Setting up home gym can aid with New Year’s fitness goals

Paul F.P. Pogue Ask Angi

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to get fit, lose weight and maybe work off those holiday feasts.

Plus, getting fit is more than just a number on a scale; it’s about assembling a healthy lifestyle on all fronts.

Here are some ways to start getting fit and stay committed all year:

Build home gym

A home gym is one of the most common fitness plans. And while you may be envisioning a large, expensive installation, that doesn’t have to be the case. You can customize your fitness plan to match a space as small as a spare room or as expansive as a basketball court, depending on your tastes.

When you design your home gym, maximize your chances for success with these hints:

■ Make it a welcoming space — You won’t use your home gym very often if you don’t actually like where it’s at. Decorate it in a manner that fits your tastes, or install a sound system or wall-mounted television to provide entertainment while you exercise.

■ Use it exclusively for workouts — It’s not always possible to do this, but if you can, make sure your gym space is used for workouts and nothing else. If it’s a multipurpose space, it becomes very easy to stuff the equipment in a corner and forget about it.

■ Make it an escape — One of the biggest enemies of fitness is distraction. It’s very easy to get pulled away from a workout at home to deal with some kind of family or house matter. If possible, place your gym a little bit away from the main hustle and bustle of the house, or make a point to carve out time when you’re less likely to be distracted while you work out.