6 Tweaks to Make Your Home Gym More Inviting

Is your home gym a less-than-Zen workout zone? If so, these six tweaks will help you turn your dusty, cluttered exercise space into one of your favorite places to go.

For many of us, our “home gym” is either a corner of our office or spare bedroom, or a dingy unfinished basement, neither of which do much to motivate you. Luckily, it doesn’t take tons of time or cash to turn that sad, neglected space into a workout wonderland! Try a few of these tips to make your home fitness area far more inviting.

Give It a Good Cleaning

A clean home is a happy home, and that goes for every room, including your home gym. We don’t just mean sanitizing your equipment, but giving the whole area a good scrub.

Start by organizing your gym so it feels more open and uncluttered. Remove any boxes, bins, or items that don’t belong in there.

Next, dust all of your equipment, as well as the ceiling fan and any shelving. A few drops of dish soap in a bucket of hot water will go a long way for washing equipment, yoga mats, or even dumbbells. It’s all you need to clean just about anything covered in dirt or sweat.

Microfiber towels are the cleaning workhorses for just about everything, including your fitness area. The thousands of tiny fibers attract and lift dust instead of just pushing it around. They’re also perfect for wiping up any spills or liquids, thanks to their super-absorption powers.

Finally, you can sweep or vacuum the floor, and then give it a good mopping. Once that sweaty stench is replaced with the crisp, lemony scent of a freshly cleaned room, you’ll enjoy doing your squats and leg lifts in there.

Fill Your Space with Good Lighting

Opening those blinds and letting in some natural light is a surefire way to boost your energy. Natural light boosts vitamin D, improves sleep, and might even help drive away gloomy seasonal depression.

A dose of sunlight combined with a good workout also releases those feel-good endorphins. All in all, it’s a fantastic natural remedy for anyone with the winter blues. If your fitness area doesn’t have windows, you can achieve a similar effect with a light therapy lamp.

If your home gym is in the corner of a shared space or basement, then you probably don’t have access to natural light. Luckily, modern lighting is better than ever. Rather than embracing the darkness, fill your space with bright lights, so you can monitor your form, observe your gains and snap Insta-worthy progress pics.

Go for energy-efficient lights that will brighten your space so you can see everything clearly, and overall, make your gym feel more inviting.

LEDs are affordable, last longer than other bulbs, and don’t produce too much heat, unlike other types. Plus, you can dim them, which is really nice when you’re doing yoga, a cooldown, or a stretching routine.

Make It More Personal

In your home gym, you probably have a few sets of dumbbells, a yoga mat, and other equipment, like an exercise bike or treadmill. But is there anything personal in your workout space?

If not, fill those bare walls with awards, cherished sports memorabilia or films, or even pictures of long hikes or camping trips you’ve been on.

Decorating your space with unique-to-you touches makes it feel more like part of your home. It’ll also feel more welcoming and can even motivate you not to skip workouts, or even to work harder.

Inspire Yourself with Goals

Working out requires time, a lot of hard work, and plenty of motivation, none of which is easy to come by these days. If you have the luxury of avoiding the gym and working out in the comfort of your own home, you’re already one step closer to your goals than most people.

No matter what your workout goals are, make sure they’re present in your home gym. For example, if you’re hoping to join the military, hang a poster or image of the specific branch in which you want to serve.

If running a 5K is something you’ve always wanted to do, fill your walls with motivational posters or pictures about running. Even if you just have a bathing suit you want to fit into this summer, put a picture of it up on the wall so your goal is always in front of you.

Add Some Entertainment

For some of us, working out is the only time all day we get to do something alone and for ourselves. That’s why many people use their workout time to also engage in something else they enjoy. For example, if you walk on a treadmill, you might read a book at the same time.

Doing something you enjoy while you exercise is actually an excellent way to distract yourself from the hard work your body is doing. It can also make the time go by faster!

So, next time you’re on your recumbent bike, catch up on your favorite TV series. If necessary, you can even install a wall-mount for your TV, so you can see it no matter what type of exercise you’re doing.

Listening to music is probably the most common way folks entertain themselves while exercising. Why not invest in some new headphones, earbuds, or a Bluetooth speaker? Nothing can get you motivated faster than the beat of some of your favorite jams.

Hang Some Mirrors

Adding one or two large wall mirrors can immediately enliven your home workout space. They’ll reflect the lighting and make the room much brighter, adding a more positive vibe. Plus, mirrors just make your space feel more like an actual gym.

You’ll also be able to easily watch your form, track your progress, and improve your routines. This is one of those little details that can really turn a dismal home exercise space into the real deal home.

If you don’t have the wall space for one large mirror, you might want to try something like this four-pack of 14- x 14-inch mirrors. You can hang them all next to each other, or use two in your workout area and the other two elsewhere.

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If your home workout space is a dark basement or the corner of a cluttered spare room, it’s time to liven things up a bit! After you give it a good scrubbing and add the perfect accessories, you’ll be all fired up to tackle those new year’s fitness goals.