Decorating your Home Gym
Add Spunk to Your Exercise Room with Attractive Decor
Make your home gym a place you enjoy spending time in, a place that makes you feel energized and good about yourself.
Whether your home gym is a necessity or a luxury, it should be a place in your home that makes you feel invigorated and alive. Your home gym should be inviting and make your workouts less of a chore. Now, part of this is your attitude about working out and your dedication, but your decorating scheme can actually help you stay focused and make workouts more enjoyable.
Decorating an exercise room, like all decorating projects, requires some forethought and research. A decorating book is a good starting place as it will help you stay focused and on task. Look at the space you’ve allocated as your home gym and figure out what sort of equipment will fit, take measurements and bring this information to a personal trainer or fitness expert who can help you find the right products for your health needs, concerns and goals. If you’ve already got the equipment, you’re a step closer to the finish line.
A big consideration is color, probably more so in a home gym than many other rooms in your house. Colors effect mood and emotion and the wrong colors can make your workouts less exciting, they can tire you out easier and make the room less inviting. Many people suggest decorating your home gym in bright colors, but too many bright colors, contrasting shapes and textures can tire the eyes and lead to actual fatigue. Instead of going bright and crazy, go practical.
What sort of exercise are you going to be doing? If you’re looking for a yoga room, a nice cool blue will enhance the peaceful and tranquil mood. Orange expresses energy and it may be a good choice if you’re going to be doing cardio exercises. Purple is a color of transformation; if you’re looking to drastically change your physical structure, you may want to celebrate this alteration process with purple. Red can raise blood pressure and increase heart rates, but this is artificial and can lead to fatigue more quickly. Red is also tied to an increase in hunger, (notice how many fast-food restaurants feature red) which is something you want to avoid in your exercise room at all costs.
The floor is also of great concern, since you may use it as one of your exercise platforms. Again, consider your planned activities and decorate accordingly. Carpet can be good as the padding will protect your joints during floor aerobics and provide a soft ground for floor exercises. Rubber flooring may be a better option, but the cost and convenience factors should also be considered. If you have a hardwood floor or some other hard surface, consider purchasing some modular pieces that can be arranged to suit your needs or removed all together.
Finally, consider some visual or auditory stimulation. Working out can be boring, especially if you’re alone and in a makeshift gym in your basement. It’s just not the most inviting environment and doesn’t often lead to good exercise habits. So bring in the entertainment. If a radio is enough for you then add one and a healthy supply of music or books on tape, or whatever will hold your interest. Incorporate a television if you don’t want to miss your favorite shows during that treadmill session, or incorporate the television into some guided exercise programs.
Make your home gym a place that supports your healthy lifestyle goals and embraces your exercise style. Always keep your fitness plans and goals in mind so you create a home fitness area decorating scheme that supports your best intentions rather than thwarts them.
