a 15min walk, 3-4 days per week as an example of a habit/routine to experiment with. They "seemed" receptive. 2-3 weeks later when I visited, they showed me their new elliptical (not even a quality one - not that I'm a lover of ellipticals anyway) that was awkwardly placed in the corner of their small area near the bottom of the stairs. You may be able to guess what happened; This machine became a wonderful dust collector and place to hang things.
Cardio machines WILL break down. Cardio equipment has more moving parts and like our vehicles, they WILL require repair and maintenance. They are the "money pit" of home exercise equipment. Granted some have less things to break down, less electronics etc, they are a pain and more often than not become expensive clothes racks. They also take SPACE, so this NEEDS to be taken into account BEFORE purchasing! This is not me saying DON'T buy a cardio machine if you WANT one, but do your homework and be aware of this FACT.
(*Also, as I point out later - consider that cardio CAN be done outside where you reap even more benefits without the cost of a machine)
Measure and know how much space you're working with. This is CRUCIAL. Why? Well, you don't want to buy a $1200 cardio machine and realize you can't get it in the door OR it won't fit in the room you planned to use it in. You also, need to consider space for safety. For example, a treadmill setup with a wall a few inches from the back of it is a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion!
You also don't want to be crammed and uncomfortable in your space, so measuring and taking into consideration how much space a machine you're looking at it is going to take up is VERY important in this planning process. If you DON'T feel totally comfortable in your health space, you WILL USE IT LESS OFTEN than you intend. That's a promise.
Today, we have PLENTY of options for saving space as well! My Powerblock dumbbells are a prime example. I bought these back in 2013 when I opened my TINY studio and was still working with athletes. I needed more than the 50lbs that my dumbbell rack went up to, but I had limited space. This pair of dumbbells offers me the ability to go from 5lbs to 90lbs, in 2.5lbs increments all wrapped into ONE SET of DUMBBELLS. That's a MASSIVE amount of space saved! Plus, many adjustable dumbbell sets today, like my Powerblocks offer the ability to build your weight range as you go. Powerblocks come in stages, so if you don't need/want up to 'x' pounds right away, you don't have to invest until you're ready.
Cardiovascular exercise can be done in the great outdoors. The benefits of getting OUTSIDE are abundant and important to our health and wellbeing, and our cardio exercise CAN be done in so many ways in the sunshine and fresh air! In my opinion, you're better off investing $1000 in a bicycle than a spin bike. That's just me. Modern humans are NOT getting ENOUGH daily nature doses for our health and wellbeing, so why not get a 2-for-1 deal by doing your cardio work outside most of the time? Granted, having an option for when the outdoors is NASTY and/or UNSAFE in the home is nice to have, but certainly not a must. To me, if you're ABLE (or can work up to BEING ABLE) consider SAVING SPACE, AGGRAVATION (with breakdowns and repairs) and MONEY and work your cardio exercise outside in Mother Nature!
Strength equipment is a ONE TIME investment. To go along with the last point, investing in strength training equipment is ONE TIME, life long investment. It doesn't "break down" or need repairs. And it can take a beating over a lifetime - especially when they're well loved. When you purchase dumbbells, kettlebells, bars, weight plates etc you have them until you want something different or until you sell them. They will ALWAYS be useable! It's the best investment for home gyms and your health.
Buy ONLY what you NEED / USE RIGHT NOW. The rest can come later. There's no need to build an amazing home space right from the get go. ONLY invest in what you need right NOW. Strength equipment also allows this focus. I can buy ONE 45lbs kettlebell for example and use it for a LONG time before deciding if I want/need MORE weight or a second 45lbs kettlebell. When you buy a big cardio machine - it's just there. There's no building up and progressing things. It's alot of space and everything is NOW.
Dan John is a huge pusher of starting minimalist equipment wise. For example, let's say you have ONE 30lbs dumbbell and a yoga mat. This promotes learning different exercises and variations with just the ONE dumbbell (there's PLENTY) and it promotes focusing on QUALITY over time. As that 30lbs dumbbell gets easier in an exercise (say a goblet squat), you can build your reps and/or sets for a while, before even needing to invest in more weights if you want. This allows a new kind of work on the body, while also harnessing technique at the same time as intensity and volume changes. If we dive all in right from the start, our ego kicks in and we think "I can bump up and use that 45lbs dumbbell that's sitting there". Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it may not. You know what I'm getting at - There's NO RUSH.
This approach of SLOWLY and PROGRESSIVELY adding to your health space also helps YOU figure out what YOU WANT, NEED and allows you to be flexible with those plans. If you shift a bit in terms of your routines, maybe you don't need what you thought you needed initially. That'll save not only money but TIME and SPACE as well, to ensure that whatever you DO decide to build up in the future, it'll be worth it and used in your routines.
Home spaces are EASIER than ever to setup with equipment that LASTS!
There are plenty of options of places for commercial grade equipment for home! When you're purchasing commercial grade stuff, it means it's designed to be used regularly, every day by multiple people in gyms ... and still last. Meaning you and the people in your home using it, will REALLY allow this stuff to last forever!!
My go-to's I suggest for clients are:
*There certainly are MORE similar options, but these are my preferred go-to's, listed in order of preference.
Make it appealing to YOU!
Consider things like light / natural light, plants, decor, pictures on the wall / motivational quotes etc... Make the space your own and make it comfortable and enjoyable to be in. The more you consider these things as you create it, the more easily you'll fall into the habit of making your health space a place you visit often in your home.
Consider sitting down with a professional to help you.
I'm not saying you have to hire an interior decorator. BUT some people DO hire professionals like that to help setup their spaces in their homes. So doesn't it make sense to consult with a health professional about creating a health space at home?? Connect with a professional and have a chat with him/her about what you have, want, ideas etc so that you create a space that WILL work for you and those in your home. Paying a professional for 30min of their time to get you on a great path with something that will last you as long as you WANT IT TO seems like a VERY reasonable consideration no? Better than jumping and buying a $3000 home gym setup that you end up disliking and/or using for a few weeks and then it becomes your best and biggest dust collector in your house.
Think outside the box - Literally.
I shared in my recent post about having a "health space" in our home that there are SO MANY ways to create an amazing, functional space to care for your health at home that is appealing for YOU and those you live with! It LITERALLY CAN BE OUTSIDE "the box" (i.e your home). Consider converting the garage, a shed, use a shipping container, a greenhouse structure etc... The possibilities are endless. Even if it's not directly IN the home, a commute to the backyard shed to do some strength or mobility work is WAY EASIER than warming up the car and driving to the gym an hour earlier in the morning so you can get to work on time. Search YouTube and Pinterest for example for awesomely, creative ways to utilize a space for your health AT HOME.
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