Everyone knows the importance of exercise, and for many, exercising in their own home gym is the perfect option, as it's peaceful, private, convenient and relatively inexpensive. However, many people who have home gyms don't use them regularly, and sometimes that's partly because the room just aren't very inviting - the "basement dungeon" home gym stereotype comes to mind here. For this reason it's important that your home gym provides a pleasant environment, so you'll actually want to use it. Fortunately decorating a home gym can be easy, and this article provides some tips.
Arranging Your Home Gym Equipment
When choosing home gym equipment, ensure that you buy the best quality that you can afford; not only will it look nicer, but it'll be more pleasant to use and will last longer. It's important to know in advance which types of exercises you want to do, so you don't end up buying equipment that you won't use.
When arranging the equipment in your home gym, make the best use of your space by ensuring that the tallest machines are against the wall, and the smaller ones towards the center of the room. Making a floor plan in advance can help here. It's important that you have enough space to move easily, and an uncluttered room is more appealing too.
Colors
After the equipment itself, the color scheme and lighting are possibly the strongest influences on how appealing your home gym will be to use. Before decorating however, you need to know what kinds of exercise you'll be doing. If your home gym will mainly be used for yoga practice for example, you'll want to create a different, calmer kind of atmosphere that if you'll be focusing on weights or cardio.
Bright colors have an energizing, motivating effect on most people, so these are usually a good choice. However, too much bright color can be over-stimulating and ultimately fatiguing, so don't overdo it. Two-tone walls with half bright and half white or pastel color can be a good way to incorporate some bright colors without them becoming overwhelming.
Bear in mind too that different colors have specific effects on the body and mind. Red in particular is associated with appetite stimulation (ever notice how many restaurants have red walls?), so this may be best avoided if you're trying to lose weight or keep an eye on your diet.
Lighting
The right lighting is important when decorating a home gym too. You'll probably want the room to be brightly lit, as this has a more energizing effect. Full-spectrum daylight bulbs can be a good idea, as they mimic the frequencies of natural light, which can have a more energizing effect than yellow light. You might wish to avoid harsh fluorescent lighting, as this can be draining to some people.
Also consider how flattering the light is to you. You want to feel good when you see yourself in the mirror! The position of your light sources can have a big effect here - in general diffuse lighting is more flattering than sharply directed spots.
Wall Decorations
Plain walls can be a little… well, plain, so you may want to add some visual interest to the walls of you home gym. Motivational posters (the type with a pretty picture and a success-oriented quote) can be appealing, or you might want to personalize it a bit more, by adding pictures that are more meaningful to you, such as a photo of someone with the kind of body you're aiming for, or of clothes you'll buy when you're back in shape, or a photo of your holiday destination if you've got a vacation coming up (especially if you're trying to get in shape for the beach!).
If you're feeling especially creative, a mural could be a nice idea, and will bring the inspiring scene of your choice right into your home!
A mirror is important too - a large full length mirror might not sound that appealing if you don't like how you look right now, but you'll be able to see your body shaping up over time, which can be very motivating. You'll also be able to check that your form is correct - very important for avoiding injury!
Another addition to your gym wall could be a wall planner, with details of your exercise routine, weight/fat loss goals etc. Having your past and future progress mapped out in this way can provide an extra incentive to keep going if your motivation flags.
Flooring
It's important to consider the flooring in your home gym too. A carpet will help to provide cushioning when doing high impact exercises, but may be awkward to keep clean. Rubber mats are another essential, especially if you have hard flooring, but you can jazz things up a bit by mixing and matching the colors to blend with or complement your walls. Hardwood floors look stylish, and help to provide a more "professional" kind of look (many commercial gyms have this type of flooring).
