Lisa Salmonreports
interlocking rubber mats, or something more durable and permanent, such as rubber flooring in tiles or rolls, which will provide physical and audible cushioning for your workout, and prevent slipperiness from sweat and/ or fast movement.
Keep your form in check by making a mirror wall part of your design scheme – it can brighten up the space, and make it feel much larger, says Reynolds. Another option is to hang a punchbag from the ceiling – it can always be unhooked and removed to make more space. Alternatively, buy a floorstanding punchbag.
A basic custom-designed set-up including one cardio machine, dumbbells, an adjustable bench and flooring will cost around £2,500£5,000, says Reynolds.
3. Createafitnesswall Wall workouts are popular, especially for tight spaces, because they don’t require bulky equipment. Fitness walls combine tools for strength training, such as resistance bands, body straps, pull-up bars and even foldable squat racks with an integrated adjustable bench. A fitness wall can be as elaborate or simple as you like, explains Reynolds, and can incorporate hooks or bars to attach resistance bands or other suspension training apparatus to, as well as built-in equipment like cable and/or battle rope pulleys. A fitness wall can also support an angled sit-up bench, or beams that can provide support for total body stretches.
4. Convertaspace Garages, basements and attics can be ideal for converting into a permanent home gym, with the benefit of adding value to your property, says Reynolds.
If you’ve got a spacious garden or outbuilding, you could install a standalone gym, which you could combine with a home office space if necessary. Mirrors on the walls will open up and brighten the space, and a wall TV can help cardio time go much more quickly, or connect to an on-demand fitness service. A good sound system to play your favourite tracks as you workout is also useful as a motivational tool.
A custom-designed luxury home gym with two or three cardio machines, a squat rack, free weights, cable machine, adjustable bench, combat fitness equipment, a feature wall, custom flooring, audio, visual equipment and air conditioning will cost around £30,000, says Reynolds.