Bright rooms full of gear replace 'dungeons' By Teena Hammond Gomez • Special to The Courier-Journal • June 28, 2008
If getting up at 6 a.m. to work out at your health club isn't your favorite activity, consider a home gym. In-home gyms are a strong trend, with a recent study from the National Association of Home Builders reporting that one-third of potential and new homeowners desire a home gym.
A recent study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association shows that in 2000, 20.6 million Americans used home gyms, compared with 25.8 million in 2007.
Sales of home exercise equipment also reflect the trend. In 1990, home exercise equipment sales hovered at about $900 million. In 2007, sales topped $4.7 billion, according to the Sporting Good Manufacturers Association.
Bob Keene, a personal trainer in Louisville, said he's been in the home fitness business for 20 years and more of his clients have upscale home gyms.
"People are using the main level of their home for their gym. Equipment is no longer stored in the laundry room. They're opting for a nice TV, not a piece of junk they bought at a yard sale, and nice rubber flooring," Keene said.
The reason for an upgraded home gym is simple, he said. "Psychologically, if the aesthetics of the room are more pleasing, you're more likely to use it. You have to make sure it's an inviting space that you wouldn't mind using rather than a little dungeon in the basement.
"Natural light helps. Fluorescent lighting is bright, and that's good. It keeps you awake. Mentally, it keeps you alert, which is how you want to be when you're exercising. TVs, sound systems -- all of that makes you want to go in there. It makes you not dread exercising so much."
Plenty of space Keene said a typical home gym should be at least 10 feet by 12 feet to allow room for multiple pieces of equipment. "Spaces are getting bigger because of the options and cardiovascular equipment," he said. "We didn't have treadmills, stair climbers and ellipticals 20 years ago. Now we have them, so we need space for them.
"Home gyms have gotten more efficient, but they're gotten bigger. You need a minimum of a 10-foot-by-10-foot footprint for a multistation weight stack machine."
Spare bedrooms are a popular option for people whose children have moved out. Walkout basements work if they have lots of light and windows.
"The key is to make the room inviting," Keene said. "The home gyms that really get used are the ones with equipment that (has) a designated space. Sliding a piece of equipment under your bed doesn't work. There comes a day that you slide it under the bed and never slide it out again until the next yard sale."
Steve Weingarten, another Louisville-area personal trainer, said he's worked with many clients to design home gyms.
"More and more people are building home gyms," he said. "... Most of the people I work with who have home gyms tend to work out at home in the morning. You've got the equipment there any time you want it."
Can't beat convenience One of Weingarten's clients, Beth Andrews, said she and her husband upgraded the home gym in their Prospect house four years ago.
"We have two rooms, not one," Andrews said. "We had too much equipment to fit into one room."
She said she prefers the at-home gym because "it's hard to get up and out and, especially if you have kids, to drop everything to go to the gym."
She said she has cardio equipment and free weights in her home gym as well as a TV, rubber mats and mirrors on the walls. "It's easy because you can always roll out of bed and exercise."
Send your home story suggestion to Teena Hammond Gomez at teenahammond@gmail.com, or write to her at The Courier-Journal, 525 W. Broadway, P.O. Box 740031, Louisville, KY 40201-7431.
Home gym options Lighting -- Stick with fluorescent lighting. Recessed lights have a spotlight effect and can be annoying when you're on your back doing floor exercises.
Flooring -- Use rubber flooring to absorb sound as well as to protect your floor from dropped weights and to keep exercise machines from moving around.
Ventilation -- Make sure the room has good ventilation to avoid that sweaty gym scent. A ceiling fan and a window or two are sufficient.
Location -- If you use a room on the main floor or second level, make sure the floor will support heavy equipment.
Entertainment -- A TV is good for when you're doing tedious cardio workouts on the treadmill or elliptical trainer, while stereo music is great during other workouts.
Size -- A 10-by-12-foot room is an approximate minimum size for a gym with a range of equipment.
Mirrors -- Install full-length mirrors on one wall to add light and the feel of more space to the room. They also let you check your posture and form as you exercise.
Extras -- Store towels, water and fitness drinks in the room. This eliminates distractions caused by running to get these things in other parts of the house.
Sources: personal trainers Bob Keene and Steve Weingarten, and Rich Meyer of My Gym Floor
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