This year is flying by, but you’re probably still going strong on your New Year’s resolution to get fit. No matter where you are on your fitness journey, creating an at-home gym will offer you privacy, comfort, and superior convenience. Modernize understands how important those factors are when it comes to maintaining a regular fitness routine. Here are a few tips to turn your garage into the gym you’ve been daydreaming about.

Clean Up and Clean Out

The garage is the place where “miscellaneous” items go usually go. “Just put it in the garage,” quickly becomes, “there’s no more room in the garage.” Sort through your belongings and make three piles: keep, sell, and donate. Have a garage sale or list unneeded items online to bring in some home-gym revenue. Clean your floors, shelves, walls, and light fixtures to make the garage a brighter, healthier space. If you still need to store items like tools in your garage, organize them in closed cabinets, or off to the side.

Modernize recommends installing an air purifier and a few fans to move clean air through your garage. You can also work out with the garage door open to soak up some sunlight and enjoy a natural breeze. Once you have the garage cleared out and cleaned up, dream up a plan of what you want everything to look like. What equipment do you need? If you’re a yogi, you’ll need plenty of floorspace for mats and props. You’ll also want a few mirrors to check your form. If you’re a runner, you’ll want a treadmill and some weights for cross-training. Design the space to achieve your fitness goals and reflect your passion.

Design for Comfort

Protect your floors and your body by installing foam or polyvinyl flooring. You can find some really cool interlocking mats to cover your garage floor. This cushion is comforting for your feet and joints, and it can prevent damage from dropped weights and heavy equipment. After all, no one wants to deal with cracked concrete.

Make sure you have great lighting, too. Research shows that lighting and color can influence our moods, so paint your walls a calming blue or gray, or go for an energizing, vibrant hue like orange, yellow or green. Install overhead lighting to brighten up the space, or a window to allow in natural light. Floor lamps create a peaceful ambiance, perfect for yoga and pilates.
You may be more inspired if you incorporate a decorative theme if you love color.

Get the Most Equipment for Your Buck

Gym equipment isn’t cheap, so think of it this way: Investing in your own gym cancels out a monthly membership. Eventually, the savings of at-home gym equipment will balance out the investment, and you will actually profit. That being said, we know it’s a big financial commitment, so feel free to start small. Purchase one larger piece of equipment, like a cable machine, treadmill, elliptical, or bike. Then shop for smaller fitness accessories, like BOSU balls, kettlebells, small hand weights, yoga mats, blocks, and weight benches.

Search for holiday sales, clearance, and secondhand fitness machines to save the most money. If you’re just starting out, you may not need a brand-new treadmill or elliptical. Local groups often run Facebook pages to buy/swap/sell, so poke around the Internet to find the best deal. There are some things you may want new, like balance balls and mats, but other equipment like free weights can certainly be found second-hand.

Congratulations on moving from the crowded club or studio to a private home gym. You’ll be totally pumped up to achieve your fitness goals!

How to Renovate Your Garage Into An At-Home Gym

Clean Up and Clean Out

Design for Comfort

Get the Most Equipment for Your Buck

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