When gyms closed in light of health protocols at the beginning of the year, health enthusiasts thought of only one solution: home gyms. Homeowners started converting their attics, basements, or guest rooms into their personal workout space.
If you’re one of them, then you certainly experienced a surge of motivation to work out the first few weeks of your home gym’s installation. It won’t be unlikely if, just like the rest of your buddies, you suddenly felt that it’s not doing its job.
When designing your home gym, you’ll inevitably encounter some hiccups. It’s a good thing that fixing them is neither costly nor complicated. A few tweaks here and there should get you up and sweating in no time.
White It Out
You’ve probably heard about color psychology a long time ago and used it to decide the best color to boost your mood and energy while working out. It won’t be a surprise if your gym’s walls are a bright yellow or orange, as these exude the kind of energy you’d want.
Not according to sports and health psychologists. When you paint your walls in warm yellows, reds, oranges, and green, you start to feel drowsy. They have a relaxing effect that is the exact opposite of what you want during your workout.
Paint your walls an eggshell white color to help your mind stay clear and focused. This is particularly true if your home gym isn’t spacious. White makes any small room look bigger, which will prevent you from feeling cramped while working out.
Value Space
Speaking of cramped rooms, you’ll want to make sure your home gym isn’t filled with unnecessary decor. Not only will it consume living space that should be used for your workout, but it will also add to your distractions.
If this is the same place where you stock your office supplies or unused items, your mind will automatically create a checklist of things to do. You’ll be then tempted to skip running that extra mile on the treadmill because you remember that you have a long-overdue general cleaning to commence.
Apart from de-cluttering your home gym, you can also achieve a streamlined look by adding or enlarging your windows. This is another trick that makes a room feel bigger because it appears like it’s extending outside. Just make sure that the view isn’t the most distracting landscape in Utah, or else it’ll achieve the opposite effect. Your options for windows should be in a style that helps open the space in your gym and lets in just enough sunlight without causing unwanted heating.
Add a Mirror
Yes, it’s also for flexing purposes, but it’s primarily to help you monitor your form. When you’re not working out with the guidance of a coach or a friend, mirrors give you the feedback you need. This is particularly important when using weights and other exercise machines that warrant a good form to prevent injuries.
A mirror serves as a silent motivator, too. Whenever you see yourself sweating and making progress, it becomes easier to develop the confidence and drive to keep coming back for more. When choosing a mirror, opt for one that is wide and full-length. It doesn’t have to cover an entire wall like the ones in commercial gyms. It just has to be big enough to serve its purpose while you’re working out.
Small Remedies, Big Changes
Try out these small alterations to your current home gym design and see if they make a difference. They’re not the costly or extensive improvements you may have expected, but they are the ones that can produce the biggest change in your motivation to be fit and stay fit.
